ThirstyFish

Yet another post inspired by a t-shirt.

Albert Camus wrote that: "Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it". He wasn't exactly speaking about extreme sports, but rather, moral courage. He is dead on. Those holding political offices, running major corporations, teaching at elite universities and reporting on the established press - almost all of these "intellectuals" - have philosophies on why they are not addressing the most dire issues of our time. It's the sin of omission. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends".

Issues such as human-caused climate change, destruction of the environment, pollution, income inequality, elite political structures that represent private interests at the expense of regular communities, propaganda and misinformation are rarely ever taken up by these so called intellectuals. They are unforgivable. So, how do they philosophize their lack of courage away? Mainly by claiming that the status quo - as bad as it may be - is still better than any other alternatives. In the mind of the so-called "intellectual", there are no alternatives. We have to look elsewhere.