In Texas and Oklahoma especially, there is a lot of agitation against the intellectuals. I ask this: How many intellectuals are there in Texas and Oklahoma?
I am reminded of Poland. Although the country has maybe 800 Jewish people, the whole country is viciously anti-semitic. What damage can 800 people do to a nation of 40 million?
And by the same standard, what damage can maybe 5 or 10 intellectuals that live in Texas and Oklahoma do to Texas and Oklahoma?
Not all intellectuals are the same, and intellectuals disagree with each other on many points. But what they all have in common is that they use reason to address social concerns. I do not see how that can be wrong at all. Intelligent analysis results in intelligent solutions. And the people who are against intelligent analysis keep making very gross mistakes.
Why then are these places so anti-intellectual? Maybe because they demand a rigid groupthink that cannot tolerate intelligent scrutiny. They want everyone to be the same person living the same life. Which means that their claims that they speak for freedom are ridiculous. There is no freedom in Texas or Oklahoma. You are either one of them, or you get viciously attacked.
The visible proof of liberty is diversity. People are different from one another, and when given freedom will do different things. There is vastly more diversity in New York or California than there is in Oklahoma, and that means that there is also more freedom. These places do not militate against intellectuals; they welcome them.
The intellectual will therefore be a force for liberty. George Orwell said that the freedom begins by being able to say that 2+2=4. A person who applies reason to solving social issues will be increasing the thought and the knowledge on the subject; and that, following Orwell's logic, will lead to greater freedom. Lies will be deconstructed, and truth will be able to grow in their place. And that will create much more honest covenants – covenants that are also more free.
Are all intellectuals for freedom? By no means; there are plenty of intellectuals who are either Marxist or fascist. But the more people know on the social issues, the better decisions they can make. The intellectual serves the good by creating useful thought on social matters. And that makes the intellectual a positive, intelligent and liberating force.