Bigwig is moving along on his intended goal of scanning interesting and important essays that haven't made it to the web yet by bringing us this Wil Rogers essay on the "Normal Majority". This is most of my political philosophy in a nutshell:

No Element, no Party, not even Congress or the Senate can hurt this Country now; it's too big. There are too many men just like those Dog Team drivers and too many Women like that Nurse up in Nome for anything to ever stampede this old Continent of ours. That's why I can never take a Politician seriously. They are always shouting that "such and such a thing will ruin us, and that this is the eventful year in our Country's life."

Say, all the years are the same. Each one has its little temporary setbacks, but they don't mean a thing in the general result. Nobody is making History. Everybody is just drifting along with the tide. If any office holder feels he is carrying a burden of responsibility, some Fly will light on his back and scratch it off for him some day. Congress can pass a bad law and as soon as the old Normal Majority find it out they have it scratched off the books.

One of the most shrill complaints you'll hear from any True Believer, on any side, is how ignorant and wrong-headed "the people" are: Look who they elected president! Look what they pay to see at the movies! My God, have you watched TV lately? They made Britney Spears a star! They believe in astrology and ghosts and religion and right and wrong! How can they possibly run an entire country?!? They aren't! They're letting this country get run into the ground and only we can stop it!

Never once do they realize "the people" are the ones keeping this country on an even keel. Because there's nothing in the world too absurd for an intellectual to believe in, and all True Believers are self-styled intellectuals (present company included).