Why ideas no longer matter

Terry Eagleton in todays guardian

"Richard Nixon's chief of staff once asked a White House aide why he had chosen to highlight certain options rather than others in a presidential briefing paper he had written. "Because I thought it was more in line with the president's philosophy," answered the aide. "The president has no philosophy," replied the chief of staff. It was, of course, said approvingly rather than disparagingly. Having no philosophy was like having no contagious diseases, not like having no conscience..."

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