1.  The example in political life.  What if an unknown, who appears to have the undeveloped analytical skills and interest, and less articulate expressive abilities, of many voters, gets a big vote.  


Is that not perfectly appropriate: that voters at different skills levels and interests, have someone who knows them serve them.


We are thinking of Alvin Greene, the South Carolina political unknown, disgruntled at events and absence of events in his life (as all of us, probably), and a college graduate, see ://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/10/AR2010061002499.html, the sudden Democratic candidate for Senate.  He has not been a shining light in economic life, or in the military, and seems to have no second sight, is not a visionary.

But he has uncanny wits, if he indeed acted on his own to get on the ballot; and if, in turn, voters were
a) bona fide working within an election system that allows crossover-party voting between parties in the primary, and allows voting whether or not the voter is informed, not informed or misinformed; and
b) not doing trick-voting,  to skew its results.

Alvin Greene did what our system should applaud: work within the process for his ideals, to right perceived wrongs, instead of just kvetching, and on his own. Is that so.  What if he indeed wins the election?  That may be the best thing going.

2.  The issue.  The Established get noses out of joint when elites aren't automatically In.

Whither elite supremacism? Why the fuss, except for the obvious, that vested interests may be left behind if candidates really of the people actually get voting power in government. Why didn't we take this seriously! Why didn't we vet! Imagine the heel-of-hand slaps to some South Carolina foreheads.

The issue is more interesting than that.  Greene's success highlights the role of a whole belief system that supports elites in decision-making. Funnels them to the fore. Is there a way to counter elite supremacism, or do they have too much money to control the spin.

What do elites really have to offer, except self-perpetuation, we should ask.


The original great mind or estate founder may have been brilliant, had a vision, could implement it, but how about the kids or the kids of the kids. Elite also, and we put them there; but as talented? Any more deserving except for the man-made laws of inheritance. See America Builds an Aristocracy, at ://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/opinion/12madoff.html/  Elites join forces so easily, for profit. Andrew Carnegie had an answer to elitism - voluntary divestment of property before death, no reliance on inheritance, but that in an era of no income taxes; see the footnote at Unified Media Ownership (and the skewing of facts).

3.  Our property and institution belief system. Can we think of other ways to meet a common good?

Or are we so into Ayn Rand that there is no respect for common good. Is that the real debate. Property and institution-protecting laws are there because they are meritorious, promote the best in human society. Is that so? Capitalism and profits. Pass the plate.

Politics is as much a matter of belief systems as is religion. Ayn Rand presents a belief system. So does the NAACP (Alvin Greene is scheduled to speak at their convention, see ://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071204471.html, the AARP, the Y and all other groups.

Is this so:  Each sets roles for people, institutions like hierarachies and measurements and criteria for inclusion and exclusion.  Our belief systems put into slots different kinds of people and their beliefs, the mainstream and the intellectually unenhanced, who is considered elite and a decision-maker, who is non-elite. Elite win. End of story. From churches to politics, the role of some defined out, like women in some churches and minorities in politics;  has been shunted aside, to the detriment of the culture.Knock knock.  They're past the door already, and that is a good thing.  Institutions and political and religious dogma have not been friendly to outsiders.

If you have money, you deserve it. If your past life lacked a certain decorum, the image-makers will re-do you. Elect them anyway. Too much image-making. What really counts. Not the gender, should not be the bank account, but it is, but the way the person relates to issues. Solve a larger problem, or get re-elected. Traditional huffy rules and decorum are over-rated.  Look how stiff they look being critical on TV.  Having no fun in life.

Put others in.


3.1  The unschooled, or those who did not excel academically, may have better answers. 

The intuitions of the non-intellectual may be on target. They may be less cluttered with packaged reactions. If the issue is lack of expertise, an information base, framing approaches, alternatives, offer them advisors, as everybody else has, and what's to lose. Scott Brown has schooling, for example, but was no shining light on judgment calls, where is that calendar.  He did have a flair for trucking.  He has hardly an original thought in his head any more, though, that he will speak up about before taking several days with his Advisors. Wise. When people speak up spontaneously, they get in trouble, is that so. Once elected, all you have to do is vote. Get your advisors to tell you what to do. And having someone like that may end up bridging gaps that otherwise would widen. He is framing himself as an independent thinker in some ways.  Fair enough.

Alvin Greene.  He has schooling also, and he paid his filing fee and get his name on the ballot, and he won the primary for the democratic ticket, Senator for South Carolina.  Inadvertent on the part of voters, fluke, whatever.  He is there.  What has he to offer now that he is there?  Should we simply enjoy the ride, and trust the process, and help him be what he wants to be:  someone who rights wrongs, especially those where he has been on the receiving end, as he believes.  So do we.  How are we different in assessing our lives?  O, Invisible Hand, Lead Me On.

3.2  What does the culture say about persons out of the intellectual-elite mainstream.

a.  Hollywood.  Nonintellectuals are okay if they are cute. 

We receive these, especially when they are white, as Warm and Fuzzy.

Forrest Gump, with intellectual disabilities, and physical disabilities early on,  was received by the public warmly as he went into the Army and made money shrimping and getting the wonderful girl, but he never challenged the real power structure.  He was an anomaly, said the folks, no human bad acts, just a good, well--meaning individual who had wits on his own terms.

The Rain Man.  Endearing. Interesting, but functioning differently. Still, much to contribute to those who took the time to get beyond the tics.

Special Olympics:  Congratulations for what they do not do, as well as what they do.  They do not rely on the cute in funding needs of the intellectually disabled.  Pictures and photos are of real people, real life.  They go beyond the more obvious athletic programs, to include civic interest, health, skills in public speaking, world-citizenship. It represents going out of the box, out of the intellectual, educational-elite mainstream to show value in places otherwise shunted.

