George Carlin, American Radical

The Nation ^ | 23 June 2008 | John Nichols

[Publius]

The last vote that George Carlin said he cast in a presidential race was for George McGovern in 1972.

When Richard Nixon, who Carlin described as a member of a sub-species of humanity, overwhelmingly defeated McGovern, the comedian gave up on the political process.

[Publius]

A remarkable man with a remarkable insight into American politics and society. I was not in agreement with him all that much, but at least he made me think.

[ElPatriota]

I never liked the man. Actually, I could not stand him! His aim seemed to be to lower the culture in his vulgarity.

RIP

Sorry.

[romanesq]

He was really just an angry old man at the end. His last HBO special was unwatchable. It was about an old guy being angry instead of funny.

Hope he is doing better at the “commoneweal” as calls it. Others call it the dole.

[GSWarrior]

government is supposed to be here to redress the inequities of the marketplace,"

Not sure if I agree with this.

[RetiredArmy]

I am with you. I could never stand the guy. I love good comedy, but he passed that and went directly to vulgar beyond words. He was like many of the comedians now days, they think every other word has to be the F word. I cannot stand that. Sometimes, maybe the word makes the joke, but not 100% of the time. I simply did not like him or his material. So, George, good bye, so long, this was your last gig.

[ffusco]

Any idea how many of his collected potatoes he gave to those who had none?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

If there's a really solid safety net (welfare system) then the world gets overpopulated with slackers.

If there is little or no safetly net then the world gets overpopulated with materialist jerkwads.

The person who solves this problem deserves a Nobel Prize.

[Publius]

The US Government started “redressing the inequities of the marketplace” when it passed the first tariffs into law in the 1820’s. So it’s not like we just started yesterday.

[Dragonspirit]

Carlin was a filthy moron who used his life’s energy damaging and decaying society. There was nothing remarkable or insightful about him.

There are those who create, and those that destroy, and he was a destroyer.

My respects are reserved for God and those that strive to be virtuous.

[Publius]

If there is little or no safetly net then the world gets overpopulated with materialist jerkwads.

Interesting observation. In the popular children's literature of the era before the New Deal, the Horatio Alger books all had heroes who obsessed over every penny on their inevitable way to success. You may have something there.

[Charlespg]

"Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians," he explained in a routine that challenged all the premises of today's half-a-loaf reformers. "Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens.

This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain't going to do any good; you're just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it's not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here… like, the public.

I have to say theres some bitter truth to that

[x]

Carlin did not want Americans to get involved with the system.

He wanted citizens to get angry enough to remake the system.

I don't know. He was certainly angry about things, but I don't think he signed on to any program or ideology.

When you have your own soap box, you don't have to be a joiner or a follower or a card-carrying anything.

You can just be a public curmudgeon or gadfly, rather than a supporter of this or that movement.

[normy]

I saw that. He looked dead already. His lines about education and teaching self esteem along with the child worship lines were good.

He is like Dennis Miller was but Carlin never really woke up to reality all the way.

[stylin19a]

This wasn’t a tribute to Carlin. This article used Carlin to backhand the Republicans.

[toddlintown]

Well, I’ll say this. He nailed the process of choosing political candidates in this country.

[metesky]

HAs he been dead long enough now to start kicking him or do we have to wait another couple of weeks?

[normy]

No he was an asshole and probably would love to be kicked.