RIP George Carlin: American Radical – 1937-2008

RIP George Carlin: American Radical – 1937-2008

June 29, 2008, 8:02 pm
Filed under: death, humor, Miscellaneous, news, politics, random, Uncategorized, video

George Carlin, American Radical – Alternet 6/23/08

EXCERPTS: “Recalling George Bush’s ranting about how the endless “war on terror” is a battle for freedom, Carlin echoed James Madison’s thinking with a simple question: “Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?”… “The owners of this country know the truth: It’s called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.”… Carlin explained himself best in one of his last interviews. “There is a certain amount of righteous indignation I hold for this culture, because to get back to the real root of it, to get broader about it, my opinion that is my species — and my culture in America specifically — have let me down and betrayed me. I think this species had great, great promise, with this great upper brain that we have, and I think we squandered it on God and Mammon. And I think this culture of ours has such promise, with the promise of real, true freedom, and then everyone has been shackled by ownership and possessions and acquisition and status and power,” he said. “And perhaps it’s just a human weakness and an inevitable human story that these things happen. But there’s disillusionment and some discontent in me about it. I don’t consider myself a cynic. I think of myself as a skeptic and a realist. But I understand the word ‘cynic’ has more than one meaning, and I see how I could be seen as cynical. ‘George, you’re cynical.’ Well, you know, they say if you scratch a cynic you find a disappointed idealist. And perhaps the flame still flickers a little, you know?”

 

7 minute Video: George Carlin: Our Society’s Caste System – YouTube via MParent

 

George Carlin on The American Dream – YouTube

 

Carlin: “We like war”, especially wars against defenseless brown people – 1992 performance, via YouTube

 

And 7 million more tributes, but Carlin gets the last word.

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