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Can't repeat this enough. "Its a big club and you ain't in it" - George Carlin. A lot of people are waking up to the coordination between the Oligarchs. Its har

Can't repeat this enough. "Its a big club and you ain't in it" - George Carlin. A lot of people are waking up to the coordination between the Oligarchs. Its hardly a surprise. The politicians, their government lackeys and media are in bed with them nice and comfy only feigning outrage when the system appears threatened.

louwrentius 6y ago
I love this quote from Carlin: It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
- tclancy 6y ago
  "Think of how dumb the average American is. And then realize half of them are dumber than that."
  - syops 6y ago
    The interesting thing about this quote is that there's a decent chance it's wrong. Is there a reason to believe that half the people are below the average? (As opposed to the median.) Carlin is exposing his own ignorance of statistics with this quote. It's akin to when people criticize the grammar of others whilst making a grammatical mistake.
    - kube-system 6y ago
      Mode, median, and mean are all accurately described as averaging techniques. Mean is the most commonly used average, but they are not synonymous.
      - edgyquant 6y ago
        Well except that outside of mathematics and statistics they quite literally are to the layman
        kube-system 6y ago
        I think it's entirely reasonable to hold laypeople to the standards of what is taught in a typical middle school pre-algebra curriculum.
    - smnrchrds 6y ago
      Median is a form of average. Here is the first definition for average from Merriam-Webster: > a single value (such as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average
      - syops 6y ago
        Have you ever used "average" when you meant median? Carlin is speaking in the vernacular. I've never heard anyone use "average" when they meant median.
        smnrchrds 6y ago
        I have. When I talk about "the average person," I usually mean median or mode. Otherwise, you end up with hilarious statements like "the average family has 1.88 cars" which does not make logical sense.
    - _jal 6y ago
      Because lord knows, nothing would George Carlin's act funnier than... a better grasp of statistics.
      - syops 6y ago
        His joke is funny and the point is made. I find it funny that the joke about peoples' intelligence may contain a mistake. Hence my comment.
    - pundesigner 6y ago
      IQ distribution is symmetrical by design (it's a normal distribution), so he's still right. https://www.123test.com/interpretation-of-an-iq-score/ https://www.123test.com/interpretation-of-an-iq-score/ Also even if that weren't true, "average" isn't necessarily synonymous with "mean". The mean, median, and mode are all types of averages. Maybe don't be so quick to criticize next time.
      - syops 6y ago
        I don't know all the particulars of IQ distribution but I do know that it's controversial to say that it accurately measures intelligence. Carlin was talking in vernacular and so I think it's safe to assume he was not necessarily talking about IQ tests. Even though IQ is designed to be normally distributed do you really think it actually is a normal distribution? It's a lofty goal and I'm sure it gets as close as one can but does this perfectly match up with reality? I have my doubts, hence my claim that there's a decent chance Carlin's comment is wrong. Yes, median and mode are averages but few people mean those when they say "average". I doubt Carlin was statistically sophisticated enough to use average instead of median. Had he meant the median I think it reasonable to assume he would have said median. Do you commonly say "average" when talking about the mode or median? I doubt it. Maybe don't be so quick to criticize next time. Perhaps we could both benefit from this sage advice.
    - cableshaft 6y ago
      He's making a joke, not supporting his dissertation. He's allowed to be fast and loose with ideas for a laugh, as a professional comedian. Do you think when he says things like "Takes the cake. Ya know, say 'Boy he really takes the cake'...Where? Where do ya take a cake? to the movies?" That he's exposing his own ignorance of idioms?
      - syops 6y ago
        Yes, he's making a joke. It's funny and a pithy remark. The point is made. I find it an interesting point because when mocking other peoples' intelligence one ought to make certain they are correct. Sort of how when one criticizes another person's grammar they should make sure they didn't make a grammar mistake too.
    - sa1 6y ago
      In a normal distribution mean = median.
      - syops 6y ago
        Do you believe intelligence is truly a normal distribution? It's commonly modeled as such but is it actually truly a normal distribution? A normal distribution is a continuous function and the set of people is discrete. It's a great model but...is actually correct?
    - DennisP 6y ago
      I made that point on reddit a month ago, and some wag pointed out that since I evidently didn't know IQ scores were a bell curve, it appeared I was in the lower half.
      - syops 6y ago
        This is funny because a bell curve is a continuous function and the set of people is discrete. The bell curve is a model of the population at large but I have my doubts that it's a perfect model and that it perfectly matches up with reality. I think the commenter may be the lower half!
- jodrellblank 6y ago
  This is why I hate Carlin's stuff, it's so fitting for the internet tech sites because the main point of it is jeering and sneering at people who aren't you, who aren't woke. George Carlin was a Hollywood film star with a net worth in the millions if not tens of millions. He's on stage, not working a 9-5, getting you to laugh with him at all the "idiots". It's a big club and he was in it.
  - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
    I disagree, having a net worth of tens of millions doesn’t make you comparable to an oligarch. Depending on where you live, if you don’t have 30-70 million in liquid assets, you are middle class (or below).
    - apatters 6y ago
      Oh come on, there is no definition of middle class anywhere that includes someone with $29M in liquid assets.
      - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
        I just defined it that way, go to Manhattan and you’ll see I am right.
    - neolog 6y ago
      In what place can you have 15 million and be middle class?
      - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
        Manhattan, NY.
    - jodrellblank 6y ago
      I wasn't comparing Carlin to an Oligarch, I was complaining about the culture of quoting Carlin. If you posted "everyone except me is dumb" you'd get downvoted. If you post Carlin saying "everyone except us is dumb" you get upvoted.

