Friday 16 February 2024
Academic mercenaries
Still relevant 97 years later –
“No doubt you’ll think it rather ridiculous of me,” he said at last, “but there was a time when I wanted to become a leader. I thought it would be a splendid thing to educate the world. I felt that if I succeeded in clearing up only a few universal lies I should be accomplishing a great deal, but on my first attempt I found that all the roads to knowledge were already securely held by an established army of educators — academic mercenaries. There was no way of getting at the people. Even when you broke through the lines, the lies still surrounded the non-combatants like a picket fence. The people hid behind the lies and steadfastly refused to be disillusioned. They are doing it to-day.”
Thorne Smith – Dream’s End (1927)
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5 comments:
It's far easier today, though. The internet allows us to seek out like-minded people. There's no need to be a leader; just a contributor to the things that elevate the good, and which frustrate and demoralise the bad. Even liking a few tweets on Twitter will get the algorithm sorting out some like-minded recommendations, and a cheery word about the idiocy of the local council may give strength to some despairing victim.
Is it only us, that can see them?
Sam - yes and it's intriguing to wonder what effect the internet may be having even if it isn't yet visible. My impression is the people are quite cynical about government and it wouldn't take much for something to emerge which the establishment didn't expect. Brexit for example. Of course Starmer isn't that something and could be the worst yet.
Tammly - possibly not, but people don't necessarily talk about such things.
But it was better dross in those days, eh? Yes, Minister. Dad's Army. Monty P. Fawlty Towers. And we got cricket!!!!!
There was a wonderful Shakespeare Histories series when I was a schoolboy and I, Claudius.
In our early years of Primary School there was only one boy who had telly at home. His mother was very generous with the tea and biscuits when several of us would show up to watch something or other.
dearieme - there is some of it where I'd have missed out such as Yes, Minister, Monty P. and Fawlty Towers. Tony Hancock too, but looking back I watched far too much dross which did little more than pass the time, particularly game shows and panel games.
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