Western society as a whole is in grave need of not just one, but a multitude of philosophers. We need them to rescue us from the quagmire of misfortunes in which we've become enmeshed by a series of non-thinking leaders, elected by citizens who themselves have not been in the habit of thinking deeply and seriously enough about anything.
At present, since we're in the grips of a global recession, the first team of philosophers should be commissioned to study economics. How can we escape the financial ills of the present and return our country to a position of financial stability?
This discussion would quickly and inevitably lead to the topic of business ethics. Why were so many corporate executives given huge salaries, exorbitant bonuses and gold-plated pensions, even as their companies were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy?
Why did this disgraceful situation continue for so long? Where were the watchdogs, the overseers? If there were none, there should have been. Perhaps the philosophers can help us choose competent monitors to oversee the day-to-day management of business operations in an effort to keep them honest.
Why and how did we get involved in bloody wars that are half a world away with people of a different culture, most of whom are desperately poor and who have never lifted a finger to injure any of us?
I realize that our society's addiction to oil played a huge role in the invasion of Iraq, but a band of Islamic fundamentalists planned and carried out the 9/11 attack. Was it really necessary to invade Afghanistan and overthrow the entire government?
We know that more than 4,000 Allied troops and support staff have been killed by the enemy in the Middle Eastern conflicts. But news of the hundreds of thousands of civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq who have been killed and injured has been suppressed by the media.
The philosophers should see to it that every bit of the horror of these Middle Eastern wars is made public in our country, complete with pictures, so that our citizens become aware of just what devastation and suffering our leaders' belligerent attitudes have caused.
Then the deep thinkers should be employed to plan how to restore America's image as a nation of peace and justice to the world community. That task will be daunting, even for the most clever. It will probably take years of demonstrating goodwill for any strategy to be effective.
While we're waiting, there's much work to do with the trillions of dollars that have previously been squandered on military manoeuvres. The infrastructures of our cities are crumbling: bridges are collapsing, sources of drinking water are becoming polluted; air and soil pollution are causing an increasing number of cases of illness and death among our citizens.
Thousands of hungry and homeless souls in North America trudge the streets searching for any type of shelter. The rate of unemployment is high and increasing daily. Only the well-off can afford medical insurance. The skill level of students has fallen behind that of children in many other countries. Our hospitals are understaffed and overcrowded.
We will never regain our position as a respected world leader as long as we tolerate these deplorable conditions at home. There is enough planning and implementation of programs to be done to keep teams of philosophers and their assistants busy for years. To suggest that we need just one philosopher is ludicrous.
Where can these paradigms of wisdom be found? They're probably out there, watching the decline of America in stoical silence.
If you know of any, have them forward their curriculum vitae to President Obama. He promised change. It is high time for him to deliver on that promise, and he needs all the help he can get.
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