Scott Brown relied on Optics, not content, to get In.  Time for all of us to cut through Optics Manipulations. He may do well, but the point here is that the belief system in What You See: If It's Entertaining, Grabs You, It Must Be Right.

Alvin Greene.  He does not get far here.  He does not get out of the box of a lack-luster appearing person easily; he probably would not be defined culturally as cute, or charismatic, ready for the Big Screen, and he has no long record of public service. Can we get beyond the tics, as we could with the Rain Man. Find the core.  Who knows. He does not have a leg up in this area, however. No flair for trucking, the photo op, the OPTICS. Has to find another way.

b.  Politics.  Nonintellectuals are okay if they are smart about hiding their smarts.  Otherwise, ridicule and dismiss the loose cannon.

The myth says that answers come from the elite, the connected.  We want to know what they think, now, and forever, and don't dare reassess and change your mind.  Too much money out there to go to just anyone. Anti-intellectualism can get votes. So people can and will tout and stage their non-intellectualism, act out a persona in their little trucks, and be very smart in doing that. The living inconsistency.

Alvin Greene:  He lays himself out.  He may be a puzzle, but he does not appear, at least, to be devious.  So he, because his very success at what he had the intelligence to try, appears to be an affront to the system that worships itself.  How dare he go out on his own, beyond the regulars.

But he did.  And people voted.  If they did not know the person they voted for, that is a symptom of the system, and the systemic educational lacks of the electorate, and the voters' problem if they have regrets.  No problem for Alvin Greene.  Get broadband into every home, and a computer, and the opportunity to vet and fact-check, and watch Fox run.

3.  Myth and role.  Archetype in Culture. Take with a grain of salt.

The recurrent myth and tale type, the fey, the fay, those with second sight, who receive memes and disseminate ideas without direct contact, who "know" -- they are in every culture, probably.  What if one of those gets elected?  Safe enough.  The fey offer their insights with an "out". Oracles always were ambiguous.

We make little room for even the oracle in our culture, however. We prefer data to knowing.

What is the place of the fey in an economic-profiteering culture, one that devalues anything that does not produce money to the proponent personally or to his or her corporation, now considered a mouthless  disembodied person and to be worshipped like Baal, see our own Supremes bowing in obeisance. We prefer the octopus who picks sports winners.

3.1   The Fey. 

Other cultures assign a valid role to the fey, the fay, the ones who cut through the societal pretzel and actually highlight truths.

Fey. Make room at the table. There is a mix of meanings, from fey as in faerie or magical; to fay as in fated; destined for something, has to go that way.  Or fey as simply not all there.  Here is a magic well with its rag-tree in Ireland.  Make your wish, say your prayer to the spirits, tie your hankie or piece of cloth to a branch.  Look closely.






"Not all there":  We have many ways of saying that someone is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, or absent some hinges.  Attributes are lacking that we think comprise a fully intellectually/physically formed and independently functioning human being, see ://www.thefreedictionary.com/fey

If you meet the fey, ask what the person sees. How does fey perception inform the concrete? When is slightly fey faked.  Who is being faked out. Alvin? Or not. Military awards? Those do not go to the fey. Do they?

3.2.  Multiple Intelligences

What other thinking processes, other than the multiple choice, produce solutions, insights. See Howard Gardner's ideas about the varieties of intelligence, not just those that glow at answering multiple choices,  at  ://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm/

For example, how to foster multiple intelligenes. Do we really learn most effectively, reach out to new horizons most creatively, when we are having fun at it.  This is not a new idea.  See the 18th Century Czech Teacher of Nations, Jan Comenski, at Jan Komenski.  Spellings vary over centuries, and with linguistic roots and alphabets applied, so do a general search on your own.

3.3.  The Fated

Cassandra.  How many others, do your own searches, have predicted, seen things, and noone believed.  People went to Delphi to get predictions, and got gassy ladies inhaling sulphurous fumes telling them what to do.

Fate. Fates. Karma. Genes. What. Was Pandora fated to open the box and let all the evils out, and only shut the lid in time for hope to remain.  Was McCain fated to open another Pandora's box, What rudes-and-means will get out to get us, before that lid is shut. Watch what is let loose.

4.  Back to Alvin M. Greene

The Democrats in that State and nationally should rally around on principle.  The opponent is unacceptable, so why not assist with Advisors, and see what Populism can offer. The big tent.

What  Alvin Greene has said he wants to work for, that is any different from an ideal American goal.  Fair play, recognition for those who earn it, jobs, healthcare.  Go, Alvin. Scott Brown takes no position without days with advisors; why not give Alvin Greene the Advisors as well.

Give him a choice of Advisors, and he, like others with barely wits to get along except a fine face and body and truck and the rudeness to shout out at whoever they like, may do fine.  We accept the boors, as part of gaming the system.

Alvin, folks should rally here and give what assistance you decide you need.  Many of us would rather elect a poor him or her than a rich one.

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Nothing is worse than boors in Washington. You are a self-starter, with common sense, even with a patchwork record like many of us have in our own ways.

Did we think to put ourselves on a ballot to get the laws we want, to keep others from wrong? No,  Political positions require advisors, but in simply stepping forward, Alvin Greene did all of us smarty-pants one better.  He did it, and he put his money out there to do it, and he won. 

Go, Alvin.  Candidate South Carolina Senate.  There are worse behaviorally there already. Answers of the unschooled.  Attention must be paid. And if you are fake, that's America as well.