Two Stories: One by David Brooks, One by Fyodor Dostoevsky

David Brooks, New York Times editorialist, has written an op-ed piece entitled "The Republican's Incompetence Caucus" while Dostoevsky has written one of our greatest novels, "The Brothers Karamazov" which contains within it a story entitled "The Grand Inquisitor." We will discuss Brooks' important piece, which finally critiques the Republican parties descent from an important part of the American Democratic governance to a radical anti-democratic mob which is unable to govern and is hostile to the very idea of democratic rule. "The Grand Inquisitor" helps us understand why democracy is so fragile and why human beings are so willing to give up their freedoms for miracles, mysteries and authority!  The Grand Inquisitor discusses freedom, Jesus Christ, his temptations by Satan, and why human beings seek to avoid the pain of true freedom. Our story will end with a discussion of what each of us must do to preserve our precious democratic heritage.