My 10-year-old son gets it - By Greg Sargent

[kpete]

CLICKETY CLICK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/my-10-year-old-son-gets-it/2011/10/27/gIQAveoCMM_blog.html

[Abin Sur]

1. I have an inherent distrust of anyone who tries to make a point by invoking the "wisdom" of children

[Angry Dragon]

2. Sometimes children can see the picture clearer because

they do not carry around as much garbage and baggage, and they normally do not have have an agenda like adults

[OneGrassRoot]

3. I agree, well said. :) n/t

[Angry Dragon]

4. Thank you

[Imajika]

5. No, sorry, normally children just don't have a clue...

A 10 year old has not the slightest idea what economic systems have worked and which haven't, nor do they know much of anything about human history. Children are full of idealism backed by very little wisdom - which is only gained by living in the real world for a lot more than 10 years.

[Skidmore]

6. Well, dayum. We sure have whole lot of "wise" people with many more years

under their belts and fancy degrees and working for all sorts of alphabet soup corporations and agencies who really understand everything. They have been doing such a wonderful job of directing the world's economies to working economic systems for the past three decades. Keep following them over the cliff, I'd settle for a child's wisdom when it comes to the most basic of ideas--the notion of human decency and fairness. All that knowledge and sense of history you refer to can be very skewed and inaccurate--what the poster above referred to as "baggage."

[Imajika]

11. If 10 year olds ran the world things would be far worse...

Far, far, far worse.

"child's wisdom when it comes to the most basic of ideas--the notion of human decency and fairness."

LOL, what? Children can be incredibly cruel to one another. Do you really want playground rules to govern us?

[Angry Dragon]

7. Nowhere did I say they were always correct

I just said that sometimes they could see the picture better than adults.
I also see nothing wrong with idealism.

'Daddy why does that man have ten big houses and does not let some of those homeless people live in some of them??'

And I agree with the poster that responded to you

Could you please tell us what economic systems have worked??


edit: I am sorry you feel that children have no sense of the world around them. That they are unable to voice questions about things that do not make sense.

[Abin Sur]

9. "Daddy why does that man have ten big houses"

"...and does not let some of those homeless people live in some of them?"

Is that supposed to be the wisdom of the ages? Yeesh...

[Angry Dragon]

10. No

it is just a question that a child might ask
I am sorry that question caused you so much discomfort.........

How about this one: 'Daddy why does the ceo of your company make $15,000,000 a year with outlandish perks and says you make too much making $45,000 a year??'

[Abin Sur]

14. How many little children use phrases like "outlandish perks"?

For that matter, how many of them would even understand what the number 15 million actually is when they just learned that 6x7=42?

[Angry Dragon]

15. How to really miss the point

There are 535 people in Congress, how many of them truly understand what is going on in this world and country??

[Abin Sur]

17. You'd have to define "truly understand"...that's a rather imprecise phrase.

I think it's fair to say that every one of them is better informed on the issues than the average American, but that isn't saying much, is it?

[Angry Dragon]

20. Here you attack me for the words I use and then you say

that congress is not very well informed ......... 'but that isn't saying much, is it?'

And just look at all the baggage they carry with them
All I said was that sometimes children see through the bullshit and just state what is on their minds
and sometimes it is the most logical
I am sorry you have no respect for children

I remember reading an article many years ago about a semi stuck under a bridge
the adults could not figure out how to get it out of there
a child looked at the situation and said 'why not just let some of the air out
of the tires' ......... sometimes it just takes looking at a situation from a different perspective

[Abin Sur]

21. Goodness gracious, whose words should I attack you for using, if not your own?

I am sorry you have no respect for children

I certainly don't have any respect for the non-existent well-informed and reasoned opinions of 10 year old children on the subject of geopolitics or economics.

I remember reading an article many years ago about a semi stuck under a bridge
the adults could not figure out how to get it out of there
a child looked at the situation and said 'why not just let some of the air out
of the tires'

Hm. An anecdote that you read...somewhere...many years ago. With all due respect, that's not exactly the most compelling example I've ever seen of evidence in support of an argument.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. You don't need a PhD in economics to see that the President is trying to

do something with the economy, and the Republicans are blocking him regardless of any consequences.

All he has to do is pick up a paper and see "Republicans Block Obama's Jobs Plan".

[madokie]

8. No doubt about it

[JoePhilly]

13. My 18 year old son and 12 year old daughter would be great replacements for most GOP reps

When either one hears the GOP talk, they look at me and say something like "is he crazy?"

[sendero]

16. Is he invoking the "wisdom of children".

... or the "idiocy of wingnuts"? Pretty sure it's the latter.

[Abin Sur]

18. I roll my eyes at anyone on the right *or* the left who does so.

[Skittles]

19. CORRECT

he even has Obama's endearing ears depicted :D