The Night Before Jihad
Twas the night before jihad and all through the mosque
Not a terrorist was stirring not even Abu Al-Zarasq
The suicide belts were arranged neatly on the floor
The written fatwah from Imam was taped to the door
The mullahs were delighted with news on CNN
That the Democrats were repeating how Bush lied again
The Times and DNC continually sing our notes
Yet, when we take over we'll still slit their throats
An infidel so friendly we could not recall
But, Burkett, Sheehan & Wilson weren't working at all
The Stupid Cowboy they called him was still all the news
Kerry was our man but destined to lose
When outside our haven arose such a clatter
The GIs were upon us to settle the matter
Allah would reward us with our virgins tonight
Not as we planned but for us it was all right
From our glorious heaven we heard news that we like
The American press spoke of this US terrorist strike
On Murtha On Pelosi On Kennedy and Reid
The Democrat Stooges always say as we need
The infidel liberals don't learn from their past
Merry jihad to all and to all a good blast
What exactly are intellectuals functions? They, imho, have added very little to society, while harping on perceived inadequacies. Their natterings are usually foggy at best, and ultra lefty at worst. Imho.
Bloom's hero Emerson said that every hero becomes a bore at last, and that's especially true of intellectual heroes. But the thing about Bloom is -- he's not a typical anything. He's put a lot of energy into being original, and you have to at least give him that.
What's the use of intellectuals? I don't know how to answer the question, but if somebody has to ask it something's really wrong. Surely understanding the world, discussing its qualities, and reading books are things that are worthwhile and more than justified.
It might be interesting to look at the real history and family backgrounds of these self-designated elites. I have not looked at it in any depth, but it seems to me that the American intellectual elite is a two-tier system. At the top are the dilletantes of the "Eastern Establishment," their status based on freedom from work and the traditional snobbery of "old money."
The real rank and file, the masses who nurture this hierarcy, however, seem to come from a different background, what I have sometimes called the "hinterland elite." These are the privileged children of more localized elites, the "rich kids" from small and medium size towns in every part of the country. They are the ones who have the freedom to pursue academic fields in which the chances of actually making a living are low to remote. They are the drama and philosophy majors and the academic literature mavens who plague the existence of every working writer.
This kind of background will automatically produce a high degree of snobbery, reinforced in universities by previous generations of elitist dilletantes.
Some succeed. The best example I can think of is the son of a very prosperous but uneducated body-shop owner. The boy concentrated on drama, since he had a trust fund and did not have to worry about earning a living. He eventually became a typical hinterland intellectual, a local TV personality in a small market in Louisiana.
Because of their geographic origins, some of these hinterland elitists are themselves subjected to varying degrees of cultural snobbery, to which they respond with a desperate compulsion to join their tormentors. They become exquisite snobs themselves.
The only person I know who adheres to the near-racist notion that Americans are inherently stupid is the son of a local TV producer, fairly far up the local pecking order but not far enough to get real respect. He became an anthropologist, later a State Department officer, and is now a consultant to overseas businesses. He lives in Thailand and boasts that he will never again set foot in his hometown.
This is really about parochial snobs trying desperately to show that they are not really like the folks back home.