[quote name='mykevermin']I'd like to ask a different question that takes this issue of condescension from another angle (despite the Atlantic article Msut linked pretty much handling the issue expertly).
Where are the conservative intellectuals? The conservative thinkers? Where are the analogs to the Paul Krugmans, the Chomskys, the Howard Zinns - and of the past, the Saul Alinskys? Sure, George Will is not a blowhard, and Buckley is gone, lamentably. So who takes their mantle? If we want to have political, intellectual debate and not the WWF, and not talking points and empty political memes, we need to have intellectual fodder. But people have always favored charismatic authority (like Glenn Beck and Limbaugh) over traditional functional leadership like a Buckley; the former are far more entertaining (though few moments trump Buckley threatening to slap Chomsky in his "goddamned face" on television, haha).
The Presidential Q&A from a few weeks ago exposed the political *leadership* of the right are unprepared for anything even remotely resembling intellectual discourse. The Tea Partiers can scream and shout slogans and shout down those who disagree with them, but they can't go point-counterpoint without having their lack of knowledge or comprehension exposed.
So it's not condescension because the political right as an institution is devoid of ideas. There are plenty of ideas. It's that the people who identify on the political right do not possess an intellectual comprehension or understanding of those issues, and come prepared with the verbal equivalent of a blunt piece of wood to a gun fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEIrZO069Kg
Pay particular attention to Chomsky's argument here, as I think it's rather relevant to any political era, including our modern one. And I'll be damned if I don't get all giddy inside hearing words like "equanimity" used on television, as I have a personal belief that our ability to communicate using English has significantly deteriorated over the past half century, largely because television is no longer showing too many programs like Buckley's Firing Line.[/QUOTE]
I'm with you on this. I went to a panel discussion/debate with Richard Perle and some lefties on the Islamic World and the US post 9/11. It was some PBS sponsored event that was part of some big week long event on TV. Anyway, I was thinking, "OK, Perle is going to be there and some other people I don't recognize so it should be an good intellectual debate." Well, long story short I was so dissappointed as Perle just showed he was an ideologue and just sounding like a broken record to good questions that were raised. He ended up leaving like 10 minutes early saying he had to leave. Wow, that was just icing on the a cake. The right is absolutely devoid of intellectual debate. I think the Republican moderates are scared for their party.
Anyway, thats a great clip. Buckley was pretty decent for a Republican but you see how he is trying to downplay Chomsky's very legitimate point.
Sorry, I was MIA in this discussion and apologize for bringing the discussion away from cheese.
ing 1950s.