Burt Prelutsky: Anti-Intellectual Extraordinaire

No one embodies the anti-intellectualism of the GOP like Burt Prelutsky, a man seemingly incapable of dealing with facts or logic, instead making shit up at every turn, and embracing the worst attributes of the proudly ignorant. Take this opening line from a recent column:

I admit I am not an economist. The truth is, I have trouble balancing my checkbook. Having said that, I can’t figure out how we can compete in a global economy.

Of course you can't. You are an economic ignoramus, you all but said so yourself. Try shutting your yapper until a topic arises that you do know something about, and, pray tell, even have some serious academic accomplishment in, and then we will all sit upright and listen. Until then, your opinion is no more valuable than a random man on the street. Leno and Letterman have pretty much shown us what that is worth.

Moving on to another column, Burt shows us his best MSU in a gallop that would make Gish proud:

"The fact is, I am always dealing with issues, be it the left’s adoration of the U.N.; their cockeyed belief in man-made global warming; their constant attacks on the first two amendments; their intolerance of Christian traditions and symbols, which, by the way, relies entirely on an intentional misreading of the Constitution, a document which does not and never has contained the words “separation of church and state”; their contempt for the U.S. military; the alleged supremacy of gay, Islamic and illegal alien, rights; their opposition to capital punishment; their support of judges who legislate from the bench; and their affinity for professors and journalists who feel their duty is to indoctrinate rather than educate or report."

If you want to know what someone making shit up looks like, this is it. Notice Burt quotes no one, cites no sources to back his claims. The reason is obvious: it's MSU, fiction, warped fantasies of the dreaded, but ever elusive "liberals" from Burt's paranoid little mind. No one like that exists. Adoring the UN? Who does so? Cockeyed belief Burt? Sorry, but when one's view syncs with practically every scientific organization in the world, it is those that deny it (ie YOU) that are the cockeyed ones. Constant attacks on the first amendment Burt? That's your bailiwick. oooo, Burt noticed the exact phrase "separation of church and state" doesn't appear. Neither does "fair trial" or "separation of powers", but like the separation of church and state, is clearly implied, both by the actual wording of the first amendment, and the history and notes written by the founders at the time.

Contempt for the US military Burt? Who has such contempt? Where do they write? Opposing a deceptively begun, and incompetently implemented, military strategy isn't contempt Burt. It's respect for a valued commodity, one those you support seem to want to waste at any opportunity. Supremacy of gay, Islamic and illegal alien rights Burt? Who anywhere, has made such arguments? Contrary to the twists in your little mind, disallowing the enforcement of narrow Christian edicts is not the same as placing some people's rights above others. Your right to free speech does not give you the right to shout me down when I am exercising mine.

Legislating from the bench Burt? Who does this? Where? Be sure to explain objectively how that differs from "a judge who made a decision Burt disagrees with". See, you never complain about judges being activist when you agree with their decisions. You never say a judge is "an unelected official overriding the will of the people" when his view squares with yours. So "legislating from the bench" appears to be nothing more than special pleading, a logical fallacy. Prove me wrong.

And sorry, but anyone who defends the likes of Fox news, or you, has no business whining about journalists who feel their duty is to indoctrinate rather than educate or report. Your every utterance is designed to indoctrinate rather than educate, which is exactly why you make shit up rather than dealing with documented evidence, and the findings of expert investigations. This is also another case of special pleading. For Burt, the working definition of "indoctrinate" is "teaching something with which I personally disagree". Teaching that there is a near universal scientific consensus on anthropocentric global warming isn't indoctrination Burt. It's educating. Ditto for teaching evolution, or rejecting abstinence-only sex education, or any of a host of positions that conservatives consider indoctrination that are simply reports of realities the conservatives wish weren't so.

This is the attitude that got the GOP crushed in 2008, and it will happen again if you keep this up. You cannot lie and get away with it any more. You cannot attack a nonexistent enemy any more. You cannot make shit up any more. The internet has made it too easy to expose your lies, and we enjoy doing it.