On 2012-11-01, at 10:25 AM, Wojtek S wrote:
> All those who masterminded and executed most, if not all, crimes
> against humanity came from the educated professional class. Of
> course, not everyone was an architect, but many were willing
> cheerleaders and executioners, including intellectual giants like
> Heidegger (Hitler sympathizer) or Hayek (Pinochet sympathizer). Or
> promoters of psychopathic views like Nietsche or Ayn Rand. Not to
> mention the scores of jurnos, jurists, or teachers willingly spreading
> and executing racist, fascist and other genocidal ideas.
>
> So let us not forget this dark side of the intellectual class. These
> deeds loom much more ominous than the liberal attitudes that you tend
> to focus on. This is not meant to be anti-intellectual rant but a
> reminder that the educated class is not a bearer of mostly liberal and
> humanistic ideas. Give them a chance and they will be leading the
> masses to book burning, pogroms, and crimes against the humanity.
Intellectuals have been in the forefront of both revolutionary and reactionary movements throughout history. I don't think you can generalize about whether they are predisposed to change or reaction one way or the other. They divide in times of crisis. Which way most break depends on their particular historical circumstances, including their own conditions and social status and the prevailing relationship of forces. But the same is also true of workers and peasants. Alas, you can always find many examples of those who have been eager participants or cheerleaders for the executioners of their class brothers and sisters.
In any case, higher education has become so ubiquitous today, that it is misleading to describe most university and professional school graduates as "intellectuals", nor do they occupy positions of power. But, as you indicated in your previous post, at this stage we're just talking past each other.
You and others, however, might still be interested in the wide range of occupations open to postsecondary school graduates, and the rapidly growing weight of this newest layer of the US working class. Just click on the links below.
There were 44.5 million Americans employed in "management, professional and related occupations" out of a total workforce of 125.2 million in 2011.
Of these, 11.6 million were in "management occupations" http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes110000.htm
Another 5.6 million were in "business and financial operations" http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes130000.htm
The 27 million plus "professionals" were distributed as follows:
Education, training, and library occupations: 8.3 workers. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes250000.htm
Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations: 7.2 million. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes290000.htm
Community and social service occupations 2.3 million. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes210000.htm
Life, physical, and social science occupations 1.2 million. Occupations included: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes190000.htm
Computer and mathematical occupations: 3.4 million. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes150000.htm
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations 1.9 million. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes270000.htm
Legal occupations 1.4 http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes230000.htm
Architecture and engineering occupations. 2.6 million. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes170000.htm