An oxymoron is a figure of speech which employs incongruous terms for
epigrammatic effect. Simply put, an oxymoron involves two words that do
not belong together. Consider Ambrose Bierce's definition of war as a
by-product
of peace, or Arthur Schopenhauer's assertion that illness is a cure.
But
these expressions are not true oxymorons. If we want to look at a real
oxymoron we should start with the intelligent idiot. He is no ordinary
moron. In fact, he comes in several flavors, including the wise fool,
the clever blockhead and the cunning dunce.
Consider the brilliant nonsense of today's pundits and professors.
Somebody worked very hard to think up the sage garbage that fills their
heads. A lot of organizing, scheming and publicity hounding have gone
into the twisted art, cacophonous music and neurotic literature that
enthralls and hypnotizes our educated herd. The wit and wisdom of the
age, as seen on television or taught on campus, is no accident. It has
been carefully constructed by postmodern demolitionists (i.e.,
intelligent idiots with specialized training).
A brilliant stupidity distinguishes itself by striking at the core of
our existence. An idiotic notion will not fly unless it promises real
harm. Therefore, it's uninteresting to say the moon is made of green
cheese. What harm will come of that? But if someone says that men and
women are interchangeable, that they are functionally the same -- thwap!
-- the public imagination is immediately transfixed. Here is something
genuinely dangerous, exciting and new. The law itself must be
overturned to conform to this new "paradigm." A revolution takes
place. Of course, the blatant futility and idiocy of institutionalized
gender confusion is hardly noticed amid the countless social
detonations. Think of it. Millions of relationships are suddenly
up-ended. It's like taking an ant farm and
turning it upside down to see what the little creatures will do.
Turn on your television set and take a look. Female tough-guys are
on half the channels. Macho girls are stomping, kicking and punching a
politically correct path through our culture, implanting new and false
images into the public psyche. The method of presentation is simple. A
man in a woman's body is seen to act like a man and look like a woman. The
image itself serves to confuse both men and women -- instantly
deconstructing notions of human gender developed by trial and error over
many centuries. A corrupt new role model now appears, with tremendous
psychological energy behind it: a vast sisterhood of lady fighter
pilots, hand-to-hand combatants, detectives, FBI agents and firemen
appear on the screen. Since seeing is believing, millions of human
beings are growing up with bizarre self-misconceptions planted firmly
between their ears. On the flip side, depicted with sly mockery, is the
pregnant husband, the sobbing he-man and the non-homosexual wimp.
The intelligent idiot leaves no stone unturned, no avenue
unexplored. For thousands of years we have referred to God in the
masculine. Now we stumble over our Sunday school lessons because
traditional usage suddenly is said to offend half the human race.
In politics, of course, the work of intelligent idiots is well
documented. A quick run-down of the major themes of the past century
should suffice. The "war to end all wars" did nothing but trigger the
greatest war of all; the war on poverty created more poverty; the war on
crime has seen an unprecedented increase in criminal activity; in its
turn, universal public education has extended illiteracy and public
ignorance. Thankfully our politicians have not taken it upon themselves
to feed and clothe us, which would undoubtedly result in mass starvation
and nakedness. Sadly, the record of the last century clearly indicates
that the realm of politics long ago gave way to a vast mob of cunning
dunces who rapidly infested every department. The less they are given
to do, the better. The most terrifying thing about these insects, of
course, is that they are charged with the nation's security. So far,
nearly every U.S. nuclear secret -- since Hiroshima -- has been ripped
off. No doubt the Chinese and Russians know every hidden nook and
cranny at the Pentagon and the CIA.
As noted earlier, an ingenious stupidity -- to be truly ingenious --
must strike at the fabric of our existence.
Another example of brilliant idiocy is the way some older people have
begun to follow young people. This is an incredible reversal. A few
months ago a leading senator, running for president, gave out the name
of an outrageous rock band as his favorite musical group. As usual he
had no idea what he was saying, but he wanted to be cool, he wanted to
be up-to-date. This is called "finding the parade and getting in
front." An egregious blockhead once described this technique as "the
Taoist model of leadership." Under this model a leader is merely the
first to follow. In other words, there is no leadership.
The same logic appears in the churches, where popular rock music is
gradually supplanting traditional sacred music. Admittedly, rock 'n'
roll is entertainment for millions of people, but is there anything
worshipful about it? In this context the late Alan Bloom wrote that
"rock music has one appeal only, a barbaric appeal, to sexual desire ...
undeveloped and untutored." Bloom added that young people know "that
rock has the beat of sexual intercourse." Let us be honest about this.
The music that emerged from the '60s has an inner logic that corresponds
to the sexual revolution of that time. There is nothing accidental
here. To take this same music and use it in the worship of God is
questionable.
Yet many ministers, who think of themselves as conservatives, see
nothing questionable here. The argument is that the church must appeal
to young people in order to survive. Therefore the church must offer
the kind of music young people favor. But if the function of the church
is to collect worshippers by pandering to popular taste, why not have
standup comics deliver sermons? Why not go all the way, and make the
worship experience as entertaining as possible? The churches would then
be filled up, quite readily -- with nothing to distinguish them from
movie theaters and rock concerts.
Clever blockheads are always working to save the day. They hold
summits on the family, on public education, on the church. With each
idiotic solution the process of degeneration gains further momentum. As
it turns out, we do not live in the space age or the nuclear age, but in
the age of rationalized folly. For two and a half centuries man has
been developing more efficient means to organize his stupidity -- to
intensify and refine destructive lunacy. Look at today's headlines and
you will find a host of oxymorons, from "gay marriage" and "animal
rights" to "President Clinton" and "Russian democracy." Without
blinking, without hesitating, we mix things up, putting incongruent
terms together, hopelessly confusing ourselves in the process.
Human intelligence has definite limits, but there is no end to
stupidity.