Sometimes I have to remind myself that, although I may have remarkable skills in the field of music education, for example, it’s simply a waste of time to try to teach a pig to sing.
Now, this applies whether it might be a discussion with someone about schools of philosophy when they
a. are woefully subliterate in the language the discussion is couched in
b. seem to be historically subliterate as well and
c. know very little about the schools under discussion
OR
When attempting to discuss (U.S.) economics with someone who
a. does not have to experience the consequences of policies they promulgate
b. is woefully subliterate in the language the discussion is couched in
c. knows very little about how our economy works
The first case is trivial. There are millions of folks who are the products of “prisons for kids” and so-called higher education in these DYSunited States who are woefully subliterate and have no idea that they are, but who nevertheless can be semi-productive citizens in a society where there’s enough productivity built into the system from previous generations to carry them. For a while.
The second case, however, is more troubling, because subliterate, dumbass, venal, crooked, power-hungry congresscritters endanger us all.
Are we doomed? Well, I’ll not positively assert that we are, if only because I am warned by the weight of history–quite apart from theological warnings–that despair is a deadly, deadly sin.
So, what to do?
Take every opportunity, make every opportunity, to denounce the subliterate, dumbass, venal, crooked, power-hungry congresscritters who endanger us all. Vote (early and often–*heh*) to kick the bastards out. The new officeholder may not be better, but at least he would have the example of his predecessor that he can be dethroned.
Then, the next time the new guy is up for election, if he’s proven to be a subliterate, dumbass, venal, crooked, power-hungry congresscritter, then work hard to get him kicked out.
I’d be moderately pleased if Congress had as close to a 100% turnover each election cycle as possible, at least for a couple of decades.
The stupid and enstupiated we will have with us always. Let’s just try to keep the worst of them out of public office, eh?
Speaking of which… (h.t. to Dafydd at Big Lizards) note the subtle differences between the two videos bellow. The Obama campaign is citing the edited (cut, redacted, truncated, butchered) version of the statement by Roy Blunt (Representative, America’s Third World County, et al–and yes, I’ve actually spoken to the man and shared a venue with him) to make it appear he is saying something opposite what he actually said.
vs.
As Dafydd says,
Team Obama is pointing to the truncated video to claim that even Roy Blunt agrees that McCain has been nothing but a roadblock, toppling a done deal and plunging America into a dark night of the financial soul.
Want to know just how corrupt, mendacious, and dishonorable is the campaign by the One We Have Been Waiting For, campaigning by what we call “Chicago rules?” That’s how.
The One is certainly buffing up his creds with The Father of Lies (John 8:44).
Trackposted to Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Faultline USA, and Political Byline, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
I’d say that the enstupiated masses are largely the reason that we have what “appear” to be enstupiated congresscritters. I don’t really believe that the congresscritters are truly enstupiated – just corrupted by power.
Oh, to be sure, some are enstupiated, such as Mr. “I’ll pit my I.Q. against yours anyday” Biden the subliterate drag on the Obamassiah’s campaign, but they have decent handlers most of the time.
Anyway, I don’t think they’re completely enstupiated in Congress. They just have a solid knowledge of and faith in the enstupiated masses ability to be brainwashed into voting for them – as long as they sound sincere.
Teaching pigs to sing is a waste of time. But they are fairly intelligent animals – smarter than dogs. One on one, and over time, maybe we can teach enstupiated voters that their choices have consequences for us all. After all, for most of them it’s truly a matter of ignorance of the truth and having been persuaded by a lie rather than a lack of native intelligence.
Teach them to reason. Teach them to question what they hear. The truly stupid won’t learn, but some will.
At least, I continue to hope so.
You are of course, correct, Perri. “We have met the enemy and he is us,” indeed.
Once-on-one, the enstupiated masses can be easily dealt with. The problem is finding enough un-enstupiated folks to teach them. Some will not learn, because of greed or comfort in their ignorance (which is the very essence of real, genuine, bone-deep stupidity that has no relation to “native intelligence”).
Congresscritters, OTOH, are indeed–for the most part–enstupiated, but their stupidity is the direct result of their lust for power and wilful blindness to the consequences of their actions. Like citizens who choose to be stupid, they choose their stupidity, thinking the short term gain they experience offsets the long term evil they create. And it does, for the completely self-absorbed egoists that they are. What care they about the long term affects, even to their own children and grandchildren as long as they get what they want in the only frame of reference that matters to them, the all-important hic et nunc?