A fascinating interview conducted by Mike Wallace in 1958

by Terry 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  Terry

  In 1958 Mike Wallace conducted a most fascinating televised interview with Mortimer J. Adler the philosopher and educator, author behind the Encyclopedia Brittanica's Great Books and Great Ideas series.

  The discussion is amazingly prescient of today's severe conflict between Conservatives and Liberals and their argument over the

  unfairness and injustice of Capitalism.

  In this interview Adler actually predicts that in 50 years (2008) the economy would collapse if steps were not immediately taken to

  address the drift by our Government toward wrong policy.

  Watch the interview and click on the subtitle bar so that you can read along for extra clarity.

  Then give your opinion of the total discussion.

  Adler answers Wallace's question about incompatibility of Christianity with either Capitalism or Socialism.

  http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/adler_mortimer.html
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  botchtowersociety

  Fascinating so far. You have to hand it to Mike Wallace, however. He did a fine job as an interviewer. He mentions George Romney, incidentally, in the context of limiting monopoly power.
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  botchtowersociety

  His comments on Christianity are very interesting. As a Christian, I don't find them objectionable.
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  Terry

  Adler is my favorite philosopher!
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  truth_b_known

  Thank you for sharing this link. It's too bad ABC doesn't still air programming like this. As if The Biggest Loser is intellectually stimulating.
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  Wasanelder Once

  This sort of conversation is so far over people's heads these days I think most people would hear it the same way they see an advanced math problem. The modern world is dumbed down by addiction to "things" that they can't see the theories behind thier condition.
• 

  Terry

  Mortimer J. Adler single-handedly introduced me to my own Intellect.

  Before reading his Great Ideas I was all about the meat in my brain.

  We can flap our arms, as it were, but wonder why we cannot fly.

  Recognizing the differences between, say, schooling and education or knowledge and Intellect are huge leaps.

  We can't make them ourselves unless Great Ideas are visible.

  I've told the story dozens of times.

  I had an hour to kill before picking up my daughter from school.

  I went to the Public Library and simply walked among the shelves like a diner at a lunch buffet.

  The title TEN PHILOSOPHICAL MISTAKES caught my eye because I recognized from the Encyclopedia Brittanica's GREAT BOOKS of the Western World series Mortimer J. Adler. His "How to Read a Book" was a wonderful book I had been given by my favorite teacher in school.

  The next hour I spent sent my brain exploding with thoughts and clarity and discovery as I met my Intellectual Self.

  From that moment forward my thinking was armed with a Swiss army knife.
• 

  scotoma

  Unions were necessary but they should have taken stock options instead of wage increases. That way they would have the opportunity to share risk.

  If unions would have gotten stock options they would have been thrilled that American companies would go overseas for cheaper labor.

  There is an economic model where everyone is given a loan of say $250,000 invested in a super-stock made up of a combination of the 100 best performing stocks. This would be endowed at birth. The government would be paid back in dividends. When the loan has been paid back the person would receive ownership of the funds and could then roll them over or draw on the funds. This would be a way for everyone to have a stake in the capitalistic system.
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  Terry

  I watched something amazing on TV yesterday.

  On CNN. Somebody called in complaining about what had been said.

  "What do you mean Government can't create jobs?" the caller screamed. "The post-office is filled with people who have jobs, the army is filled with soldiers who have jobs, the people who work in the Federal Government are employed, aren't they?"

  The man being interviewed listened to the call patiently. He looked sad.

  He replied slowly.

  "People who work inside the Economy work for companies that sell goods or services for profit. They create profit. They take in money. The money is taxed. The worker helps the company earn that revenue. The Economy grows.

  But, the jobs that you called Government created Jobs, are OUTSIDE the Economy and do NOT generate revenue---BECAUSE YOU AND I ARE PAYING THOSE WORKERS by using the money we earned in OUR JOBS to pay for them. They are working, surely, but shrinking the Economy."

  "Real Jobs are inside the Economy and produce revenue. Government Jobs are outside the Economy and suck out the tax dollars. Our nation is in debt. Government Jobs ADD TO the debt. Private sector jobs LOWER the debt."

  I thought about whether or not the person on the other end of the phone line was listening and understanding or shaking her head violently!

  The more informed we are as a citizen the better we are as a voter.

  That is why, originally, the founding fathers did not want people who were uneducated non-property owners voting!

  It took until 1964 for everybody to have the Liberty to vote, but, that doesn't mean all of us are equally informed.
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  scotoma

  I liked Adler but was disappointed in his reasoning on God. He even went so far as to get a Christian baptism very late in life.