The informed voter

Eisenhower also recommended a short book — “The True Believer” by Eric Hoffer, a self-educated itinerant longshoreman who earned the nickname “the stevedore philosopher.” “Faith in a holy cause,” Hoffer wrote, “is to a considerable extent a substitute for the lost faith in ourselves.”

Though Eisenhower was criticized for lacking an intellectual framework or even an interest in ideas, he was drawn to Hoffer’s insights. He explained to Biggs that Hoffer “points out that dictatorial systems make one contribution to their people which leads them to tend to support such systems — freedom from the necessity of informing themselves and making up their own minds concerning these tremendous complex and difficult questions.” The authoritarian follower, Eisenhower suggested, desired nothing more than insulation from the pressures of a free society.

NYT

Only in a dying culture could such retarded sentiments be praised!

Faith in a holy idea -- like that faith in a holy idea is compensation for a lack of faith in ourselves -- is compensation for a lack of faith in ourselves.

They hate it when you turn their arguments around on them, but I doubt "the stevedore philosopher" had much to say about that.

In truth, lack of faith in the order of the world causes us to have only ourselves, which turns us selfish.

Tell me, Ike, how many people are informed voters? 1%? 5%?

Most read the newspaper and watch the TV, and make up the best opinion they can -- and how much of the necessary data have they considered? 1%? 5%?

Spare me from these false heroes, most of all "the informed voter"!