My parents, despite fairly awful childhoods (the Depression, abandonment, Nazis, internment, major battles) did pretty darn well. They lived normal lives, raised children, made a lovely home, etc. Lots of people do that, which may be why I’m confused about why we in America make so many excuses for disadvantaged kids, allowing them to fail, rather than expecting them to succeed anyway. I thought of this when I heard this NPR story about the amazingly successful Ping Fu, and the extreme adversity that marked her childhood in China during the Cultural Revolution.
Filed under: Uplifting stories
The left needs dependents in order to rule the world.
Book, I have always wondered that. My family came from Swedich immigrants and poor Okies. Grandpa quit school at age 12 to work in the mines. Anyway, even without college (couldn’t afford it) my parents did quite well. It’s all about how willing you are to work hard and unfortunately there are many who believe that they should have everything handed to them because they are “disadvantaged”. Personally, that’s BS, their only disadvantage is a lack of initiative.
Leaving aside for the moment whether I was happy with my LASIK procedure, my doctor had an amazing story. He grew up in China, and as an intellectual had to leave school during the Cultural Revolution. He taught himself an ancient Chinese stringed instrument and played for money on the streets. At some point he was spotted by an American who helped him emigrate here. With $50 and limited or no English he went on to get a PhD in laser physics from MIT and a MD from Harvard. He’s now a multi-millionare, has patented several laser eye procedures, and finds time to paint, compete in ballroom dance competitions, and play his instrument. Maybe he’s particularly driven, but yet another example of a success story.
I tend to think that only a true understanding of human nature and the nature of government can allow human successes. Because human nature is like any engineering project. If you don’t do it right, mother nature will blow your machine, and perhaps you too, up.
The Left doesn’t tend to have a real appreciation for why humans act and how they act.
Therefore, their engineering solutions tend to not only kill a lot of people (Pol Pot) but it also tends not to work as advertised.
Just as you wouldn’t trust someone from the middle ages to use leeches on you (there is a good way to use leeches, btw), you shouldn’t use “social engineers” that don’t know jack about society or engineering.
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