The problem with intellectuals

August 8, 2023 By Matthew G. Andersson

Economist Thomas Sowell, one of America’s finest thinkers, wrote an excellent book called Intellectuals and Society that I would encourage anyone to read. Its main argument is that “elitists” who have been inflated with academic ideas and theories, think of themselves as morally superior, and entitled to advance their idealisms by any means possible, including breaking the law, out of a sense of “justice” and especially if their causes can be characterized as urgent, or an emergency. Pretext is the fuel that powers its ideology.

This is a fascinating issue because the so-called intellectual class -- embodied by the current political Left and the “Biden” administration -- is, in reality, living an illusion, both in their person, and socially. Sowell distinguishes intellectuals by their life “which begins and ends with ideas.” This explains all the Biden administration’s negative policy from imaginary “green” energy systems, to onerous carbon taxes, invasive biosecurity, illegal immigration, discriminatory affirmative action, hostile agricultural policy, deliberate war instigation, lack of U.S. military preparedness, and more...........

This is also why “intellectuals” as a group, are generally attracted to government (as they perceive it): government is a top-down institutional opportunity to bypass practical work. Actual work comes from the ground up, in cooperation (and compromise) with others. Intellectuals, on the other hand, don’t like that, because they don’t like to actually work, or cooperate, compromise, or do: they prefer to talk, divide, take, and imagine. Conservatism defends the rule of law, and consent. The radical Left’s social psychology is the rule of rule, and executive decree. Trump instinctively knew this as a businessman, and this created an instant clash of cultures: one pragmatic, practical, and experienced; the other, idealistic, theoretical, and naive................to both understand and then competitively counter, the misguided and destructive impulses of the political Left. American pragmatism may be that concept. It defends what the Left hates most: Americanism, Americans, and America itself..........To Read More.....

Leftist hypocrisy at the Idaho Statesman,  By Trevor Thomas  August 8, 2023 -The editorial board of the Idaho Statesman -- Scott McIntosh, Bryan Clark, Chadd Cripe, Dana Oland, Jim Keyser and Mary Rohlfing -- recently published an opinion piece condemning the actions of Christian organizations Hold the Line and Turning Point USA Faith. The Statesman editorial board doesn’t like the fact that the “Kingdom to the Capitol” tour has made its way to Boise, Idaho. The Kingdom to the Capitol is a Christian “revival tour” that holds prayer and worship events across the U.S. Their goal is to bring praise and worship music and prayer to every state capitol in the U.S. By my count, they’ve reached 23 so far. Kingdom to the Capitol is the result of a partnership between Turning Point USA Faith and Let Us Worship (a sister organization to Hold the Line). The title of the Statesman’s foolish opinion piece begins with the old and overused leftist edict, “Keep your religion out of our government.” The title concludes with the “scary” conclusion that “Dangerous activists [are] coming to [the] Idaho Capitol.”.......

Government bureaucrats vs. the Rule of Law August 8, 2023 By Jay Davidson - The power to regulate and to tax is wisely bestowed on only those who are elected by the people, who are thereby held accountable to the citizens who elected them.  There is genius in the simplicity of this feedback loop. However, when the power to regulate is subsumed by bureaucrats, employees of the government, we no longer have the Rule of Law.  The Constitution is thereby subverted, and we are forced to endure rule by regulation; the clawing power of whim by federal, state, or local government employees; and subversion of our inalienable rights.  The 1984 Chevron Deference codified rule by bureaucrat.  It became a powerful tool for control of private business by bureaucracy and the Administrative State.  Justices in the Supreme Court are going to look into Chevron.  Justice Gorsuch is a scholar on the topic.

 

 

 The power to regulate is supposed to be bestowed only on those who are elected by the people. And yet... More