DR. Janet Yellen, Yale University, Ph.D. in Economics, 1971, expertise in macroeconomics and the mechanisms of unemployment, Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Chair to the Economic Policy Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and now chair of the Federal Reserve-first female head in the central bank's 100-year history. I think she qualifies for 'unabashed idolatry'.
I don't have any problem - yet! However, alas for the poor lady, the fact that she comes with the imprimatur of a socialist government sets off all my warning bells. Still, you never know what you've got until they've been in the job for a while, so we shall see!
Early this morning, my daughter sent me a text message: “Dad, it’s minus ten degrees here!”
Later in the day, I forwarded my daughter’s text message to my girlfriend who teaches school. Her reply: “Parents sent their kids to school today with no jackets and only shirt sleeve shirts.”
“Incubators for colds and flu, where are their parents?” I asked.
Then it dawned on me. This exchange captures everything I know about our culture and political life where roles are reversed, and adults act like children – adults too stuck on themselves to act as responsible role models.
During my parenthood years, I tried to teach my children the relationship between responsibility and freedom. Parents reward good behavior with trust - and punish misconduct with more supervision. A reasonable proposition for raising children, I thought. Yet, ours has become a society that fails to practice this relationship. Every public controversy, every perceived loss of freedom (whether imagined or real) represents a failure of adult responsibility.
Then I read chuckle-headed comments from the Duff Dynasty who thinks LED light bulbs, the Fed, and government regulations represent some infringement upon his precious freedumb [misspelling intentional]. He calls us names and calls us ‘sohshillist;’ but never stops to think that the reason why we have mandates and regulations is because we have people like him who refuse to act as responsible adults.
Duff Dynasty seems to equate freedom with excess and excess with freedom, fails to appreciate the virtues of citizenship, and covets freedom but spurns responsibility. With each passing year, right-wingers such as him drive all standards of civility, community and accountability further into the wilderness. National conversations turn fractious and fragmented. The high ideals of secular democracy no longer bind us together. The chuckle headedness within our midst reflects the accelerated grimace of a culture gone totally chuckle headed.
Thanks, Mr. Duff. I’m sure your contributions to civilization and polite society will be long remembered [not].
ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. And neither will racist,homophobic, or misogynistic comments. I do not mind if you disagree, but make your case in a decent manner.
I would suggest you follow the advice in a quote used by one of your very greatest presidents, "Stick around, kid, you ain't seen nuttin' yet!"
ReplyDeleteOr if you prefer something a little more highbrow then remember your Shakespeare:
"hence shall we see, If power change purpose, what our seemers be".
Ted, you really must try and shake off this incipient idolatry with which you suffer!
Exactly how is congratulating the first woman to hold this post an "incipient idolatry"? What is your problem with Janet Yellen?
ReplyDeleteDR. Janet Yellen, Yale University, Ph.D. in Economics, 1971, expertise in macroeconomics and the mechanisms of unemployment, Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Chair to the Economic Policy Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and now chair of the Federal Reserve-first female head in the central bank's 100-year history. I think she qualifies for 'unabashed idolatry'.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any problem - yet! However, alas for the poor lady, the fact that she comes with the imprimatur of a socialist government sets off all my warning bells. Still, you never know what you've got until they've been in the job for a while, so we shall see!
ReplyDeleteSocialist government? You have to be kidding! I wish it was, but the truth is that President Obama is the very definition of a moderate corporatist.
DeleteEarly this morning, my daughter sent me a text message: “Dad, it’s minus ten degrees here!”
ReplyDeleteLater in the day, I forwarded my daughter’s text message to my girlfriend who teaches school. Her reply: “Parents sent their kids to school today with no jackets and only shirt sleeve shirts.”
“Incubators for colds and flu, where are their parents?” I asked.
Then it dawned on me. This exchange captures everything I know about our culture and political life where roles are reversed, and adults act like children – adults too stuck on themselves to act as responsible role models.
During my parenthood years, I tried to teach my children the relationship between responsibility and freedom. Parents reward good behavior with trust - and punish misconduct with more supervision. A reasonable proposition for raising children, I thought. Yet, ours has become a society that fails to practice this relationship. Every public controversy, every perceived loss of freedom (whether imagined or real) represents a failure of adult responsibility.
Then I read chuckle-headed comments from the Duff Dynasty who thinks LED light bulbs, the Fed, and government regulations represent some infringement upon his precious freedumb [misspelling intentional]. He calls us names and calls us ‘sohshillist;’ but never stops to think that the reason why we have mandates and regulations is because we have people like him who refuse to act as responsible adults.
Duff Dynasty seems to equate freedom with excess and excess with freedom, fails to appreciate the virtues of citizenship, and covets freedom but spurns responsibility. With each passing year, right-wingers such as him drive all standards of civility, community and accountability further into the wilderness. National conversations turn fractious and fragmented. The high ideals of secular democracy no longer bind us together. The chuckle headedness within our midst reflects the accelerated grimace of a culture gone totally chuckle headed.
Thanks, Mr. Duff. I’m sure your contributions to civilization and polite society will be long remembered [not].