In the proud traditions of the “Know Nothings” of the 1850s, it seems modern Republicans reliably say they can’t recall, or better yet, I never said that.
I did read about “anti-intellectualism” in the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Maybe students in schools today should be reading stuff like that, a real eye-opener. A few years ago I saw an article ‘online’ about people standing around a bonfire throwing books and magazines into the flames, but the one thing that caught my attention was the presence of little kids standing among this group of well-meaning adults, watching, and learning. Learning how to get what they want. Learning how to settle an argument. Learning how adults do things.
After reading Fahrenheit 451, I heard about George Orwell’s book entitled Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984). Which might have caused readers to be more ‘critical’ in their thinking and not be ‘sucked-in’ by Snake-Oil Politicians or “Elmer Gantry type” religious zealots.
Regardless, Economists and Politicians followed the lunatic ideas of Ayn Rand, and many others took the ranting of Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street as sage advice. Both thought Greed Is Good. And, eventually, no other ethic seemed relevant. Few Politicians were criticized unless there was a ‘sexual indiscretion’ involved so that a ‘moral majority’ could lick their chops. And Corporate leaders seemed capable of never signing things when their vocal demands would suffice.
It seems that a large segment of our ruling political members translated ‘Orwellian’ ideas from the book 1984 as something to accomplish. Dominate the ‘News’ (fewer media outlets / journalists). Have mass surveillance. Spew misinformation (Wash. Post article: Trump’s false or misleading claims total 30,573 over 4 years). Deny Truth (Political, or regarding Public Health and Covid-19). Manipulate History (get stuff out of school textbooks). And then blame their opponents for the very things they do.
It baffles the imagination why so many in the “have” column are becoming “anti-intellectuals”. That really should come from the “Proles”, but as in the book 1984, we never rebel. Maybe, like ‘fiction’, we have substitutes for reality: Cannabis, the Swimsuit Edition, TV, Alcohol, and possibly very soon legally mandated Religion.
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In the proud traditions of the “Know Nothings” of the 1850s, it seems modern Republicans reliably say they can’t recall, or better yet, I never said that.
I did read about “anti-intellectualism” in the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Maybe students in schools today should be reading stuff like that, a real eye-opener. A few years ago I saw an article ‘online’ about people standing around a bonfire throwing books and magazines into the flames, but the one thing that caught my attention was the presence of little kids standing among this group of well-meaning adults, watching, and learning. Learning how to get what they want. Learning how to settle an argument. Learning how adults do things.
After reading Fahrenheit 451, I heard about George Orwell’s book entitled Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984). Which might have caused readers to be more ‘critical’ in their thinking and not be ‘sucked-in’ by Snake-Oil Politicians or “Elmer Gantry type” religious zealots.
Regardless, Economists and Politicians followed the lunatic ideas of Ayn Rand, and many others took the ranting of Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street as sage advice. Both thought Greed Is Good. And, eventually, no other ethic seemed relevant. Few Politicians were criticized unless there was a ‘sexual indiscretion’ involved so that a ‘moral majority’ could lick their chops. And Corporate leaders seemed capable of never signing things when their vocal demands would suffice.
It seems that a large segment of our ruling political members translated ‘Orwellian’ ideas from the book 1984 as something to accomplish. Dominate the ‘News’ (fewer media outlets / journalists). Have mass surveillance. Spew misinformation (Wash. Post article: Trump’s false or misleading claims total 30,573 over 4 years). Deny Truth (Political, or regarding Public Health and Covid-19). Manipulate History (get stuff out of school textbooks). And then blame their opponents for the very things they do.
It baffles the imagination why so many in the “have” column are becoming “anti-intellectuals”. That really should come from the “Proles”, but as in the book 1984, we never rebel. Maybe, like ‘fiction’, we have substitutes for reality: Cannabis, the Swimsuit Edition, TV, Alcohol, and possibly very soon legally mandated Religion.
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