Intellectuals

I have come to harbor more disdain than ever toward intellectuals and their roles in political change or revolution (by the way, Paul Johnson's book, Intellectuals, is one of the most sloppy books you will read).  I am watching with utter disgust the roles of Arab intellectuals in the Arab uprisings.  We should not be followed and we should be kept out of any political roles.  We only slow down revolutionary processes.  This week in particular I developed a new understanding of Mao's motives behind the Cultural Revolution and the humiliation of intellectuals.  In other news, Burhan Ghalyun (the Arab intellectual) held a long meeting with Walid Jumblat.  Not only Lebanese or Arab politician, but Walid Jumblat, of all people.  If Ghalyun tries hard, he would not succeed in tainting himself with a worse specimen of a politicians.  And only weeks ago, Ghalyun was insisting: keep us out of Lebanese internal politics.  I guess marching orders came later.