The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Then perhaps we will find out who sent that to Breibart in the first place.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I’m not sure you should call it a perfect storm, but the way three [July 24] news stories came together gives me pause. Most dramatically, there’s the story of Shirley Sherrod, the former U.S. Agriculture Department employee (who happens to be black). Part of her description of her attempt some 20 years ago to help a farmer (who happened to be white), taken out of context, was alleged to be an example of racism against whites. Was she given a chance to set the record straight? No, while driving her car she received a message to pull over to the side of the road and submit her resignation on her Blackberry. Then, in the same edition, there was the story of the $1.2 billion just stripped from a U.S. Senate bill — money that senators on both sides of the aisle agree should be [used to] reimburse black farmers for past discriminatory practices. The rationale: no identifi cation of where the money was to come from (the same rationale that held up the extension of unemployment benefi ts in another bill which fi nally passed). Finally, in the same edition, was the story of the $1.6 billion in unwarranted bonuses given to bankers. The current decision not to recoup any of it appears to have been made on the assumption that it is enough to shame those involved with the publicity. Looking at the fi nancial fi gures in those last two paragraphs, you might almost think the second provided an answer to the first. You would, of course, be mistaken. What their relationship underlines is what Shirley Sherrod says she came to realize 20 years ago: “The essential issue in this country is really about those who have vs. those who don’t.” It doesn’t always have to be that way. It won’t change, however, unless a lot more of us — “haves” and “have nots” — find effective ways to edge our leaders out of their current comfort zones.