Monday, July 19, 2010

The Emperor Has No Clothes

We here in RFW land have often wondered, considered, and debated over many an adult beverage why we elect men we see in our own likeness to carry out the policies that we support, and are so frequently disappointed. We also wonder why for each of the Bushes or Trent Lotts or Nixons that the Republican party we get a Mr. Newt, a Condi Rice, or a Ronald Reagan.

What is it that separates the true believers from those too easily swung to the "moderate" or left-wing side. I long argued that the fetid swamp that was Washington D.C. (in the past considered a hardship post for foreign diplomats due to the risk of malaria) has changed little, and that these wannabe conservative leaders "grew in office" to become the progressive abiding moderates they pretended not to be.

I have never been one to consider "class" not in the birth sense, which we as Americans discarded like so much unwanted baggage during our Revolution, or in the economic sense. After all, one can rise in fall in class in this country without needing to pass GO or collect $200 (depending on which welfare state you live in).

However, there was a nagging 'something' at the back of my mind regarding those who did advance, although not presumably by merit. Those whose success seemed to be ephemeral, the result of admission to the right clubs and right schools and most importantly, saying the right things.

This link answers some of those questions. I admit to having some interest in the matter. As an undergrad, I worked with Dr. Codevilla, and to be honest he is one of the few men I ever met who I know is smarter than me.

http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/americas-ruling-class-and-the/

I note with no small amount of respect that Dr. Codevilla will likely never get a posh job at a Ivy League school (not that I think he ever desired such, he's always been too tough a grader for such institutions) but that is a courageous stand to take in his line of work.

Well, perhaps we have answered why B. H. Obama has no clothes (nor do any of his top officials as far as one can tell). What to do about it?

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