QUOTE OF THE DAY – ON DEMAGOGUES – AT 9:08 A.M. ET:  What is an election about?  From the great Thomas Sowell, one of the wisest writers working today, noting the anger of American voters in 2016:

Their anger may be justified, but anger is not a sufficient reason for choosing a candidate in a desperate time for the future of this nation. And there is such a thing as a point of no return.

Voters need to consider what elections are for. Elections are not held to allow voters to vent their emotions. They are held to choose who shall hold in their hands the fate of hundreds of millions of Americans today and of generations yet unborn.

Too many nations, in desperate times, especially after the established authorities have discredited themselves and forfeited the trust of the people, have turned to some new and charismatic leader, who ended up turning a dire situation into an utter catastrophe.

The history of the 20th century provides all too many examples, whether on a small scale that led to the massacre in Jonestown in 1978 or the earlier succession of totalitarian movements that took power in Russia in 1917, Italy in 1922 and Germany a decade later.

Eric Hoffer's shrewd insight into the success of charismatic leaders was that the "quality of ideas seems to play a minor role," What matters, he pointed out, "is the arrogant gesture, the complete disregard of the opinion of others, the singlehanded defiance of the world."

Is that the emotional release that Republican voters will be seeking when they begin voting in the primaries? If so, Donald Trump will be their man. But if the sobering realities of life and the need for mature and wise leadership in dangerous times is uppermost in their minds, they will have to look elsewhere.

COMMENT:  As usual, Dr. Sowell gets it right.  I do hope readers will consider his words.  Donald Trump has many talents, and he might even do some good things as president.  But I believe his temperament, his shallowness, his viciousness, disqualify him.  We are electing a president, not choosing a wrestling champion.

I have written before that this is becoming a very adolescent nation.  It can be attributed to many things – the decline in moral standards, the pampering of our children, the hollowing of our educational system.  I think we see the adolescence in Trump's behavior and, on the other side, in the antics of both the corrupt Hillary Clinton and the promise-them-anything Bernie Sanders.  They seem to be saying, "Just trust me.  You're a kid.  What do you know?"

We need a year of wisdom.  We aren't getting it.

February 16, 2016