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Re: [Phys-l] Anti-science (Was: Responding to a DJ about science)



All generalizations are false, including this one.
Regards,
Jack

"Trust me. I have a lot of experience at this."
General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley




On Wed, 28 Jul 2010, Marty Weiss wrote:

Thank you! I have been dying to say this but didn't want to stir up the inevitable firestorm of PC replies. Being intelligent isn't an advantage in this country, and those who speak or write with anything other than four letter words are often looked upon as somehow being *uppity* or *snobbish* and are accused of appearing to be better than everyone else. In order to get anywhere in this country one has to act *down-home* and dumb it down in conversation and writing or speech in public.
By the way... they don't call these people *DJs* any more. They are *radio (or tv) personalities*. They are hired, not on their brains or wit, but on crassness and crude speech and the ability to out-shout the callers. One attribute they do have is to be quick with the comeback. And, that's no always the case, either. One such afternoon personality on a state-wide station known for right=wing views, usually has to stop and say, " UUUUUHHHH" before he replies. He can't seem to come up with a logical viewpoint without hesitating and thinking for a few seconds whenever he is confronted by a caller who says something unexpectedly intelligent. If a caller becomes too rational or presents an argument that deviates from the argument the personality wants to portray they will either play music or speak over the caller's voice. There is a six second delay, so if you follow directions and turn the radio down you will never know that your voice was never heard over the air.
So, my advise is to simply swallow your pride and do not call back or write to them. E-mails are ignored, and repeat callers are not acknowledged except to become fodder of ridicule by the on-air personalities. Remember, it's THEIR air time and you are subject to anything rude and insulting they want to call you.

Marty

ps: I never call this station and only listen when the topic concerns the show "Jersey Shore" or some other innocuous subject because I don't want to *blow a fuse* every afternoon.


On Jul 28, 2010, at 2:44 PM, John Clement wrote:


The big problem is that the US has a history of anti-intellectualism, which
has grown stronger in certain ways. FDR was educated and talked like an
educated person, but now if you talk in an educated manner you are less
likely to be elected. The anti-science streak is just part of that general
trend. In the 50s we had a lot of optimism that science would solve all of
our problems, but that feeling is now gone, and many consider science to be
the enemy. This is a big contrast to many other countries where if you talk
in an uneducated fashion, you will never be elected. Obama is a throwback
because he uses very educated speech. Clinton used his Arkansas roots to
affect a folksy air, and Bush was plain illiterate or sometimes incoherent.
We also have a strong strain of public Puritanism which distrusts too much
education. In other countries they do not worry about mistresses, but
rather want a competent person. I was told by an Argentinean that a
mistress was mandatory for the Argentine president.


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