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by flakespancakes 592 days ago
Maybe a PhD isn't sufficient evidence of intellectualism, then.
4 comments

PhD should never be considered a sign of intelligence. Anyone can get one if they pay enough and don't have any better prospects
They paid me (poorly). As to better prospects, meh. I graduated with an engineering degree in the naughts.
Anyone can get one if they pay enough and don't have any better prospects.

Not true at all (in terms of STEM degrees from legitimate schools).

This is part of the rhetoric that pushed people towards Trump.

Instead of asking why they didn't consider voting Democrat or why Trump was a consideration you respond with the equivalent of "well maybe you're not an intellectual"

I've seen a trend of Democrats resorting to attacking anyone that has different views than they do instead of taking the time to understand.

Anyone with opposing views gets labeled idiot, racist, Nazi, bigot, etc...

It does nothing to bridge the gap and bring people to your side. The opposing view still exists without being challenged. I would imagine it just pushes some people into an echo chamber of their own.

You respond with the equivalent of "well maybe you're not an intellectual".

That isn't what they said. They said that the PhD, by itself, isn't sufficient evidence of intellectualism.

Which is a perfectly natural reaction to have to anyone who, like the commenter being responded to, holds up their PhD as a defense of their intellectual prowess.

The parent post was actually about anti-intellectualism, which is a specific distaste and disrespect for the intelligencia.

Someone bragging about having a PhD is very strong evidence that they dont hate the intelligencia

I was hardly bragging, my degree is not something Im particularly proud of.

It is a piece of paper, however, that credentials me as being part of the technocratic system.

I really don't believe this is just a trend in Democrats; Republicans aren't innocent of this either. They'll resort to the overused labels of "socialist," "woke," or "un-American" for anyone with progressive views.

The whole system is just so polarized that both sides absolutely despise each other, and so both side dehumanize the other. I don't see this ever improving, it's just a shit show where both sides blindfold themselves to opposing ideas and fling as much of it as they can.

The parent post was about anti-intellectualism, which is a specific distaste for the intelligence.

Bragging about having a PhD is mutually exclusive with it.

Intellectualism and intelligence are not the same thing.
This is my point exactly. Independent of ones intelligence, it stands that someone with a phd isn't exactly anti-intellectualism (which is what the parent post was about, but it seems many people missed)

>And the rise of anti intelllectualism in the USA continues to rise.

Better evidence than party affiliation though.

Love your intellectual curiosity. The choice down to Stein vs Trump didn't raise any eyebrows?

Or why did I single out Biden for loathing and not Kamala (I pity) or the Democratic party?