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February 11, 2011

Thomas Sowell: The “Dubious Achievements” of the American Intelligentsia


“Intellectuals give people who have the handicap of poverty the further handicap of a sense of victimhood.”
Thomas Sowell for RightNetwork
Intellectuals encourage people who contribute nothing to the world to complain and even organize protests, because others are not doing enough for them.

They have rationalized the breaking of laws by those who choose to picture themselves as underdogs fighting an oppressive “system,” even when these are college students from affluent homes.

They have, both in America and in France, verbally turned military heroes who put their lives on the line for their country into victims of war, people whom one might pity but never want to emulate.

In schools and colleges, the intelligentsia have changed the role of education from equipping students with the knowledge and intellectual skills to weigh issues and make up their own minds into a process of indoctrination with the conclusions already reached by the anointed.

They have put the people whose work creates the goods and services that sustain a rising standard of living on the same plane as people who refuse to work, but who are depicted as nevertheless entitled to their “fair share” of what others have created – this entitlement being regardless of whether they observe even common decency on the streets or in the parks.

The intelligentsia have treated the conclusions of their vision as axioms to be followed, rather than hypotheses to be tested.

Some among the intelligentsia have treated reality itself as subjective or illusory, thereby putting current intellectual fashions and fads on the same plane as verified knowledge and the cultural wisdom distilled from generations of experience.

Intellectuals give people who have the handicap of poverty the further handicap of a sense of victimhood.

They have acted as if they are anointed to decide which segments of society to favor, who should be allowed to pick their own associates and who should not, which small risks people should be forbidden to take and which larger risks are all right.

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7 comments:

Dwrek said...

Its hard being as intelligent as I am. I'm not a very good speller though.

banned said...

"In schools and colleges, the intelligentsia have changed the role of education from equipping students with the knowledge and intellectual skills to weigh issues and make up their own minds into a process of indoctrination with the conclusions already reached by the anointed."

I thought this was an American blog, that describes England.

Anonymous said...

Don't trouble yourself, Dwrek. We are multispellabic around here.

Anonymous said...

Banned... We've handed our children over to the dark side, and the dark side has worked its foul trade.

Anonymous said...

"Above all, they exalt themselves by denigrating the society in which they live, and turning its members against each other."

Amen.

TS/WS said...

The Aristocrats (wealthy intelligentsia) intellectual prowess is to plan the lives of those who have to worry (plan) where their next meal will come from; since the big thinkers don't have to, can make big plans.
I read somewhere, that idle hands...,
What Dreamers can Dream up...; ain't good for society as a whole.
It was contained to regional, for a while. But now all those busybodies have long noises-all up in everybody's business; this new world order.
We have to shout out that This good ole USA was made just to keep them at bay.
...................................
The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty.
-->If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.

...George Washington's Farewell Address...

kid said...

Hello Racist!

I think that Uncle Tom-ass Sowell would be proud of you to have use Uncle Reamus as a joke on a Black person. The difference between me and Sowell is that he gets paid to be kicked in the ass by white racist, me on the other hand I KICKS ASS!

You need to stop playing the victimization card like you claim minorities do. You poor white folk, your plumbers only make $250,000.00 a year.

Little Hispanic girls get murdered by Tea Party activist and nothing is done. This isn't the victim card, this is real. Why do people inArizona hate little girls so much? First it was little white girls born on 9/11, now it's Hispanic children.

http://www.justiceforshawnaforde.com/