Trickle Them Down, But Not Out
The thing about smart people is that they should know better, but alas, intelligence is not the same as wisdom. Not only do the mistakes of experts too short on vision—when they are not corrected—have the potential to do great and far-reaching damage, but they also undermine public confidence in the very notion of expertise. This is particularly so when expertise is wielded in defence of the rich and powerful as a cudgel against those laid low. As an academic, this lack of faith in “so-called experts” is painful to see as it plays out in the spread of dis-/misinformation, conspiracy theories, and anti-intellectualism writ large. But it is also an understandable impulse given the catastrophic failure of an economic ideology pushed by certain economic experts. Supply-side economics has shaped a broken system for the last half-century and has arguably done more to undermine the fabric of the American Dream than any policy framework of the past century.
Comments (4)
ah, my mind just lights up, reading this! well done
One of my earliest memories was losing power after a bad ice storm, and hunkering down with blankets and candles. I dig this short little poem. Feels cozy, and reminds me that when the superficialities of our modern world are stripped away, life paradoxically feels a lot fuller.
Nice!
Oh no, I hate when that happens at night and in the cold. Great haiku, Natasha!