The John Adams Society
John C. Povejsil |
G. Larry Colson, Jr. |
Mark Sanquist |
Peder Mewis |
| Chairman | Secretary | Chief Whip |
Chancellor |
May 2009
I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.
- William F. Buckley, Jr.
IT USED TO BE SAID that the world was run by those who show up. Today, that’s still true, providing that those who show up also have an Ivy League education. No longer content to test their theories of government, economics and social policy in computer simulations and thought experiments, a plethora of policy positions have now been foisted upon the American public under such recent monikers as “Compassionate Conservatism” and a “New ‘New Deal’”.
Those who question their utopian philosophies are dismissed as uneducated, unenlightened, pedestrian or Neanderthal, while the “we know better than you what’s good for you” attitude reigns supreme. What we need is a return to common sense and the citizen-legislator – the man who can write the law of the land one day and return to plow his fields the next.
On the other hand, our world has become so complex that the issues facing us must be met head-on by only our best and brightest. Common sense is wonderful for dealing with many issues, but it often requires a more sophisticated viewpoint when dealing with the many complicated international issues that our country faces on a daily basis.
THE CHAIRMAN, a man who is overweight with intellect, but whose tailor helps him hide it well, has called a debate to settle the question:
Resolved: Banish The Intellectuals!
The Debate will be held on Wednesday May 27, 2009 at the University Club, 420 Summit Avenue, in Saint Paul. The Chancellor will preside over drinks beginning at seven o'clock p.m. The debate will begin at half past seven. While there is no dress code for attendance, gentlemen who wish to speak must wear a tie; ladies should adhere to a similar sartorial standard. For those gentlemen who arrive tieless yet wish to speak, fret not: the Purveyor of Ties will keep on hand at least one of his quite remarkable ties for just such an eventuality. Questions about debate caucus procedures or about the John Adams Society itself may be directed to the Chairman at (651) 294-4800 or the Secretary at (612) 384-6776.