George Carlin on Libertarianism

[Madison]

I've always been a big Carlin fan. A lot of other Ron Paul supporters seem to be too. I own one of his books called "Napalm and Silly Putty", and think it's only fair that everyone be made aware of this quote of his:

"One of the more pretentious political self-descriptions is "Libertarian." People think it puts them above the fray. It sounds fashionable, and to the uninitiated, faintly dangerous. Actually, it's just one more bullshit political philosophy." (p. 261)

http://books.google.com/books?id=tAhEQKB1b8MC&pg=PA261&dq=george+carlin+libertarian#PPA262,M1

[Danke]

"One of the more pretentious political self-descriptions is "Libertarian." People think it puts them above the fray. It sounds fashionable, and to the uninitiated, faintly dangerous. Actually, it's just one more bullshit political philosophy." (p. 261)


George Carlin is in Hell. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd0dtyr3ifw)

[Truth Warrior]

Carlin did not vote and often criticized elections as an illusion of choice.[48] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#cite_note-47) He said he last voted for George McGovern (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_McGovern), who ran for President in 1972[49] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#cite_note-48) against Richard Nixon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#Personal_life

[Pennsylvania]

I find the man obnoxious personally.

[Gaius1981]

Carlin did not vote and often criticized elections as an illusion of choice.[48] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#cite_note-47) He said he last voted for George McGovern (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_McGovern), who ran for President in 1972[49] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#cite_note-48) against Richard Nixon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#Personal_life

Wow, George McGovern, the only major Presidential candidate in US history which has been more socialist than Barack Obama. I remember this quote by Ayn Rand:


Q: What do you think of the Libertarian Party? [FHF: “A Nation’s Unity,” 1972]

AR: I’d rather vote for Bob Hope, the Marx Brothers, or Jerry Lewis. I don’t think they’re as funny as Professor Hospers and the Libertarian Party. If, at a time like this, John Hospers takes ten votes away from Nixon (which I doubt he’ll do), it would be a moral crime. I don’t care about Nixon, and I care even less about Hospers. But this is no time to engage in publicity seeking, which all these crank political parties are doing. If you want to spread your ideas, do it through education. But don’t run for President—or even dogcatcher—if you’re going to help McGovern.

[Truth Warrior]

I find the man obnoxious personally. I find the man deceased.

[inibo]

George Carlin is in Hell. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd0dtyr3ifw)

That was precious. Fred Phelps is an oozing pustule.

[Truth Warrior]

Wow, George McGovern, the only major Presidential candidate in US history which has been more socialist than Barack Obama. I remember this quote by Ayn Rand: The LP is an oxymoron. Perhaps that was what George was referring to.

[Jeremy]

He annoys me. He gets paid to talk about boring stuff.


I mean... got... got paid =o

[gls]

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2007/11/14/mdeeds/george_carlin_not_a_liberal_just_anti_united_state s



Me: You're known as a very liberal comic. Are you trying to change people's political views when you go out there? Do you have an underlying agenda?

George: No. First of all, I'm not liberal. I'm just about (being) anti-United States. I don't like the way this country operates. I think we've ruined this place. And I think it's largely because of businessmen. And businessmen are not liberals. So if that makes me a liberal, then that's just an association. It's not a choice. ...

I do not care about changing anybody. Nobody. I go out there to show the rest of the Americans how badly they're doing. This country has been, for about 180 years now, badly mishandled. And it's been in the wrong hands. It's been in the hands of the business interests.

And a lot of the beauty of this country has been shattered by them. The physical beauty and the kind of institutional beauty that was originally built into this place - this experiment, this magnificent experiment in democracy is just being shredded to pieces by these right-wing Christians, the Ashcroft branch of Republicanism. (They're) just shredding the rest of the Bill of Rights which hadn't been shredded already. They'd been doing a pretty good job on it up until then, anyway.

Me: Do you feel like this country has progressed any way, shape or form in the past 20 years?

George: Everybody's got more jet skis and Dustbusters now and sneakers with lights in them. They've got more cheese on their thing that they buy. They get double helpings. See, Americans measure all their progress in the wrong way. They measure by quantity and by gizmos and toys. And not by quality and by things that are important.

