Two of my favorite historical figures are Decimus Junius Juvenalis (Juvenal) and Socrates, the former for the fine line he had to toe in a society that did not recognize the concept of free speech nor allow any criticism (real or imagined) of the Caesars and the latter for his response to hearing that he was the smartest man in the world.
Juvenal presented us with two of the greatest political concepts of all time. First came Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes or "Who guards the guards themselves?*" and Panem et Circenses or "Bread and Circuses". Socrates, upon hearing from his friend Chaerophon that he was the wisest man in Athens (which made him, at that time, the wisest man in the World per the Greeks) set off on a quest of wisdom that led him to determine that he was only the wisest because he understood how little he really knew.
In modern times, the theories of these two historical figures have never been more relevant. Today, Fast-food workers across the country are putting on a circus that's ostensibly asking for more bread. In reality, they're being used to create an election year issue by the Democrats who are looking for anything to distract the country from the failure that is Obamacare. Want to grab the poor vote? Throw them some crumbs. Then put on more circuses, the light bulb for instance the green movement has been a godsend for those of an authoritarian ilk who feel that the populace need be shepherded into place. Meanwhile, your location is being tracked while you are force-fed a diet of dehumanizing shock-media from the very group that's supposed to be watchdogging the watchdogs.
Of all the things I write about, the abdication by the media of their government watchdog role is the most concerning. You can talk about Republicants or Demoncrats, use anti-gay vulgarities to mock your political opposites but none of this matters if the real story is not being told. What we're getting now from the media is NOT news. It's increasingly Panem et Circenses to distract us from our loss of freedoms. Think about this, America (Land of the Free) has the highest (known) incarceration rate in the world. (omitting North Korea, who probably has a higher rate but about which little is known.) Texas, considered by many to be a rather free "Red" state was using roadside checkpoints to detain and question motorists without probable cause until public outcry caused them to reverse their stance, temporarily, until they can get authorization pushed through the Legislative process. Not wanting to seem "soft on crime" our so-called conservative Republican "leaders" seemed primed to codify this intrusion in the next legislative session. Another historical favorite of mine, Benjamin Franklin, weighed in on that idea about 300 years ago when he said "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Far from being a bastion of freedom or liberty, America has become a nation where it's been decided that no problem is small enough that a large government intrusion won't fix it. That most of these fixes don't solve the problem is not of importance. All you need to know is that there is a growing group of people out there who have been told by their fellow travelers that they are the smartest people in the world. Instead of this knowledge launching a mass Socratic wave of self-examination, modern Progressives have decided that each of them is correct. What this has led to is an influx of uncritical thinking where a few who consider themselves the intellectual high water mark sit in mock judgment on a supposed underclass. Blue-collar work, once considered the backbone of the American Way is now derided as unworthy of serious thought. The political class has become the incubator of knowledge while the private sector has digressed into something that is to be mocked, and tightly controlled. President Obama, believed the media who crowned him "the smartest guy in the room" forgetting along the way that the last "smartest guys in the room" (the Executive group behind Enron) are now ridiculed and are being pulled through the criminal system for making bad business decisions.
The problems inherent within the intelligent learder theory manifest when things go wrong. Now that Obamacare is being proven to be a massive error the smartest guy in the room is seemingly incapable of coming to terms with the fact that he's not. When your default defense mechanism is to lie, point fingers and then throw a temper-tantrum more closely identified with a two-year old there's bound to be questions as to whether or not you're competent to be the most powerful elected official in a (formerly) free Country. Unfortunately, again, given that our media has put-aside their watchdog role, these questions are hidden behind a veil of false charges of racism and classism. The expectation of intelligent leadership has moved to a point so low that Al Franken is considered a bright spot in an otherwise dim authoritative body.
At a State level Texas is careening along a path of financial destruction because our elected officials are buying their own press. State Sen. Dan Patrick recently stated that the people should not be trusted to elect their federal senators yet there was no Republican backlash. Think about that for a second. A supposed capital C Conservative proposes, with a straight face, removing the power of the electorate to directly choose their representatives and, except for a few Conservative bloggers, nary a peep. That's dire, although not as dire as things in the City of Houston, where unelected bureacrats with no knowledge of budgeting or (by appearances) any practical experience are being allowed to play with a taxing entity as if it's a shiny new toy opened on Christmas morning. Want accountability? You won't find it in the former newspaper or record where any change designed to move Houston into world classiness is enthusiastically applauded no matter how daft. Bread and circuses to the people while Rome crumbles from within.
But hey, Side Boob!
