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June 11, 2003 I am always astounded by the chest thumping that goes on in some segments of our society because they are “smart”, highly educated, or erudite. What does it take to be labeled as “smart” by these segments that laud accolades upon people like Hillary Clinton and Norman Mailer? It’s an interesting question, and it never fails to remind me of the paradox of Georgie. Georgie, as he was known to his friends, could speak impeccable French, could cite the Bible chapter and verse from memory, read Greek, did calculus, was a historical expert, knew Caesar’s Commentaries backwards and forwards (as well as almost all the other ‘classics’), and wrote reams of poetry in iambic pentameter. He was an amateur cartographer, a fencer trained at the famous Saumur School in France, amateur mechanical engineer, and champion equestrian. What is more he was a masterful, if a bit vulgar at times, orator, a great host and guest considering what has been said about him by British royalty and Winston Churchill when they attended dinners and other functions with him. Lastly, on a trip to Hawaii he deigned to do by sailing there on a 30’ sloop Georgie proved to be a poor ships cook. Despite all of these physical and mental masteries poor old Georgie will never be considered “smart” by some people in this nation simply because he did not ascribe to the popular ideas of his time or ours. He preferred to think of the world in terms of the 18th and 19th century. He wanted to be chivalric and believe in a world of virtue, valor, and glory much like the Don Quixote. The reason I find this paradoxical is that if this were a modern democrat the individual would paraded before us a someone we should listen to, someone GREAT due to his accomplishments and keen intellect, and his idiosyncrasies would be reason for good natured jokes. Good ol’ Georgie will never get such laurels though. Instead of being accepted as the genius that he would be accorded if he had only accepted the ideas of the Beats, pacifism, flower power, and a disdain of all things military Georgie will never be remembered as a great man. You see, Georgie is none other than Gen. George Smith Patton. Despite having an immense IQ, all the attributes listed above, his tactical genius that was seen during Operation Cobra to break out of the Boccage country in France and chase the Boche to the River Seine, and the accounts of British nobility of his eloquence “Old Blood and Guts” will never be placed into the same league as Norman Mailer or the “sainted” Hillary. He did not have the right pedigree in education, having not attended an Ivy League school, or ascribe to the popular ideologies it seems and so a mind like his is dismissed. Another example that seems to be proof that erudition and intelligence are rather secondary to criteria to being labeled a genius in America today is Thomas Sowell. Having graduated from Harvard in economics is not enough to make him worthy. Teaching at the vaunted Stanford University in Palo Alto is not enough to garner the title he richly deserves. Instead the poor man is labeled incessantly “Uncle Tom.” Dr. Sowell (since he has a PhD) does not subscribe to the proper ideology to get the accolades. If only these two men subscribed to the ideology of socialism lite that is so popular today, and espoused by ‘saint’ Hillary of the national healthcare system and his lordship Norman Mailer, they would be revered. This is the crux of the problem. To be beloved in today’s world one must espouse the beliefs of the writers, and less importantly the readers, of the commentary. This highlights the need for the news, not editorials but the actual, factual news, to be reported accurately, timely, and without bias. Without such bias both of these men would be accorded the intellectual ‘chops’ that they earned through long hours, sacrifice, and brain sweat even if one still felt that their accomplishments and aims were wrong. Which brings us to the real point. Having monolithic control of the media is not good for the commonweal. Having to look myopically through an ideologically ground glass we get only distorted views of events and history. Even when done in the name of ‘progressiveness’ it stifles dissenting ideas, distorts the truth, and leaves the rest of us bereft of good information to make good decisions. It is just this type of control that has left us with: Columbus discovered America; “The Vietnam War is now un-winnable,” and “Dewey Defeats Truman!” These all have been proven, to some degree or another, later to be untrue, but the monochromatic ideologies of the people behind such things made them seem true (if only for a brief period of time). It is quite easily verifiable that masses receive the information from the big three: network news, print news, and cable news. The effect of this phenomenon is not limited to these, but the mental inertia generated by it is most evident here. So, if it is Rupert Murdoch’s FOX, or others like him, that controls the big three, or a political ideology like liberalism (as evidenced by the voting records of journalists at the major publications) it makes no difference. They, the controlling interest, hold sway over the view presented. They are now an oligarchy that will lead you wheresoever they choose. Such an arrangement has lead to disaster many times. Look at Germany when Hitler essentially nationalized all media. Look at what occurred thanks to domination of print media by Hearst after the sinking of the USS Maine in a Cuban harbor. It is not enough to be smart, witty, and full of romantic conviction in the rightness of your cause when it comes to the Truth. The Almighty Dollar pales in comparison to the need for Truth, for without Truth one can be made bereft of the Dollar. There is a far higher ideal at stake here than either personal elation at seeing ones desires come to pass or a free market, and that cause is one of personal freedom and being free of the yoke of men who fashion themselves to be our betters through such an insignificant rubric as “rightthink.” I am so glad that I am still half literate, Irish Barbarian enough to see it. ------------ Email Ryan Patrick Parsons: c6h5x@aol.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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