This is a blog post rendition of my 1-hr presentation at The 21 Convention in Austin, TX in August, right after I gave a 20-minute abbreviated version of same at the Ancestral Health Symposium, 2012, in Boston, at Harvard University School of Law.
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” — Isaac Asimov
In the last installment, Part 7, I did essentially what I did in Part 1 where I outlined the quality of Paleolithic knowledge; only in that case, it was the quality of Paleolithic social power. So here, I’ll juxtapose that to the quality of Neolithic social power, just as I juxtaposed quality Neolithic knowledge in Part 2. Make sense? Good. onward, then.
“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” — Winston Churchill
There you go: your 1 in 300 millionth say in your own affairs! Wowzers!
Compared to:
It doesn’t scale, folks. It simply doesn’t, never will. Moreover, because people are incentivized to not think—but to instead simply meander with the herd—you basically end up with a dumber and dumber herd of cattle.
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” — H. L. Mencken (Baltimore Evening Sun; July 26, 1920)
Nobody gets out of this alive.
In the next installment I’ll give you my comprehensive list of social solutions to this little dilemma.
~~~
- Part 1: The Quality of Paleolithic Knowledge
- Part 2: The Quality of Neolithic Knowledge
- Part 3: The Problem With Authority
- Part 4: Having One’s Cake and Eating It Too
- Part 5: The Real Hobgoblins
- Part 6: Democide
- Part 7: The Quality of Paleolithic Social Power
- Part 8: The Quality of Neolithic Social Power
- Part 9: Conclusion; How to Fix Everything
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Is your presentation from The 21 Convention uploaded anywhere yet?
No Sean P. the abeviated version at Ahs is up, blogged a few weeks ago.
I’ll check out the video in your previous comment.
My dad is a big fan of the judge. I just limit my consumption. Can you imagine how I’d be if I didn’t?
I was so raised to believe in America and the democratic process! I am 53 now and the scales (having come looser (more loose?) with each voting cycle) have finally fallen from my eyes. You are so right on this, and you make me laugh. Thanks!
Ever read Intellectuals and Society? I’d contend we are not anti-intellectual as much as overly intellectual. I say this using the term ‘intellectual’ as what is really means in the world now, rather than the implied meaning of an educated person who provides knowledge. That is the hope of intellectuals but not the general reality (although true intellectuals do exist) I’d be curious to know what you think, if you have read the book, etc. As I see it, the intellectuals, specifically the kind who are ‘policy makers’ who want to ‘better society’, seem to be the type of Neolithic parasite you disdain, Richard. The book contends that they are some of the most powerful forces that cause societal decay through influencing political and economic decision making.