I would urge readers to take a few minutes to read Bret Stephens' wonderful op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal, Great (American) Expectations.
Let me know what you think.
BG
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I recall a law school professor in my first year who informed us that we were a small minority of those who had applied. He indicated that we were not that different from each other intellectually, but that, alas, the law school would magnify those differences in the form of grades assigned.
So it is with many of the problems we face. No longer are people starving; no longer are people relegated to "separate but equal" public accommodations. Thus, we are forced to magnify small problems in order to attach some heroic significance to our attempts to solve them.
What we ought to do is kick back, open a beer and say, "Thank God, I live here, instead of one of the legion of cesspits on the planet.
For over two centuries America has fashioned for itself quite a successful enterprise. But in so doing, the average American has become resistant to tragedy, to real adversity. It is somewhat reminiscent of the age of antibiotics, where science has very successfully rid our population of some nasty critters, bugs that killed the average American and contributed to an average life expectancy well under what it is today. Unfortunately, as we have advanced with this scientific protection, our bodies have actually become more vulnerable, not less. We have become resistant in many cases to the beneficial effects of antibiotic treatments because of their over use. This resistence is particularly worrisome, because Uber-bugs can and I think will, have a devestating effect on the physical health of our population at some point in our future.
We can only hope that our system of government, the very thing that has provided the backdrop for so much prosperity, the very thing that has allowed this body to develop into everything strong and desirable, continues to be effective in the face of ever emergent Uber-bugs of the political variety.
3 comments:
I recall a law school professor in my first year who informed us that we were a small minority of those who had applied. He indicated that we were not that different from each other intellectually, but that, alas, the law school would magnify those differences in the form of grades assigned.
So it is with many of the problems we face. No longer are people starving; no longer are people relegated to "separate but equal" public accommodations. Thus, we are forced to magnify small problems in order to attach some heroic significance to our attempts to solve them.
What we ought to do is kick back, open a beer and say, "Thank God, I live here, instead of one of the legion of cesspits on the planet.
Cheers.
Randall,
Thanks for this: "... we are forced to magnify small problem in order to attach some heroic significance in our attempts to solve them."
Blessings,
Gnade
Bill,
For over two centuries America has fashioned for itself quite a successful enterprise. But in so doing, the average American has become resistant to tragedy, to real adversity. It is somewhat reminiscent of the age of antibiotics, where science has very successfully rid our population of some nasty critters, bugs that killed the average American and contributed to an average life expectancy well under what it is today. Unfortunately, as we have advanced with this scientific protection, our bodies have actually become more vulnerable, not less. We have become resistant in many cases to the beneficial effects of antibiotic treatments because of their over use. This resistence is particularly worrisome, because Uber-bugs can and I think will, have a devestating effect on the physical health of our population at some point in our future.
We can only hope that our system of government, the very thing that has provided the backdrop for so much prosperity, the very thing that has allowed this body to develop into everything strong and desirable, continues to be effective in the face of ever emergent Uber-bugs of the political variety.
I wish you a happy and blessed New Year.
Chris
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