Dakota Beacon

Our President views himself as smarter, wiser, and more well-intentioned than the vast majority of Americans. It was a sight to behold as Barack Obama--before and after the Midterm Election--repeatedly pontificated to audiences of all sizes, audiences which shared one main characteristic: They too are smarter, wiser, more well-intentioned than the vast majority of Americans. Such is the "progressive" echo-chamber.

In a recent Wall Street Journal commentary, author Michael Burleigh called to mind novelist Laurence Sterne's observation that classical philosophers shared a common trait, in that when they gathered together, "Every man [left] the room with a better Opinion of his own Talents than when he entered."

The haughty crowd that Sterne had in mind included eighteenth-century minds like Diderot, Hume, and Rousseau. While Obama imagines himself in the company of major thinkers--as do slobbering "intellectuals" in today's media--both the President and his media groupies are mistaken.

Yet Mr. Obama really does believe that he has initiated a wondrous time in America. He believes that we, the clingers to guns and religion, are just far too simple to grasp the gift of human progress that he and his nanny government have bestowed on us.

The Rousseaus, Shellys, and Tolstoys lived out-of-control lives characterized by moral and sexual degeneracy. But each man possessed a world class mind. Obama pretends to the trappings of brilliance, with none of the actual brilliance. But Obama does share the classical philosophers' penchant for dishonesty. Obama lies. Repeatedly. And about the most important things.

Maybe our President-Philosopher hasn't yet hit his stride. Perhaps the brilliance is yet to come.

Not in this reality.

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© 2010 Chuck Rogér