What led to the current trend in American popular culture of seeing ignorance as "cool"? Here's a theory:

"As I see it, radical egalitarianism fostered the view every opinion is valid. Even suggesting some opinions are stupid is to invite a charge of being elitist, a searing condemnation. Opinions are not dumb; they are simply different. In fact, the word "dumb" has entered a condition of desuetude."

Read the whole thing, as they say. I'm inclined to agree with this diagnosis, as a dire side effect in the struggle against unearned advantage we've unintentionally subsidized lack of intellect.

Really there's no problem with elitism by itself, it depends on what area it's attached to. Consider it this way: is an elitist who generally keeps to themself in the private sector really worth much concern when compared to a populist with a high position in government? The thing to be worried about is not whether someone feels they have traits that hold them in higher status in comparison, but whether or not they have the capacity & desire to use force to "prove" it -- this is the difference between someone offering themselves as an example and them oferring you & me as human sacrifice. If anything, we need to re-embrace the idea of people admitting their positives like they used to, it's not like we're obliged to recognize them.

Another one soon to make their escape:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Stephen Friedman, one of the President Bush's top economic advisers, is leaving the White House to return to the private sector in New York, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

Friedman, who served as the behind-the-scenes coordinator for the administration's economic policies, is to leave by the end of the year. There is no imminent announcement on his replacement, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Now, it's normal for some people to not want to stick around for the second term, but when it's as many as we've seen you start to wonder. Maybe they're seeing something on the horizon that we won't understand until it gets here, and this is a logical response to it to keep their names out of that section of the history books?

Anyone with any thoughts as to what could drive out administration members like that, feel free to comment.