Patterico's Pontifications

6/30/2005

I’d Call Him an “Arrogant Jackass” — but Can a Jackass Really Be “Arrogant”?

Filed under: Blogging Matters,Morons — Patterico @ 6:41 am



Brian Leiter is a braying jackass. (I’d say it more politely, but Prof. Leiter says that politeness is unnecessary on “easy questions” — and what could be an easier question than this one?)

9 Responses to “I’d Call Him an “Arrogant Jackass” — but Can a Jackass Really Be “Arrogant”?”

  1. I have a similar problem with radical cleric dobson: He’s not really a cleric.

    actus (cd484e)

  2. It seems to me that Professor Lieter is closed minded, ignorant, and obnoxious. However his most salient failing as an aspiring intellectual is that as a result of his methods of communication he is unpersuasive. And you, Patterico, make the mistake of falling into the trap of engaging in Professor Lieter’s low level of discourse. The major advantage you have over Lieter is your willingness to consider ideas other than your own, accepting them or rejecting them on their merits rather than their source in a manner that is neither insulting nor obnoxious. Do not allow Lieter’s failure to become your failure. Pursuading those who previously did not share your point of view is sublime victory. Merely insulting others or putting them down is a waste of intellect and effort; satisfying only to the spleen inspired mean-spiritedness that all of us fall into from time to time. Have pity on Lieter,for his small minded parochial efforts will forever fall short.

    john (fc4860)

  3. Prof. Leiter’s response to JNV only makes sense if you accept as fact that the Bush administration are war criminals. This is so far from fact as to make the whole argument an annoying waste of cyberspace.

    Mike (fe4212)

  4. I’m mostly amused by Leiter’s attempts to make the top three law schools in the country Yale, Harvard, and Texas.

    Sorry, Patterico.

    Angry Clam (f05866)

  5. “It seems to me that Professor Lieter is closed minded, ignorant, and obnoxious.”

    I think you understand what he’s talking about.

    actus (3be069)

  6. I’m mostly amused by Leiter’s attempts to make the top three law schools in the country Yale, Harvard, and Texas.

    Sorry, Patterico.

    When I was at Texas, a professor claimed that we were “among the top 11 law schools in the nation.”

    Patterico (756436)

  7. John,

    It was a little bit of a joke. I think people who read this site know I don’t take issues that have two sides and pretend that anyone who doesn’t take my side is just intellectually deficient. Someone who does that (like Leiter) is not only a worthless blogger, but a potential terror as a professor. Imagine being conservative and being one of his students. Ugh. Thank God I never had to take a class from him.

    Patterico (756436)

  8. He’s upped the ante on it from being “Top 11” to it deserving to be in the top five.

    I would love to see him move to some other mid-major law school (Minnesota, at #19? USC at #18? He already talks up UCLA, because then it makes it seem a little less like “Texas is awesome because I’m a professor there,” which is, really, what it boils down to) and start talking about how awesome that school is and how it should be in the top 10.

    Bonus points if he then calls Texas “overrated.”

    Angry Clam (f05866)

  9. “I ain’t never met NOOOOBODY from Texas I couldn’t shade” –Rooster Cogburn

    craig mclaughlin (dfd987)


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