Literary Discussions

When Obama was campaigning some jerky journalist said that he would rather hear someone talk about his bowling score rather than listen to some Harvard professor sipping merlot and munching arugula... so... no I don't think truth or intellect or come to think of it even morality are very important (the HONORABLE Newt Gingrich was questioned about his divorces and infidelities and he said "Well, but I asked God to FORGIVE me!" )   Americans dont like intellectuals. Adlai Stevenson was seen as an intellectual. Eisenhower was very intelligent and capable but was not seen as an intellectual. Someone said to Adlai Stevenson ":You are are every THINKING PERSON'S choice" and he replied, "Yes! But I need a MAJORITY." When Eisenhower was president of Columbia University he never met once with any of the faculty. He had no use for intellectuals and I suppose they had no use for him. I am ashamed to live in a culture where a sizable  number of people would actually admire the likes of a Sarah Palin or a Michelle Bachmann. The mere fact that the voting public would take seriously a person who claims on national television that she talks to Jesus every day and Jesus TOLD her to be president sickens me.  Count up how many television channels are educational and how many are Judge Judy, The Simpsons, Dancing With the Stars and Reality Shows about people on islands or nasty chefs in kitchens and you may judge for yourself how important ideas are to the general public. Or for that matter listen to how LITTLE theology there is in the media mega-ministries and then spend some time listening to Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and some of the Catholic channels on the Internet.  Someone who speaks two languages is called bi-lingual. Someone who speaks MORE than two languages is called a polyglot. Someone who speaks only one language is called an AMERICAN.