You’d think the “intellectual elite” would have at least a litle knowledge of history, at least. There’s nothing new about the Law of Unintended Consequences. In fact, the first Indian language to be classed as a “classical language,” Tamil, an ancient language indeed, has a phrase for “unintended consequences”.
(iracikam teyvikam)
“Unforeseen circumstances that may happen by royal authority or providence.”
The concept’s been known cross-culturally for millennia (well, except, probably, for in Islamic culture where reason is anathema), but is apparently unknown to our ruling elite.
Unless, of course, they intended to create the mess our country’s now in and are deliberately working to make things worse.
I see two possibilities:
1) There are no unintended consequences, only intended ones that will not be admitted to.
2) They are disconnected and so convinced of their own intellectual superiority that they think *their* actions cannot possibly have any consequences that they haven’t accounted for.
Actually, I think another branch of government needs to be added to the Constitution via amendment: The Citizens’ Review Board. 1,000 citizens selected annually via
1. darts thrown by blindfolded monkeys at pages torn from phone books selected at random by other blindfolded monkeys, which citizens then pass
2. a basic literacy test like this one.
These citizens would then be tasked, on rotating 9 person panels (again selected by blindfolded monkeys:-)), each panel to read a bill proposed by Congress–either house–and then to point out its constitutionality or lack thereof AND obvious “unintended consequences”. The panels would be given authority to red line any problems they noted.
BTW, were such panels to be selected based on talent and ability, my natural talent for criticism and long tutelage in history and the Founders’ Constitution would qualify me right off the bat. Of course, my most common marginal comment in submitted bills would be, “Off with their heads!”
But that would bring government to a standstill! They don’t have time to wait for people to read these bills. 😛
“But that would bring government to a standstill!”
That’s not an unintended consequence… 😉
BTW, the Founders really wanted a Federal Government that mostly just dealt with foreign powers, issued currency, ran a post office and mediated between the States, with very, very little else. What we have today is fast approaching the tyranny their design was created to avert (Thanks, Mr. Lincoln and like-minded tyrannical central power enthusiasts.) The anti-federalists rightly foresaw the mess we are in today…