The most interesting thing to me is that the things that people would seem to have the most right to have - that is to say health, food, shelter and a job - are the things that are last on the list. To me, that is fundamental. Those are the things humans most need to function, and we have placed them at the bottom of the list. So I think that says a lot about national character and priorities.


Hmmm...he claims that he is "not a liberal" but then goes on to say that people the "right" to health, food, shelter and a job (at whose expense??)

He also blames America's problems on "business interests" (and not the corrupt politicians who caved to them), and says that the founding of this country was a "magnificent experiment in democracy."

Come on, an experiment in democracy? Anyone who graduated the 5th grade knows that it was a constitutionally limited republic. He obviously wasn't as smart as he thought he was.

[Truth Warrior]

He annoys me. He gets paid to talk about boring stuff.


I mean... got... got paid =o He was consistently much better and more entertaining 40 years ago.<IMHO> ;)

[s35wf]

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2007/11/14/mdeeds/george_carlin_not_a_liberal_just_anti_united_state s



Hmmm...he claims that he is "not a liberal" but then goes on to say that people the "right" to health, food, shelter and a job (at whose expense??)

He also blames America's problems on "business interests" (and not the corrupt politicians who caved to them), and says that the founding of this country was a "magnificent experiment in democracy."

Come on, an experiment in democracy? Anyone who graduated the 5th grade knows that it was a constitutionally limited republic. He obviously wasn't as smart as he thought he was.


but he was a damned funny comedian. one of the best!
bless carlin; i cried the day he died. :(

[heavenlyboy34]

Wow, George McGovern, the only major Presidential candidate in US history which has been more socialist than Barack Obama. I remember this quote by Ayn Rand:

The more I know about Ayn Rand the person, the more pretentious, arrogant, and rude she seems. :p

[Truth Warrior]

The more I know about Ayn Rand the person, the more pretentious, arrogant, and rude she seems. :p Ayn, like many others, did not handle fame and power well.<IMHO> :(

[Gaius1981]

The more I know about Ayn Rand the person, the more pretentious, arrogant, and rude she seems. :p

She had a complete conviction in her philosophy, lived it 100% principled, and was very outspoken about everything which she recognized as evil – there wasn't a single pragmatic bone in her body. It made her come off as arrogant and pretentious to many, but it's what I greatly admire about her.

[danberkeley]

She had a complete conviction in her philosophy, lived it 100% principled, and was very outspoken about everything which she recognized as evil – there wasn't a single pragmatic bone in her body. It made her come off as arrogant and pretentious to many, but it's what I greatly admire about her.

Her foreign policy was terrible.

[Theocrat]

What was George Carlin's political philosophy?

[Knightskye]

Q: What do you think of the Libertarian Party? [FHF: “A Nation’s Unity,” 1972]

AR: I’d rather vote for Bob Hope, the Marx Brothers, or Jerry Lewis. I don’t think they’re as funny as Professor Hospers and the Libertarian Party. If, at a time like this, John Hospers takes ten votes away from Nixon (which I doubt he’ll do), it would be a moral crime. I don’t care about Nixon, and I care even less about Hospers. But this is no time to engage in publicity seeking, which all these crank political parties are doing. If you want to spread your ideas, do it through education. But don’t run for President—or even dogcatcher—if you’re going to help McGovern.

Ayn Rand's argument why Ron Paul shouldn't run in 2012?

[UnReconstructed]

libertarianism has its place... its the bridge from statism to voluntarism.

[Brassmouth]

What was George Carlin's political philosophy?

He didn't have one, imo. He was always more of a social commentator. He only talked about political issues insofar as they affected everyday life.

He hated big business, government, social intolerance, etc. So I guess he can be considered a libertarian of sorts, but I still don't think he was inclined to deal with political "labels" or bother with associating with any group.

[forsmant]

The more I know about Ayn Rand the person, the more pretentious, arrogant, and rude she seems. :p

I find that to be true of most libertarians. ;)

[Mattsa]

I've always been a big Carlin fan. A lot of other Ron Paul supporters seem to be too. I own one of his books called "Napalm and Silly Putty", and think it's only fair that everyone be made aware of this quote of his:

"One of the more pretentious political self-descriptions is "Libertarian." People think it puts them above the fray. It sounds fashionable, and to the uninitiated, faintly dangerous. Actually, it's just one more bullshit political philosophy." (p. 261)

http://books.google.com/books?id=tAhEQKB1b8MC&pg=PA261&dq=george+carlin+libertarian#PPA262,M1

As a brit, I only discovered George Carlin shortly before his death. I suppose his incredibly insightful and accurate humour is too much to bear for the Fabian socialist filth that have destroyed my country.

