This famous quote, attributed to Socrates (470-399 BC), is contained in Plato’s Apology. Note that it was uttered during the horrible time of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), undoubtedly the greatest human conflict up to that point in history. What lesson does the saying hold for us now?
Sadly, it would imply that many people, especially those in the public eye, have lives not worth living. Indeed, how else can we explain the total disconnect, the intellectual comb-overs, if you will, infecting this country like an out-of-control virus?
Many Nobel Laureate economists are against tax cuts
Forget, for a moment, that they would probably be in favor of them if the president were a Democrat, and ask yourself how giving more money to the consumer can POSSIBLY be bad for the economy? You’d think it would be apparent by now that there is absolutely no relationship between government deficits and the overall health of the economy.
Even at this level, the tribalism runs rampant. The economists are liberal, the president is supposedly conservative, they must be against him, and that’s that.
Most entertainment industry morons are unabashed Leftists
For more than 50 years, the quickest way to make a fortune in this country has been to have a “hit” entertainment property such as a movie, record, or TV show. The continuing financial failure of government-owned media notwithstanding, both the talent, and even many of the titans who built the entertainment/media giant companies, profess disdain for the very market system that created their wealth.
Historical revisionism in all the wrong places
It’s quite the rage in academia these days to dismiss the founders of our country as a bunch of religious fanatic, gun-toting, slave-owning bigots, who are most irrelevant to today’s enlightened society. Yet, with few exceptions, their jaundiced eyes have never gazed on the brutality of the War Between the States and the tyrant behind it, or the entire disaster of the Wilsonian philosophy behind two world wars. Wilson was a racist also, but since he was on their side, all is forgiven. They say the Civil War was fought to abolish slavery, but slavery won, as we are all in the grip of the Federal Leviathan.
September 11th didn’t change anything except airport security
You’d think that the worst single terrorist attack in history would be a wake-up call. There are Islamo-fascists who want to kill all the Christians and Jews, and most likely then kill all the Muslims they disagree with. But, somehow, tolerance and political correctness are still the virtues that must eclipse all others. The education/hospitality industry/slave labor lobby will keep the immigration floodgates open until we turn into France, or worse.
California is running a $30 billion budget deficit
You don’t think this could have anything to do with giving gobs of free educational and health care services to illegal aliens, do you? Just don’t hold your breath waiting for Governor Davis–or the state’s Republicans–to mention such a thing.
Most liberals remain smug in the notion that they still hold all the intellectual aces
The fruits of decades of failed policy in education, social welfare, race relations, healthcare, and taxation will never trump the sacred precepts they all learned so well, at the feet of their Leftie pedagouges. Besides, if they change sides now, would the cocktail parties be as good?
How depressing that the core philosophy of so many is controlled by fashion, bumper sticker sound bites, mindless tribalism, envy, greed, and just plain dishonesty. More information might be available with greater ease than ever before, but it still can’t penetrate minds that are closed.