"In a democracy (‘rule by mob’), those who refuse to learn from history will be the majority and will dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance."
How about an amendment excluding lawyers from holding positions as Supreme Court Justices or being elected to federal office? And while we’re at it, how about including term limits for EVERY federal office, elected and appointed? Oh, and throw in language carving out an exception to the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “cruel and unusual punishment” for any elected or appointed “feddle gummint” official or bureaucrap. Since tarring and feathering have faded from contemporary use and become “unusual” and since the practice may be considered (fairly, I suppose) to be “cruel” we need that exception in order to properly chastise those who desire (and work and scheme and lie, cheat and steal) to be our masters.
Once such an amendment were passed (notice the subjunctive mood? *sigh*), perhaps a few “feddle gummint” goons could be tarred, feathered and given lighted torches to play with on their way out of town… pour encourager les autres, as it were. (Oh, that I would live to see the day!)
It’s a tough question. If you’re unfamiliar with the reference, take some time out. I’ll wait. Meanwhile, I’ll leave this here for interim consderation:
Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.–Napoleon Bonaparte (ascribed)
There is such a thing as human evil. I’ll allow no argument on that point, because any argument otherwise is simply either stupid* or evil. Period. So, accept as axiomatic that human evil exists. Is it then stupid or evil to look human evil in the face and see good? (I’ll allow a third option: insanity.)
Examples abound:
Idiots who defend Islam as a “religion of peace”. Stupidity or witting enabling of the evil hate cult of Islam?
People who assert that America is an unjust society, because we have people they class as poor? Evil or stupid? Consider this:
Ahhh, I’m tired of this already, and my BP is starting to climb… *sigh*
So, are those who are enablers of the hate cult of the Butcher of Medina evil or stupid (or both–likely, IMO)?
Are those who seem to be actively attempting to destroy our society via such activities as encouraging the kleptocratic “gimme” culture evil or stupid (or both–likely, IMO)?
And when do we stop ascribing destructive behaviors to stupidity alone and start calling it malice?
Yes, I aborted a bunch of stupid/evil material ranging from “pro-choice” (which is really, “Deny ANY choice to the unborn”), “Edumacation”, the Thugs Standing Around program of full employment for goons and petty tyrants, and “feddle gummint” tyrannical meddling in citizens’ lives while actively enabling outlaws to The Cult of Anthropogenic Climate Scare-ism and numerous points in between. One can select any issue dominated by the lies of the Mass MEdia Podpeople Hivemind, politicians *gag-spew* and Academia Nut Fruitcakes and plug it right into the “Stupid or Evil” matrix for consideration.
*I include in my use of “stupid” acts of witting, deliberate avoidance of facts. Witting, deliberate distortion of facts is evil–slander against truth.
“What is so Special about the 30 Year Mortgage” by Peter Williams in today’s [Feb 1, 2011] Wall Street Journal dispels some myths and raises interesting questions. The United States has for a long time encouraged people to buy their homes. This is a good idea: rule by the middle class, ‘those who possess the goods of fortune in moderation’ (Aristotle) requires that there be a middle class, and that they have property. Alas, the implementation did not leave them much of a property stake. People who owe more than the property is worth not only do not own property, but have a strong motive to shed themselves of the very idea that they ever owned it. The long time mortgages with low down payments do not build property ownerships.
Now, our home is paid for. Was a fifteen year mortgage to begin with, and we had EVERY intention of making it wholly ours from the beginning. Paid it off early. And when we bought, we bought a home that was less than we could have gotten, deliberately. Indeed, we’ve mostly, for quite some time now, made it a practice, in general, to live under our means, providing a greater cushion for emergencies and potential income losses or other changes of circumstances.
Major purchases, other than this house–cars, appliances, electronics, whatever: saved for and paid for in cash or cash equivalent (check or debit card).
“[T]he goods of fortune in moderation” is key to a solid middle class, and a solid middle class is even key to long-term wealth for the putative upper class, for without such a middle class, the means to assure long-term wealth become shaky in a republic. Of course, our republic is trending toward an oligarchy (rule by an elite) with a veneer of democracy (rule by mob), and the oligarchs seem to have little interest in even their own grandchildren’s future, “planning” ahead only so far as their next short-term “killing”.
Well, as usual I’ve wandered off the reservation a bit. *heh* Pournelle’s original comment, and his recommended reading material (I fixed his link to point to a non-registration reproduction of the article) are worth reading.
Check the screencap of an email from ZDNet. Some lazy, subliterate moron couldn’t even bother to transcribe the actual article’s headline:
That someone got paid for “work” like that is evidence of incompetent supervision and a lazy, unethical worker. That “hypocracy” isn’t even a typo. No one who can’t even use (or is too lazy to use) a spell checker should accept payment for “work” like that… or be offered any. And yet, this is but one of many, many examples of such things. (And do NOT let me get started on “celebrity–or even local yokel–newsreaders’ constant misuse of words. Put ’em in bags and throw ’em into a swiftly moving river… )
A disabled caravanner who kept a penknife in his glove compartment to use on picnics has blasted the authorities after being dragged through court for possessing an offensive weapon.
Rodney Knowles, 61, walks with the aid of a stick and had used the Swiss Army knife to cut up fruit on picnics with his wife.
That’s right, folks” a 2.5-inch bladed Swiss Army Knife. Evidence of obvious intent to commit mayhem.
*sigh* And here in the USA, more of the same, as the TSA will confiscate any lil teen-eintsy bladed “weapon” from once-free citizens, when they’re not going full court press to fine and imprison folks for whatever strikes the Thousands Standing Around as an appropriate expression of their goonery.
This in a land where my grandfather and his brothers once took their Model 1895 Winchesters to school–talk about school safety! Imagine some idiot trying to hold up a school where the teacher and students were all armed to the teeth! Ah, but those were different times, you say. Yes, they were, more’s the pity.
As for that “island off the coast of France” thing, well, that may not even be “always” if the Calip-hate has its way… With a completely disarmed populace, how long until Londonistan is added as “the chief city of an island in the Calip-hate just off the coast of Francistan”?
