Asking someone to apologize vs a legacy of greatness

When we coerce a child to apologize to us we get a phony apology, deservedly. When Virginia Thomas asks Professor Anita Hill to apologize to her abuser, Virginia's husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, we wonder what she's up to. In the politics of today, characterized by these terms: divisive, slanderous, fact conjuring, win at any cost, selling oneself to the highest bidder, the end justifies the means, we must assume that she believes she will gain something from this, personally. She is an intelligent person. There's no sign of emotional intelligence, but she certainly has the capacity to think. Emotional intelligence would include self examination, humility, and perhaps a wish to reach across divides towards healing. There's no sign of EQ. We have to assume this is about some sort of personal gain. It is some sort of narcissistic gratification, but sold to the public as moral high ground.

It is a real waste when we see intelligent people misusing their gifts so blatantly, perhaps for personal financial gain. There's lots of money to be made in the speaker's circuit. I understand that Ms. Palin rakes in $100,000 for a speech. Much better than Alaska pays it's governor. I looked it up and it is nearly $70,000 per year (so much for civil service). Now she makes more than double that in a week!

In an interview, when asked why he fudges his facts, Rush Limbaugh told Leslie Stahl "for the share points." "And why the share points?" asking, then answering his own question, "for the money." Yes, it was honest. But is it good? In my paper on Narcissism and Spirituality, I argue the point that we move from narcissism on a spectrum, towards enlightenment. We move from the darkest place of self aggrandizement to working towards the betterment of the whole. But many get stuck in this very seductive limbo, able to manipulate the media and a very gullible population who wants to believe in these icons who go off giggling to the bank, surely overwhelmed by their own wealth and power.

Who loses? We all do. Rush Limbaugh isn't aware of the future. Children help us think of our legacy. Does Rush have children with any of the five wives he's had? I don't think so, though I admit, I haven't delved to fact check. But when we think of the future, we wish to leave this earth a better place than when we found it. We think of the greater good of humankind and nature, not the exploitation of the fools who follow us, and let the rest be damned.