[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by Cowperson+Sep 28 2004, 10:11 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Cowperson @ Sep 28 2004, 10:11 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

I really can't see how any sensible person can compare these two as equals that happen to be on the opposite side of the fence. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Noam Chomsky is not an internationally respected academic, whether anyone likes it or not.

I suspect that the real smart-people and decision-makers on the right-wing side of things don't view him as an idiot at all, large constituency be damned. If they did, they'd have lost a long time ago.

One thing I find funny though is that when someone, say "me", says George W. Bush is an idiot, the response is often "yeah well he went to Yale and Harvard so I guess he's not an idiot". His academic career is evidence of intelligence, while Chomsky's infinitely more impressive academic accomplishments are sneered at.

I think you're missing my point.

You're trying to tell us that because Chomsky is an "academic," he should be given a heap of slack even though you amply demonstrated in your link that his credentials offer no more formal political science education than claimed by Rush Limbaugh.

Chomsky is as much of a hobbyist at political commentary as Limbaugh is, both with their cult-like followings. That the method of delivery of their respective messages, one in dour, Spock-like fashion and the other with bombastic finger-pointing, is varied is rather "academic" to the conversation.

And, we should note, those debunking Chomsky and calling him a narrow-minded, juvenile idiot have plenty of university degrees of their own. Does that cancel his out?

Cut him slack? Why? Why not treat him with the same skepticism as Limbaugh, a radical element on one side of the debate?

You beat me to the punch on the Bush/Harvard thing. I was going to throw it on the table as well. It seems a convenient dismissal by his critics.

Cowperson [/b][/quote]
I don't think he should be "given a heap of slack", I just happen to think that the opinion and research of perhaps one of the most respected "minds" in the world should be given slightly more credence than the opinion of a drug-addicted draft-dodger with a high school diploma and a loud voice.

I'm not too familiar with Chomsky's formal political science education, but I would guess that he took at least one poli sci course in college. Considering how many years Chomsky went to school and how many Rush did (less than one) I'm pretty confident that Chomsky enrolled in (and maybe even passed) one. Not that it matters of course.

And just to re-iterate -- the people with university degrees and power on the right-wing don't think Chomsky is an idiot. They wouldn't even exist if they dismissed people like him as "idiots". Just as an aside, I'm sure they do consider Rush Limbaugh a "useful idiot", which is better than plain old "idiot", but not a real compliment.

But... looking up some of old Rush's accomplishments I did find out that he signed an 8 year, 250million dollar contract at one point. Maybe he ain't an idiot after all. But he's still a moron.