Tuesday, October 31, 2017

This stern virtue is the growth of few soils

We are awash with widening claims in the entertainment industry, the news media, and now academia. There are individuals, many individuals, in those industries who have widely known reputations for sexual harassment, "an open secret." But people in those industries have been turning a blind eye towards that behavior because of the career risks attendant to blowing the whistle.

This old observation from Founding Father Alexander Hamilton seems pertinent to the modern context. From Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers, no. 73.
There are men who could neither be distressed nor won into a sacrifice of their duty; but this stern virtue is the growth of few soils; and in the main it will be found that a power over a man's support is a power over his will.
The modern equivalent would be "in the main it will be found that a power over a man's salary is a power over his will" which seems to describe well all the virtue signalers in Hollywood, in news media, and in academia. They will speak truth to power as long as it does not threaten their bank account.

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