March 12, 2003

The Ungrateful

I have tried to think of something to say about the mindless and counterproductive destruction of a memorial to 9/11 that occurred recently. But I couldn't find any word so I went quote hunting. Here:

You may rest upon this as an unfailing truth, that there neither is, nor never was, any person remarkably ungrateful, who was not also insufferably proud. In a word, ingratitude is too base to return a kindness, too proud to regard it, much like the tops of mountains, barren indeed, but yet lofty; they produce nothing; they feed nobody; they clothe nobody; yet are high and stately, and look down upon all the world. -- South.

The ones who did this are the sort of people who became collaborators and traitors in other wars. Raised only to think of themselves and their own comfort, they worship nothing but chaos. Let it have them.

(Reference: Scott Chaffin.)

Posted by Andrea Harris at March 12, 2003 01:37 AM
Comments

Thomas Sowell's theory that the Left cannot back down from its positions because that would destroy its posture and conviction of inherent moral superiority appears ever more accurate -- and ever more ironic. His book The Vision Of The Anointed, which explores this concept in depth, is superb.

Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at March 12, 2003 at 08:59 AM

You point out the importance of the emotion of gratitude. It seems to me that much of our educational system is devoted to destroying any capacity to feel that emotion, together with the closely-related emotion of admiration. Want to feel gratitude to the Founding Fathers? Naah...just dead white males. Want to admire a symphony, a literary work or a painting? You will be told that it is merely an encoding of power relationships (or worse--one college teaches a course suggesting the Beethoven's Ninth Symphony "models the processes of rape.") Do you feel a sense of admiration and gratitude for men who fought in WWII? It was really just about machismo and testosterone, and the preservation of the patriarchical system.

What emerges from this process, of course, is a smug, self-satisfied individual who feels no sense of responsibility because there is (in his worldview) nothing worthy of him.

Posted by: David Foster at March 12, 2003 at 04:53 PM