stupidity

Bertrand Russell: On Population and Marriage

“What is regrettable at present is not the decline of the birthrate in itself, but the fact that the decline is greatest in the best elements of the population.”

As many quip-we are living in an idiocracy. The worst “elements” have taken the reins of the great machine and are driving it into its final and fiery finish, and to what end? They themselves are not aware perhaps, of the consequences of their actions if for no other reason than the idiocy that they worship.

The world, then, will not be brought down by satan or a cruel god, but by the lack of intelligence and wit. But who are “we” that are not unconsciously burdened by stupidity and consciously fighting such perspicuous lack of intelligence?

“We” are those that recalculate our brains from entertainment and information to rationality and wisdom. “We” are those that read and write rather than watch and react. And alas we will become rare and in the end extinct, barreled over by the mass overwhelm of blank stares and empty minds.

Pride

It was strange to watch a traffic accident.  Everything seemed to slow down.  It was the same with the slow death of our country.  It started with a quiet ritual, a pageantry of sorts, as if nothing had changed.  But it had changed and everyone knew it.

Those that supported this change radiated with spite and revenge in their eyes, or with subtle hope-for-what-I-can’t-comprehend.  Others saw the coming change as one might watch a large asteroid hurdling towards earth: with awe and disbelief; aware that something had not started as much as it has ended.

There was a desire to protect just as there was a desire to explain to the blind what color was or to the deaf what music was.  And so we stood back and hoped there was something left when the atrocity was over, which it always and inevitably would be.  But we all knew one thing:  Human idiocy was only overshadowed by the pride we had in being so.