Free Republic

(This cover of the eminent Economist says it all.) The resounding victory of N.J. Governor Chris Christie has people speculating about the 2016 presidential race, particularly on the Republican side, since it’s a given among pols and pundits that Hillary Clinton’s nomination for the Democrats is a foregone conclusion (it isn’t, but that’s another discussion). The ObamaCare debacle and the foreign policy crises resulting from the President’s weakening of American power will be in the forefront. So will the economy. And it’s in this area that candidates must exhibit an understanding that has dangerously eluded too many policymakers and...

Scientists spend a lot of time studying intelligence, and arguing over how it can be measured. They should invest more effort in studying stupidity. Intelligence is largely potential and theoretical, but stupidity is practical. As a great philosopher once explained to her son, “Stupid is as stupid does.” The key ingredient in applied stupidity is lack of effort. Intelligence without effort is a high-performance engine without fuel. Very smart people can do incredibly stupid things, usually because they weren’t paying attention. I have been in the room when this happened on numerous occasions. Every teacher in the land has melancholy...