louwrentius 6y ago

I love this quote from Carlin: It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.

tclancy 6y ago
"Think of how dumb the average American is. And then realize half of them are dumber than that."
- syops 6y ago
  The interesting thing about this quote is that there's a decent chance it's wrong. Is there a reason to believe that half the people are below the average? (As opposed to the median.) Carlin is exposing his own ignorance of statistics with this quote. It's akin to when people criticize the grammar of others whilst making a grammatical mistake.
  - kube-system 6y ago
    Mode, median, and mean are all accurately described as averaging techniques. Mean is the most commonly used average, but they are not synonymous.
    - edgyquant 6y ago
      Well except that outside of mathematics and statistics they quite literally are to the layman
      - kube-system 6y ago
        I think it's entirely reasonable to hold laypeople to the standards of what is taught in a typical middle school pre-algebra curriculum.
  - smnrchrds 6y ago
    Median is a form of average. Here is the first definition for average from Merriam-Webster: > a single value (such as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average
    - syops 6y ago
      Have you ever used "average" when you meant median? Carlin is speaking in the vernacular. I've never heard anyone use "average" when they meant median.
      - smnrchrds 6y ago
        I have. When I talk about "the average person," I usually mean median or mode. Otherwise, you end up with hilarious statements like "the average family has 1.88 cars" which does not make logical sense.
  - _jal 6y ago
    Because lord knows, nothing would George Carlin's act funnier than... a better grasp of statistics.
    - syops 6y ago
      His joke is funny and the point is made. I find it funny that the joke about peoples' intelligence may contain a mistake. Hence my comment.
  - pundesigner 6y ago
    IQ distribution is symmetrical by design (it's a normal distribution), so he's still right. https://www.123test.com/interpretation-of-an-iq-score/ https://www.123test.com/interpretation-of-an-iq-score/ Also even if that weren't true, "average" isn't necessarily synonymous with "mean". The mean, median, and mode are all types of averages. Maybe don't be so quick to criticize next time.
    - syops 6y ago
      I don't know all the particulars of IQ distribution but I do know that it's controversial to say that it accurately measures intelligence. Carlin was talking in vernacular and so I think it's safe to assume he was not necessarily talking about IQ tests. Even though IQ is designed to be normally distributed do you really think it actually is a normal distribution? It's a lofty goal and I'm sure it gets as close as one can but does this perfectly match up with reality? I have my doubts, hence my claim that there's a decent chance Carlin's comment is wrong. Yes, median and mode are averages but few people mean those when they say "average". I doubt Carlin was statistically sophisticated enough to use average instead of median. Had he meant the median I think it reasonable to assume he would have said median. Do you commonly say "average" when talking about the mode or median? I doubt it. Maybe don't be so quick to criticize next time. Perhaps we could both benefit from this sage advice.
  - cableshaft 6y ago
    He's making a joke, not supporting his dissertation. He's allowed to be fast and loose with ideas for a laugh, as a professional comedian. Do you think when he says things like "Takes the cake. Ya know, say 'Boy he really takes the cake'...Where? Where do ya take a cake? to the movies?" That he's exposing his own ignorance of idioms?
    - syops 6y ago
      Yes, he's making a joke. It's funny and a pithy remark. The point is made. I find it an interesting point because when mocking other peoples' intelligence one ought to make certain they are correct. Sort of how when one criticizes another person's grammar they should make sure they didn't make a grammar mistake too.
  - sa1 6y ago
    In a normal distribution mean = median.
    - syops 6y ago
      Do you believe intelligence is truly a normal distribution? It's commonly modeled as such but is it actually truly a normal distribution? A normal distribution is a continuous function and the set of people is discrete. It's a great model but...is actually correct?
  - DennisP 6y ago
    I made that point on reddit a month ago, and some wag pointed out that since I evidently didn't know IQ scores were a bell curve, it appeared I was in the lower half.
    - syops 6y ago
      This is funny because a bell curve is a continuous function and the set of people is discrete. The bell curve is a model of the population at large but I have my doubts that it's a perfect model and that it perfectly matches up with reality. I think the commenter may be the lower half!
jodrellblank 6y ago
This is why I hate Carlin's stuff, it's so fitting for the internet tech sites because the main point of it is jeering and sneering at people who aren't you, who aren't woke. George Carlin was a Hollywood film star with a net worth in the millions if not tens of millions. He's on stage, not working a 9-5, getting you to laugh with him at all the "idiots". It's a big club and he was in it.
- chordalkeyboard 6y ago
  I disagree, having a net worth of tens of millions doesn’t make you comparable to an oligarch. Depending on where you live, if you don’t have 30-70 million in liquid assets, you are middle class (or below).
  - apatters 6y ago
    Oh come on, there is no definition of middle class anywhere that includes someone with $29M in liquid assets.
    - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
      I just defined it that way, go to Manhattan and you’ll see I am right.
  - neolog 6y ago
    In what place can you have 15 million and be middle class?
    - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
      Manhattan, NY.
  - jodrellblank 6y ago
    I wasn't comparing Carlin to an Oligarch, I was complaining about the culture of quoting Carlin. If you posted "everyone except me is dumb" you'd get downvoted. If you post Carlin saying "everyone except us is dumb" you get upvoted.