Power and Responsibility

With great power goes great responsibility. From each, according to his ability, to each according to his need. Take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.

The question of the burden of/on the gifted arises again and again. Is it their lot to save the world? Must they do things that benefit those around them? Do they all have that urge? Is it inate, is it learned?

More to be added, but do not wait...

Perspectives on Politics

I am up in arms and enraged about discovering that Bush lied when he said nobody knew about the risk of the levees. I am aghast to discover that we have been weakening enforcement on the mining stuff. Afghan prisons. Spying and the NSA. Pick a topic, any topic...

Today's guest editorial is brought to you by dpolicar:

The naif and the cynic

An internalized conversation between the naif and the cynic in my head, occassioned by the recently released Katrina/Bush tape and the ensuing hubbub.

Naif: Hey! He lied! He said he didn't know about stuff, and he did!
Cynic: Yeah. No surprise there.
N: But... he lied about it! And people died, and suffered, and stuff!
C: Yeah. Again, no surprise.
N: Well, but there's proof now! He should get in trouble!
C: (shrug) Maybe. But he probably won't, since nobody with the power to get him into trouble really cares.
N: But... but that's not fair! Clinton got into trouble for lying about his sex life, for cryin' out loud! All the Republicans were going on and on about how awful that was! He got impeached for it! And that was just his sex life -- this is people dying!
C: (shrug) It's a different situation. Clinton's enemies had the power to get him into trouble, and chose to use it. Bush's enemies either don't, or won't.
N: But... you make it sound like politics is just a power-struggle, with ideals dragged in after-the-fact to justify selfish decisions! That's not right! Politics should be a struggle between ideals, with power used to implement the most compelling formulation of those ideals! Politicians should be serving our interests, not their own!
C: (nod) Yup, it should. And healthy food should taste better, and the smartest guys should be the most attractive. What's any of that got to do with the real world?
N: Oh, you're just a cynic. I don't wanna talk to you anymore.

Primarily, what I find interesting about this dialog now that I've written it down is how insufferably puerile it is. I am embarassed that these college freshmen still live in my head.
*****
Josh again:

And in mine. But I am not sure I am embarrassed.

What do you think of what his dialogue? Of his reaction to his dialogue?
Link to his post: http://dpolicar.livejournal.com/106860.html