By Francisco Gonzalez, JMI Development Director
In the pro-liberty movement, there are many people, involved in many ways – as activists, financial contributors, intellectuals, candidates, elected officials, parents, teachers, and young adults.When I see a good article or book – something worth reading – I think it’s important to pass it on. After all, ideas have consequences. Without Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” perhaps the American Revolution would not have been given the intellectual inspiration it needed.In that spirit, I want to strongly recommend an article by Angelo Codevilla titled “America’s Ruling Class — And the Perils of Revolution,” printed in the American Spectator. You may have encountered this article already, as it’s been circulating around for several months, but I finally finished it–22 pages when you print it out.I think it’s the best article I’ve read all year–it has completely reframed how I think about politics and what’s at stake. I’ve also noticed this article starting to affect the discourse among various groups who have read it. So, if you haven’t read it yet, it’s completely worth your time–even for those of us with a busy schedule.A few snippets to whet your appetite:
“What really distinguishes these privileged people demographically is that, whether in government power directly or as officers in companies, their careers and fortunes depend on government.”
“Like a fraternity, this class requires above all comity — being in with the right people.”
“…our ruling class recruits and renews itself not through meritocracy but rather by taking into itself people whose most prominent feature is their commitment to fit in.”
“Its principal article of faith, its claim to the right to decide for others, is precisely that it knows things and operates by standards beyond others’ comprehension.”
“In sum, our ruling class does not like the rest of America. Most of all does it dislike that so many Americans think America is substantially different from the rest of the world and like it that way.”
The article then concludes by distinguishing the “Country Class” as the opposite of the articulated ruling class, outlining the current clash between these two groups, and offering some solutions for how the country class can overcome impositions the ruling class has placed on the rest of the country–an imposition that has gone on long enough.Viva la revolucion!
2010
