Are right-wing people less intelligent?

[JimT]

From my personal experience, and based on the discussions here, that's how it seems to me. Unsophisticated arguments based on ignorance and lack of understanding generally seem more likely to come from right-wingers. They also tend to have a bee in their bonnets about what they see as "the educated classes" and anything to do with intellectualism. Their totem, their idol, Margaret Thatcher, disliked the arts, culture and intellectualism, as do many of her followers. The Tories always seemed, traditionally, to be the 'stupid' party. Sure, there are right-wing intellectuals in the media. But your average right-winger on the street seems to me to be of the meat-headed thuggish blokeish Sun-reading species. Is there a correlation?

[Count-A-Strong]

And you win todays prize for the most sweeping statements in one question.

[factor-fiction]

What gives you this impression of right wingers being against the arts, intellectuals etc

[joeluke]

What's intelligence got to do with it? Are you saying right wingers have lower IQs than left wingers?

It's about opinions and just because you don't agree with them doesn't make you right

From a meat-headed thuggish blokeish Sun-reader

[sandyRoe]

Hitler burnt books and scoffed at 'modern art'.

[alexanderd]

I suspect more left than right wingers read the sun.A general statement I know but I do believe it

[Answerprancer]

In my experience/opinion yes. The few that lurk here all follow the same patterns of argument and if you try to challenge them, they come up with those same (or similar) answers every time.
The other trick they seem to employ is to look for ways out of the discussion altogether.
If I may adjust: meat-headed thuggish blokeish Daily Mail reading species.
I find them to be fully dogmatic and opinionated most of the time - possibly as a defense behind which they feel safe in the event that their 'set ways' are challenged.

[jake-the-peg]

Well to be fair factor I've not met many liberal bearded University lecturers walking around the Tate saying "How much did that cost - I could do better - looks like a monkey splashed it on"

[jake-the-peg]

You think Leftwingers read the Sun???

Have you ever read it?

It's famously right wing Pro-Tory paper

[factor-fiction]

Well I've never heard anyone say that in an art gallery and if i did I wouldn't know whether they were communist, liberal or right wing- but I don't think a right wing person is any more likely to say that than a true working class labour supporter .

[DTCwordfan]

Congratulations as you are probably in contention for "The most stupid political thread of Feb" and a candidate for the annual AB award.

There are centrist/rightists (not fascists) of us who hold the letters FRSA - Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and who actually sell their artwork. And who have excellent (multiple) degrees from good Universities on either side of the Pond.

Your question would be better steered at true Fascists (as per sandy's comment) or extreme left wing. Even on those extremities, there were significant contributions to the arts (of all persuasions) and witness neoChinese work which was on at the Bank last year.

By the way, one film that marked me early on was Farenheit 451 n- I have hardly thjrown a book out in my life.

[alexanderd]

walk past any white van parked in this area and I can promise you there will be a Sun lying inside it and I suspect most of them are Labour voters(or is it just for page 3?)

[sandyRoe]

The last time I was in the Tate there was on display a life size model of a terraced house. I know a few builders who could honestly say: I could do better than that.

[DaisyNonna]

How many bearded ladies do you know Jake?

[Khandro]

No.

[joeluke]

I think you'll find white van man also reads the Mirror and the Star

[jake-the-peg]

I agree with your first point - I think you are profoundly wrong in the second.

there is a largr working class Tory vote that is crucial to the Conservative Party and the Sun is their major weapon in marshalling it

Find me a pro-Labour story in the Sun I'm not fussy just one

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/

[alexanderd]

Joe, but not the Mail?

[ummmm]

Haha. It's not about IQ..it's about emotion, how you feel. Is there a test for that?

[joeluke]

JTP......Sun has always been Tory but in the run up to the 1997 elections they switched allegiance and backed Blairs Labour

[sandyRoe]

After Blair had went to Murdoch's American lair to kiss his ring.