treadmill
October 8th, 2009, 2:10 pm
Do you believe that society stresses the academic qualifications of its leaders at the expense and diminishment of their sense of clarity in moral values and principles? I do.
I remember a colleague saying to me, during the election, that Obama should be elected President because he had a high academic achievement and chaired a debating team at Harvard. Surprisingly, this person actually meant it. His actual statement was that "America needs a leader who has a 'great brain'". That statement came back to haunt me today as I was considering Obama's lack of moral fortitude regarding the War versus President Bush's steadfast courage (Bush, the man ridiculed for supposedly poor academic standing).
Both Democrats and Republicans have fallen victim in some respects to the appeal of intelligence and education as prime motivating factors in choosing leaders. Both parties value the accumulation of monetary wealth as some indicator of one's ability to achieve. They also value "intellectual wealth" , as reflected in a candidate's academic record, as a qualification for leadership. Unfortunately many, and liberals particularly, appear to especially over value academic credentials and devalue character traits passed down through our nation's traditions. Democrats have recently appointed tsars responsible for our economy, arguing that they have excelled at top universities, but, ignore the fact that they are income tax cheats. They ignore creative ideas from Governor Sarah Palin while ridiculing her Alma Mater (a clear signal of their priorities in evaluating a person and his/her ideas). Liberals, in particular, appear to be obsessed with the "appearance of wisdom" but are evidently unable to recognize it when it comes from someone outside their own elite liberal class. This reminds me of the scene from "Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade" when the guardian of the Chalice asks those present to choose Christ's cup. The Nazi goes for the most elaborate chalice (when the most common cup is the righteous one). The guardian says, correctly: "You chose poorly". Democrats and liberals have consistently chosen their leaders "poorly" by selecting image over substance (JFK was arguably the last Democrat leader with both qualities).
I teach in a College environment and pride myself on keeping my personal political views close to my chest. My mission with my students is to teach them to think for themselves by objectively evaluating the facts. Whether that leads them to a liberal or conservative conclusion should not be the issue. Whether the conclusion fits pre-conceived expectations based on economic or political class should not be the issue. What we want, and more important, what the country needs is intellectual honesty and integrity. When asked for advice on moral issues, I always tell my students "I am only a College Professor. For political or social policy advice, look to your parents, pastor, rabbi, priest or other moral force from your personal tradition". I believe the only support I should provide in political or social issues, apart from teaching them how to think rationally through issues, is through the example I provide in my own life. All those people in positions of power and responsibility, including the media, have the responsibility to do the same. When the media and others with power over the information we receive, laud a political figure based primarily on his/her educational credentials and charisma, avoiding discussion of that person's views and principles, they are providing a dis-service to the country. Of course, the reverse is also true, when candidates are diminished for the same reason.
America is a country which certainly needs the most gifted and intelligent people as its leaders. However, those qualifications are secondary to the higher values and moral principles given to us by our Judeo/Christian traditions and ratified through our founding documents. I believe many people have forgotten this, including both political parties. Although liberal Democrats are championing this trend, conservatives and Repulicans are also to blame for not more vocally championing populist leaders, such as Sarah Palin, leaders outside the academic elite, who offer equally valid and rich ideas and directions for the country. We all must reverse this unfortunate trend. That reversal begins with each one of us by making wise choices reflecting this principle politically as well as with the media information outlets we patronize.
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I remember a colleague saying to me, during the election, that Obama should be elected President because he had a high academic achievement and chaired a debating team at Harvard. Surprisingly, this person actually meant it. His actual statement was that "America needs a leader who has a 'great brain'". That statement came back to haunt me today as I was considering Obama's lack of moral fortitude regarding the War versus President Bush's steadfast courage (Bush, the man ridiculed for supposedly poor academic standing).
Both Democrats and Republicans have fallen victim in some respects to the appeal of intelligence and education as prime motivating factors in choosing leaders. Both parties value the accumulation of monetary wealth as some indicator of one's ability to achieve. They also value "intellectual wealth" , as reflected in a candidate's academic record, as a qualification for leadership. Unfortunately many, and liberals particularly, appear to especially over value academic credentials and devalue character traits passed down through our nation's traditions. Democrats have recently appointed tsars responsible for our economy, arguing that they have excelled at top universities, but, ignore the fact that they are income tax cheats. They ignore creative ideas from Governor Sarah Palin while ridiculing her Alma Mater (a clear signal of their priorities in evaluating a person and his/her ideas). Liberals, in particular, appear to be obsessed with the "appearance of wisdom" but are evidently unable to recognize it when it comes from someone outside their own elite liberal class. This reminds me of the scene from "Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade" when the guardian of the Chalice asks those present to choose Christ's cup. The Nazi goes for the most elaborate chalice (when the most common cup is the righteous one). The guardian says, correctly: "You chose poorly". Democrats and liberals have consistently chosen their leaders "poorly" by selecting image over substance (JFK was arguably the last Democrat leader with both qualities).
I teach in a College environment and pride myself on keeping my personal political views close to my chest. My mission with my students is to teach them to think for themselves by objectively evaluating the facts. Whether that leads them to a liberal or conservative conclusion should not be the issue. Whether the conclusion fits pre-conceived expectations based on economic or political class should not be the issue. What we want, and more important, what the country needs is intellectual honesty and integrity. When asked for advice on moral issues, I always tell my students "I am only a College Professor. For political or social policy advice, look to your parents, pastor, rabbi, priest or other moral force from your personal tradition". I believe the only support I should provide in political or social issues, apart from teaching them how to think rationally through issues, is through the example I provide in my own life. All those people in positions of power and responsibility, including the media, have the responsibility to do the same. When the media and others with power over the information we receive, laud a political figure based primarily on his/her educational credentials and charisma, avoiding discussion of that person's views and principles, they are providing a dis-service to the country. Of course, the reverse is also true, when candidates are diminished for the same reason.
America is a country which certainly needs the most gifted and intelligent people as its leaders. However, those qualifications are secondary to the higher values and moral principles given to us by our Judeo/Christian traditions and ratified through our founding documents. I believe many people have forgotten this, including both political parties. Although liberal Democrats are championing this trend, conservatives and Repulicans are also to blame for not more vocally championing populist leaders, such as Sarah Palin, leaders outside the academic elite, who offer equally valid and rich ideas and directions for the country. We all must reverse this unfortunate trend. That reversal begins with each one of us by making wise choices reflecting this principle politically as well as with the media information outlets we patronize.
__________________