The intellectual map of the world has forever been changed by growing connectivity. Today there are only educated ideas, there are no “educated classes”. Powerful notions arise today, not in an ungraduate common room over sherry or port, but as memes which gain support from public resonance until they pass the “tipping point”.”

Good stuff! Thanks for the links and “connectivity”.

After reading the article in the NYT by David Brooks (The God that Fails), Thomas Sowell’s Column that you reference and your column I suspect that the best way for IF&W to get beyond the current mess is to start fresh and be absolutely candid and open all of these discussions to knowledgeable sportsmen like you, Skip Trask (Maine Trappers) George Smith (SAM), John Holyoke (BDN) and Paul Reynolds (NSJ) so lifelong hunters like me can get a real understanding of exactly how we got here and what options are now available to them to fix things.

Opening them to the general public with a posted agenda for discussion as well would be ideal.

IF&W could go a long ways to answering the increasing number of critics by responding to the points you make in your column. Gerry Lavigne would also make an excellent contributor.

From the David Brooks column analysis as posted by Richard Fernandez at the Belmont Club:
http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2010/01/05/new-lamps-for-old/

The public is not only shifting from left to right. Every single idea associated with the educated class has grown more unpopular over the past year.

The educated class believes in global warming, so public skepticism about global warming is on the rise.

The educated class supports abortion rights, so public opinion is shifting against them.

The educated class supports gun control, so opposition to gun control is mounting.

The story is the same in foreign affairs. The educated class is internationalist, so isolationist sentiment is now at an all-time high, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

The educated class believes in multilateral action, so the number of Americans who believe we should “go our own way” has risen sharply.

Many of us hunters over the last 18 years have requested that I.D.F.G. stop deer hunting all together in a few critical hunt units, for say five seasons and allow a recovery to take place, units 43-44-48-49-52 should have been better managed this way, and we would have stronger deer herds because of it.. Those of us at the meetings pointing this out were ignored.. Now good luck finding a deer.. When the bucks are scarce what dose I.D.F.G. do ? They sell more doe permits.. Completing their trained biologist perfected wipe out..

Elmer Keith also suggested I.D.F.G. control hunt units in this fashion as well, that is in the book also.. But just like Elmer says, the money is the problem..

This is how I see the government out there killing wolves, the enviro crowd blame the Ranchers, But the truth is I.D.F.G. and their buddies with F.W.S. are scrambling to reduce this wolf explosion, because the Elk are being destroyed, wolves are dying.. and once this reaches Critical mass as Geist has told us it will, guess what ? The enviro crowd can justify their claims that state run Wild Life is a mistake and the State should not be allowed to manage Wild life.. They want the Ranchers out of the way, and state game management, and they want to manage hunting.. Those debates are on going at the Maughan site..

The University is fine for education, but the majority entering the University forget to eat the meat and spit out the bones of those indoctrination centers.. And if you do spit out those bones, well then you are just a myth believer..