George Carlin: conspiracy theorist?

madfoot

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Just wondering what folks here think of George Carlin's famous "American Dream" bit, because from my uneducated point of view, it seems like something the skeptic community would usually hate. Inaccurate? Irrelevant? Insightful? What of it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q
 
Class war is a thing but I don't share his pessimism. He probably wondered why people were laughing.
 
There is (or was) a video on YT of him answering questions about 9/11.
He was a borderline Truther.

I found that hugely off-putting, but have forgiven him because he so accurately expressed my feelings about religion.
 
He was anti-establishment, but I think he was clever enough not to buy into these wild theories.

Damn it sucks to talk about him in the past tense.
 
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Eddie Dane said:
There is (or was) a video on YT of him answering questions about 9/11.
He was a borderline Truther.

I found that hugely off-putting, but have forgiven him because he so accurately expressed my feelings about religion.
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Not really. It doesn't seem like he thinks 9/11 was an inside job, he just didn't act like a pedantic douche about it like you expected him to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pow5_UYKaJ8 (video you're referring to?)
 
Here's a good one, George Carlin on the word "conspiracy". I think this was on Coast to Coast AM, IIRC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO0-u900OG4

Ignore the pictures, only the audio is interesting (apparently, this was uploaded by an alex jones fan - I have nothing to do with that crowd, although a lot of you are already convinced I am). This is honestly the impression from most skeptics. I feel like there's an intellectual laziness when it comes to skeptics on politics, some unreasonable faith in both the rationality and benevolence of public agents. Just like Carlin said, the idea that powerful people might have similar interests and might plan together is almost shunned. No, I'm not calling you "sheeple" and I'm not trying to be holier than thou. I just don't understand.
 
madfoot said:
(apparently, this was uploaded by an alex jones fan - I have nothing to do with that crowd, although a lot of you are already convinced I am). This is honestly the impression from most skeptics. I feel like there's an intellectual laziness when it comes to skeptics on politics, some unreasonable faith in both the rationality and benevolence of public agents. Just like Carlin said, the idea that powerful people might have similar interests and might plan together is almost shunned. No, I'm not calling you "sheeple" and I'm not trying to be holier than thou. I just don't understand.
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You started another thread with a Lew Rockwell article. Lew Rockwell often appears on Alex Jones' show and his "Infowars" site.

You completely ignored the many serious, substantive posts that showed you how there wasn't a conspiracy.

You now post an Alex Jones fan's video in this thread, presumably by coincidence. We had another guy here who used to spam Alex Jones stuff and not engage in serious debate. Don't be that guy.
 
Pardalis said:
He was anti-establishment, but I think he was clever enough not to buy into these wild theories.

Damn it sucks to talk about him in the past tense.
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Yeah, I think Carlin's view was that the rich and powerful don't need these kind of elaborate Bond villain conspiracies about remaking the world. The current system is working for them just fine, and it's pretty much all there out in the open. You don't need to have secret backroom meetings when you could simply have your registered lobbyist walk in to a Congressperson's office in broad daylight and say "my client is very upset about these new proposed regulations. You remember my client, right? You met him at that $1,000 a plate fundraiser he threw for you during the last election cycle. Anyway, about those proposed regulations...."
 
Dunstan said:
Yeah, I think Carlin's view was that the rich and powerful don't need these kind of elaborate Bond villain conspiracies about remaking the world. The current system is working for them just fine, and it's pretty much all there out in the open. You don't need to have secret backroom meetings when you could simply have your registered lobbyist walk in to a Congressperson's office in broad daylight and say "my client is very upset about these new proposed regulations. You remember my client, right? You met him at that $1,000 a plate fundraiser he threw for you during the last election cycle. Anyway, about those proposed regulations...."
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Absolutely, the banality of evil. No Illuminati, secret technology or space ninjas required.
 
I've often maintained that an organization powerful enough to pull off these huge conspiracies wouldn't need them. If you already have the power to throw hologram airplanes in the sky and vaporize skyscapers with energy beams shot from invisible space stations you clearly already rule the world.
 
Travis said:
I've often maintained that an organization powerful enough to pull off these huge conspiracies wouldn't need them. If you already have the power to throw hologram airplanes in the sky and vaporize skyscapers with energy beams shot from invisible space stations you clearly already rule the world.
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I thought those energy beams came from the dark side of the Moon. Damn, I must have confused theories.
 
I would say George Carlin was disillusioned about certain aspects of how the world/his country had changed/was turning out and saw problems with unchecked capitalism & greed in the higher echalons amongst other things. This by no means makes him a CTist and is a valid criticism of the "system" especially in light of the banking crisis etc. George Carlin stopped at the logical place, while other anti establishment figures(notably Hunter S. Thompson and Bill Hicks) waded stupidly into Ct teritory and created a huge black shadow over their legacies. I don't think this is what Carlin did at all.
 
KuriousOrange said:
I would say George Carlin was disillusioned about certain aspects of how the world/his country had changed/was turning out and saw problems with unchecked capitalism & greed in the higher echalons amongst other things. This by no means makes him a CTist and is a valid criticism of the "system" especially in light of the banking crisis etc. George Carlin stopped at the logical place, while other anti establishment figures(notably Hunter S. Thompson and Bill Hicks) waded stupidly into Ct teritory and created a huge black shadow over their legacies. I don't think this is what Carlin did at all.
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Having reviewed the video, I agree.

Bill Hicks had the typical "stoner" outlook and was a CT. He's still one of the greatest, but the CT mindset really is a stain on his legacy IMHO.

Even more so for Hunter S. He actually had a pedestal to fall from.
I love his political commentary from the seventies. Politics as a bloodsport, described in heavy Nietzschian proze, with a comical twist.

And I think we can add Gore Vidal to the list of former icons who I can't take seriously any more due to stupid CT nonsense.
 
carlitos said:
You started another thread with a Lew Rockwell article. Lew Rockwell often appears on Alex Jones' show and his "Infowars" site.

You completely ignored the many serious, substantive posts that showed you how there wasn't a conspiracy.

You now post an Alex Jones fan's video in this thread, presumably by coincidence. We had another guy here who used to spam Alex Jones stuff and not engage in serious debate. Don't be that guy.
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LewRockwell.com is a publishing site of libertarian authors. Are you going to conflate that entire ideologies with conspiracy theorism because you don't like Lew Rockwell's friends?

Edit: Also, "ignoring substantive posts that show there wasn't a conspiracy" is a strawman, since I didn't necessarily say there was a conspiracy. Is it a conspiracy theory to criticize fascistic laws and policies? I'm not sure. Sometimes it seems like folks here would say so.
 
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madfoot said:
Is it a conspiracy theory to criticize fascistic laws and policies?
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No, it's a conspiracy theory to say that this law is "fascistic". Using such a loaded term pre-supposes your conclusion, that its actual, hidden intent is to be used in a "fascistic" manner, like interning honest citizens, rather than to be used in its ostensible capacity, that is, to provide emergency shelters during emergencies.
 
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