Politicians’ legitimation, unlike for priests, comes from citizens. Having people continuously saying that all politicians are just like priests (they tell you what to do and make a living out of your gullibility, thereby avoiding to have a productive job) is not only false, but weakens the democratic process itself.

Not so trivial. It was disrespect that ended the power of the Catholic church and reduced it to an easily ignorable organization with a moral perspective, and it is disrespect that will do the same to the Progressives. A new reformation.

Whether Ted Kennedy was a good politician is not obvious, but keep saying, like a lot of people do, that elected politicians are the unproductive, rotten apples of a society is simply too easy: is just a trivial form of populism.

If the full roll of sincere philanthropists were called, from the beginning of time, it would be found that all of them together by their strictly philanthropic activities have never conferred upon humanity one-tenth of the benefit derived from the normally self-interested efforts of Thomas Alva Edison, to say nothing of the greater minds who worked out the scientific principles which Edison applied. Innumerable speculative thinkers, inventors, and organizers, have contributed to the comfort, health, and happiness of their fellow men — because that was not their objective.

Of course, she was speaking about individuals who solicit voluntary contributions. I’m sure the benefit derived from political activities is much less.