Posted under Culture & Ron Paul
George Carlin’s recent death got me thinking. You know its interesting, Carlin and Ron Paul are the same age, same generation. Both started out pretty conventional people but were persons I think with a strong desire to break out on their own and be their own man and rebel against the conventional wisdom. Thus Carlin became a countercultural figure even though he was a lot older than most hippies while Ron spoke in favor of Austrian economics when Keneyisan models dominated.
Carlin would have amade a great socialoigist, because he’s very good at obeserving people. And he’s a great linguist in his study words and there misuses. If he has fewer fans today then in the past it was due to a vicious mean-streak/grouchy old man/crank he was starting to become in his later years.
An George was able to provide us with some keen economic insight that you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to learn at Wharton or Harvard Biz: The pursuit of American life is obtain more stuff as we seen in this routine from You Tube. Once you understand this, you understand contemporary economics.
Here’s a couple links to some comedy routines you might find interesting from a conservative point of view on You Tube. There’s one on “Saving the Planet” and “Language”.
Feel free to avoid these if you don’t like to listen to a sailor’s discourse.
Andrew T. on 24 Jun 2008 at 8:41 pm #
Carlin was an angry misanthrope who spent his life insulting decent people and abusing his painkillers. Pardon my heresy, but I don’t even think he was ever that funny. He uttered more obscenity than humor.
This is the person who began a routine with the statement: “Why is it that most of the people who are against abortion are people you wouldn’t want to f**k in the first place”? A bum, not an ally. And now the LRC bunch is eulogizing him as some kind of posthumous crypto-libertarian luminary.
Filmer on 24 Jun 2008 at 10:12 pm #
Carlin was right about some things, but he was very harsh on Christians and Christianity.
Harold Crews on 25 Jun 2008 at 10:07 am #
Everyone can find something to agree with about someone who critizes everything. It said in his personal life he was very kind and generous. But that sure didn’t come through in his comedy. Some of his skits were funny, but I think it is generally better to avoid cynics.
Sean Scallon on 25 Jun 2008 at 2:03 pm #
Carlin’s not everyone’s cup-of-tea, I understand that. And yes, he could be offensive and just downright mean and nasty. Maybe it was all part of the act, who knows? But he could also be funny and true as well. Any who could point out the sillyness and stupidity of phrases that we commonly use as “civil war” and “legally drunk” deserves some praise. As Carlin would put it, if you don’t like what you are hearing, there are two knobs on the radio and TV set, one turns down the volume and the other turns it off. Ingenious!
roho on 25 Jun 2008 at 2:22 pm #
Thanks Patroon!………..The walk down memory lane not only reminded me of his special gift, but how he recognized political correctness while the ballance of the nation was trying to make losers feel like winners by not calling them losers.
Filmer on 25 Jun 2008 at 6:15 pm #
Carlin was like a broken clock. Sometimes right but almost by accident. He appears to be an across the board cynic, but he did have a point of view although it is difficult to characterize precisely. He was probably closest to being a left libertarian. (Was he supportive of the welfare state? I don’t know.)
I think eulogizing him like they are doing at LRC is mistaken. He was as much of an anti-Christian bigot as is Christopher Hitchens. We criticize NRO for elevating an avowed enemy because they perceive him to be occasionally right. We should not do the same thing. Being an arch enemy of the Faith is a difficult obstacle to overcome with some occasional correct insights. The correct insights can be taken for what they are and praised, but the person with those insights was an ass.
Weaver on 26 Jun 2008 at 12:25 am #
A cynic who criticises everything is bound to appeal to most everyone on at least one thing eh?
I didn’t care for his skits, though I didn’t watch many.
It’s good he went against PC and materialism though.
Weaver on 26 Jun 2008 at 12:27 am #
Ah I guess I should say against consumerism not materialism.
cheese on 23 Mar 2010 at 12:22 pm #
there aren’t ANY comedians left that were as true, and sincere as george was. It sucks that people are so desensitized by his launguage and rhetoric that they miss the real point to most of his performances. The simple fact that our human race has squandered the great gifts we have, like the brain which is able to distinguish between object and subject, aposable thumbs, walking upright. Everyone has a segway and and a cellphone that makes pancakes now so nobody wants to rock the boat. Americans have been bought off with gizmos and toys, and this entire country has been shoved in a briefcase. Enjoy these last few years as “free people”