Modern Day Pharisees

Gail Wynand: Mr Toohey, why should I consider your opinion?

Ellsworth Toohey: Well, after all, I am the architectural critic of The Banner.

Gail Wynand: My dear Toohey, don't confuse me with my readers.

--The Fountainhead

The Pharisees (the word comes from Hebrew derivations meaning 'set apart') were an elitist group of Jews operating during Jesus' time. It becomes readily apparent in the Bible that the Pharisees did not like how Jesus rolled. On multiple occasions the Pharisees questioned Jesus in manners clearly meant to trap him in his own words. The hope was that Jesus would generate some material that the Pharisees could use against him. The Pharisees would pass along the 'quotes' to the media of their time, the scribes.

Parallels between the Pharisees and modern day intellectuals are straightforward. Sowell defines intellectuals as dealers of ideas. Writers, academics, and think tanks often fit this profile. Once intellectuals develop ideas, they are distributed by the intelligentsia. The intelligentsia, of which the largest group by far is the media, provide channels for moving ideas to the masses.

Increasingly, intellectuals and intelligentsia operate with political motives. This is because politicians often retain intellectuals to support particular policies and agendas. Politicians suppose that co-opting intellectuals lends an air of legitimacy or credibility. While it surely 'works' to some degree, this approach provides an interesting means for measuring bias among the media intelligentsia.

Out of context quotes and analysis, 'fact checking,' think tank 'studies,' et al. are products of the intellectual community meant to promote their ideas and crush those of opponents. As in Jesus' time, a favored modern day Pharisee strategy for doing so is to trap people in their own words.