Published 12/7/08

 

"America doesn't take note

of an idea's originality, only its profitability"

 

While re-reading portions of Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy In America,” I came across the following observation which reminded me of the way in which dissident voices are often treated in America:

 

“In America the majority has enclosed thought within a formidable fence.  A writer is free inside that area, but woe to the man who goes beyond it.  Not that he stands in fear of an AUTO-DA-FE, but he must face all kinds of unpleasantness and everyday persecution.  A career in politics is closed to him, for he has offended the only power that holds the keys.  He is denied everything, including renown.  Before he goes into print, he believes he has supporters; but he feels that he has them no more once he stands revealed to all, for those who condemn him express their views loudly, while those who think as he does, but without his courage, retreat into silence as if ashamed of having told the truth.  Formerly, tyranny used the clumsy weapons of chains and hangmen; nowadays even despotism, though it seemed to have nothing more to learn, has been perfected by civilization.”

 

Truly independent minds, I believe, operate outside of general society, since that entity, to paraphrase Thoreau, consists mainly of people attempting to imitate each other – “I feel that the public demand an average man – average thoughts and manners – not originality, nor even absolute excellence.  You cannot interest them except as you are like them and sympathize with them.”

 

Except for new ideas for making money, America seems impoverished in its thinking.  If you consider the standard fare on television, and even in our periodicals and many of our books, the content is designed for one purpose – to SELL something.

 

Such tactics ultimately tend toward the lowest common denominator.

 

And so then, does society’s thinking.