Underdogs Need To Keep Fighting Like Mad Dogs
Why I’m here instead of some superstar is one of those anomalies that defies explanation. But allow me to congratulate you on earning your degrees.
Almost without exception a college commencement speaker is a high-achiever whose mere presence will tell graduates making it big is possible. The message they deliver varies widely in details and tone, but there are some common lines of thought among the most popular. Let’s look at a few of them:
— Bono, University of Pennsylvania, 2004 said this — “Sing the melody line you hear in your own head. Remember, you don’t owe anybody any explanations . . .”
— Steve Jobs, Stanford University, 2005 : “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
— Ellen DeGeneres, Tulane University, 2009 “. . . it was so important for me to lose everything because I found out what the most important thing is, is to be true to yourself.”
— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Wellesley College, 2015 “Do not twist yourself into shapes to please. Don’t do it. If someone likes that version of you — that version of you that is false and holds back — then they actually just like that twisted shape, and not you.”
And one more:
— Michael Keaton, Kent State University, 2018 : “You have to take risks . . . Make mistakes, take chances . . . And what that will lead to is self-discovery, and it will lead you back to your natural authentic self.”
Do you detect an individualist theme in these passages? “You” permeates their messages. Be true to yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not.
Your school probably encouraged the opposite of what these speakers said.
They encouraged group-think, meaning go along to get along — there is no “I” in “team,” you’re reminded. Make sure your group is diverse, not in thought, but racially, sexually, and culturally. Where did that nonsense come from?
Your opponent, you’ve heard, is capitalism. Can any of you tell me what capitalism is? Probably not. But capitalism is the great evil, even if it’s the reason most of you are sitting here today.
Capitalism delivers the goods, okay? Those goods can promote civilization or lead to its decline. You get to choose. But choose with your head, not your skin color or sex.
Whether they know it or not, the speakers I quoted are encouraging a mindset that could lead to c
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LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.