The Schmuck-tacular Folderol Of Brooks

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by Smitty

Via Hot Air headlines, David Brooks continues to terrify rational people with the thought that this twerp is somehow a thought leader in our society:

Low idealism begins with a sturdy and accurate view of human nature. We’re all a bit self-centered, self-interested and inclined to think we are nobler than we are. Montaigne wrote, “If others examined themselves attentively, as I do, they would find themselves, as I do, full of inanity and nonsense. Get rid of it I cannot without getting rid of myself.”

This invites the question of how Brooks got his drivel back in time to afflict Montaigne. Humans are overwhelming the scorpion in the tale of the hapless frog. That so many human frogs like to vote for scorpions can be seen as the passive aggression of Socialism bulldozing everything toward the mean.

Low idealism continues with a realistic view of politics. Politics is slow drilling through hard boards. It is a series of messy compromises. The core functions of government are negative — putting out fires, arresting criminals, settling disputes — and much of what government does is the unromantic work of preventing bad situations from getting worse.

Let’s be clear, Brooks: our homo bureaucratus infestation has metastasized into something worse, starting fires, employing criminals, engendering disputes. When Rahm said “You never let a serious crisis go to waste“, you’re a fool if you don’t think him perfectly capable of fomenting such.

Politicians operate in a recalcitrant medium with incomplete information, bad options and no sleep. Government in good times is merely dull; when it is enthralling, times are usually bad.

Hence the counter-Progressive idea that less government is preferable. Scope creep in the last century of our government has all of the appeal of scope creep in a software project. Except that, while Lois Lerner’s email can vanish in a puff of cyber-smoke, Lois and her ilk will continue to acquire and wield more administrative power until they are stopped. It’s their nature. Like the scorpion.

So low idealism starts with a tone of sympathy. Anybody who works in this realm deserves compassion and gentle regard.

Anybody who actually thinks that is a fool. Government is not parental in nature, and citizens are not children. Despite the efforts of Progress to paralyze our society with pap like your writings, Brooks.

The low idealist knows that rallies with anthems and roaring are just make-believe, but has warm affection for any politician who exhibits neighborliness, courtesy and the ability to listen.

No, Brooks: politicians are not the kindly figures you’re trying to sell here. I’m sure they put on a smile and toss out a Buckley quote for you when they pat you on the head. Nice Bobo, nice. You fling such pleasant poo in your column, Bobo. How is your ObamaCare policy doing, by the way?

The low idealist understands that those who try to rise above the messy business of deal-making often turn into zealots and wind up sinking below it. On the other hand, this kind of idealist has a full heart for those who serve the practical work of legislating: James Baker and Ted Kennedy in the old days; Bob Corker and Ron Wyden today. Believing experience is the best mode of education, he favors the competent old hand to the naïve outsider.

Aren’t you just a well-trained Bobo? That competent old hand feels good when it pats your head, no?
What we need is term limits and more frequent turnover. Ted Kennedy was not a sympathetic character. We need simpler systems that can be readily understood by competent outsiders. As Will Rogers put it:

Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.

Bobo, your lust for aristocracy is unbecoming an American. But so is pretty much everything you write. We all need to be our own statesmen, to our maximal ability. Govern ourselves, and quit thinking we can offload the need to grow up onto the state. The disastrous results of that surround you.

26 comments

  2. We’d have better results by filling bureaucratic jobs with a lottery system, limiting the jobs to a short term, a couple of yearsand making it a once in a lifetime proposition, no pension, minimal salary, no perks.

  3. ““If others examined themselves attentively, as I do, they would find themselves, as I do, full of inanity and nonsense. Get rid of it I cannot without getting rid of myself.”

  4. Either Brooks is a Democrat mole pretending to be a “conservative” or a complete utter sell out (basically a faux-conservative foil like Nicole Wallace is on the View). Either way, there is no reason to trust or listen to him.

  11. Yes, take it! You’re a cow, stampede upside his head. He doesn’t use it anyway, and won’t miss it. He may not even notice that you even did it, except for the headache.

  12. I’ve said that many times. If your responsibility involves spending other people’s money rather than making it, everyone would be better off with a short-term random bureaucrat than a career one.

  13. I wouldn’t even have read this at all, except that I knew I could count on Smitty for some nice Brooks-bashing.

    Then I got to the quote about Ted Kennedy, and my brain exploded (as it does everytime somebody mentions him in a positive light). Now I’ve gotta go wipe the chunks of grey matter off the walls.

  17. Hahahahaha! This is brain explosion in a bad way, when somebody mentions Ted Kenne….oh, crap, there it goes again.

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  25. Brooks has been engaged in selling the rope with which to hang himself for nigh on half a century now. And so overweeningly proud of it!

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