Zizzle-Zot Buys Macbook, Feels Quite Smug

I make it no secret that I consider myself an elitist. I like big books, foreign films, theater, museums, fine dining, and to top it off I’m somewhat of a beer snob (I have no time for people who choose to drink Budweiser). I live in the arts community of Northeast Minneapolis. I think pop culture is slowly but steadily killing us. I think well over half of Americans are too dumb to govern themselves (scary, considering they make a majority), which is why I’m thankful we’re a constitutional republic and not a true democracy (attribution to Aaron Russo). I can’t comprehend the uproar over Barack Obama’s perceived elitism (would we really want a true populist – one who appealed to the lowest common denominator – to be president?)

Truthfully, the very nature of this blog is elitist, and by participating you all are, at the very least, elitists by implication. We have the audacity to criticize the world, to discuss moral absolutes, to philosophize on better ways. We have liberal arts educations. Our idea of a good time is Star Wars: Epic Duels (oh wait, that just makes us nerds). Regardless, we’re firmly entrenched in the elitist camp.

Unfortunately, I find myself lacking several of the trademarks of a true elitist. My car isn’t a hybrid (that’s right, it’s powered by old-fashioned gasoline, and to be honest I suspect hybrids are only a few steps above ethanol on the “stupid ideas that stupid people think will save the world” scale. Honestly…these people with their hybrid SUVs that get 26 miles/gallon…are they being serious? Show me a feasible hydrogen-powered car, and I’ll call you an innovator). I’m only fluent in one language (four years of Spanish and nothing to show for it). I don’t buy organic food (too expensive).

I don’t even own a Mac…

Oh wait, yes I do! In fact, I’m writing on it right now!!! I guess there was no point to this post, other than to let you know that I’m extremely excited about my new MacBook (which you could probably tell because of the unprecedented use of multiple exclamation points).

Sorry all, I’ll try to be less self-serving next week.

Thanks for reading.

To respond to Cassel’s final comments on last week’s post: I think it’s absurd that Obama is getting slammed for saying he would be willing to talk with reviled leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il, and Fidel Castro (or I suppose now Raul). These men, and the countries they lead, pose a threat to the global community and there is simply nothing to gain by refusing to meet with them. It will only serve to further alienate and radicalize them (and sanctions hurt the people, not the governments).

I understand the idea is to force them to make concessions before we will come to the table, and we hesitate to legitimize their governments by paying them official visits. But we need to face the fact that they don’t really care if America legitimizes them. Years of mismanaged public relations have cost us our moral authority, and while we remain a power player, we are no longer the sole global superpower we once were. It’s amazing how much ego gets in the way of progress. All of this posturing has the feel of an eight-year-old refusing to invite a friend to his birthday party because of a spat over the last cookie.

It shows that silly partisan politics have a stranglehold on foreign policy. Since when is pragmatism naïve?