Congenital Grievance

When intellectuals are unable to find enough contemporary grievances to suit their vision or agenda, they can mine the past for harm inflicted by some members on others. By conceiving of those involved in the past as members of intertemporal abstractions, the intelligentsia can polarize contemporary descendants of those involved in past acts. The kind of society to which that leads is one in which a newborn baby enters the world supplied with prepackaged grievances against other babies born the same day.--Sowell

The insult-from-the-grave mentality allows the living no progress, no improvement. Every ounce or inch of achievement comes with the asterisk that reminds everyone of some deed or attitude one may have no sympathy with--or even knowledge of--which hangs over the present innocent like original sin, damning him by his very nature. Reminds you a lot of bigotry.

Being held responsible for the errors or circumstances of distant strangers is a classic in modern homicidal European thought. And, of course, it is always on display--with less philosophy--in the Middle East.

We are all allowed to chose our models. But, as always, knowledge helps.