A big shame. I wish more Brits knew about George Carlin and he had more exposure here while he was alive.

A truly great man and very sadly missed.

[Truth Warrior]

What was George Carlin's political philosophy?

Carlin did not vote and often criticized elections as an illusion of choice.[48] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#cite_note-47) He said he last voted for George McGovern (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_McGovern), who ran for President in 1972[49] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#cite_note-48) against Richard Nixon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...#Personal_life (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...#Personal_life)

Hell, I begrudgingly LAST voted in 1972 also, AGAINST a repeat of "We're ALL Keynesians now.", "tricky Dick". :p I voted for Wallace :eek:, just to "send a Conservative, YAF, state's rights, tenth amendment message". :rolleyes:

Notice the monumental difference that vote made? :D

[Kludge]

The following comment is retarded:


I find that to be true of most libertarians. ;)

[forsmant]

As a brit, I only discovered George Carlin shortly before his death. I suppose his incredibly insightful and accurate humour is too much to bear for the Fabian socialist filth that have destroyed my country.

A big shame. I wish more Brits knew about George Carlin and he had more exposure here while he was alive.

A truly great man and very sadly missed.

George Carlin hated the British. :(

[forsmant]

The following comment is retarded:

A perfect example to prove my findings.

[Kludge]

A perfect example to prove my findings.

It's funny, because I wrote that in a way to make your response retarded as well, retard :p

[forsmant]

It's funny, because I wrote that in a way to make your response retarded as well, retard :p

NIce!

[jyakulis]

It's funny, because I wrote that in a way to make your response retarded as well, retard :p

so libertarians are pretentious and clever? lol

[Kludge]

so libertarians are pretentious and clever? lol

Pretentious, contemptuous, and arrogant in general -- but only when I'm giving a speech or bored. Otherwise, I can come off as a bit timid.

[acptulsa]

I've got a great satire at home (somewhere--probably in the basement) called "Mad Magazine's Campus Comic of the Year". It accuses Carlin of getting half of his material from college bathroom walls and using the noises bodily functions make to fill in the rest of his shows. They really weren't very far off the mark. The one episode of his tv show I saw I turned off after a lengthy expostulation on nostril hair...

Yes, he had quite a comedic insight. As a fast driver, I think he summed up Americans' narcisistic attitudes toward driving well--I am the best driver in the world, therefore everyone who drives slower than me is an idiot and everyone who drives faster than me must be a maniac. I do think he nailed that one--why else would Americans not think twice about hogging the passing lane and refusing to let people by? He could see the b.s. and do a good job of calling us on our b.s., but he could only seldom see the reason behind the b.s. and he never, never came up with a constructive alternative.

Which isn't a condemnation. After all, he was just a jester. What's funny about constructive alternatives?

[Truth Warrior]

I've got a great satire at home (somewhere--probably in the basement) called "Mad Magazine's Campus Comic of the Year". It accuses Carlin of getting half of his material from college bathroom walls and using the noises bodily functions make to fill in the rest of his shows. They really weren't very far off the mark. The one episode of his tv show I saw I turned off after a lengthy expostulation on nostril hair...

Yes, he had quite a comedic insight. As a fast driver, I think he summed up Americans' narcisistic attitudes toward driving well--I am the best driver in the world, therefore everyone who drives slower than me is an idiot and everyone who drives faster than me must be a maniac. I do think he nailed that one--why else would Americans not think twice about hogging the passing lane and refusing to let people by? He could see the b.s. and do a good job of calling us on our b.s., but he could only seldom see the reason behind the b.s. and he never, never came up with a constructive alternative.

Which isn't a condemnation. After all, he was just a jester. What's funny about constructive alternatives?

Constructive alternative: "The world is doing just fine, the people are just going away." -- George Carlin

;)

[timosman]

bump

[Indy Vidual]

RIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYIC0eZYEtI