The Worst And The Brightest | The New Republic

The Worst And The Brightest The New Republic: "If any single sentence sums up the people at the heart of our “boom-bust-bailout” decade, it is this: “They were cool and lucid, these men, men of mathematical precision whose very professions sometimes sounded uncivilized to the humanist.” These people had scaled the peaks of academic achievement, mastered the toughest problems of the private sector, and cracked wide open the analytical issues of the day. They were really the smartest people available—in a society that values smarts and knows how to put brains to good use. The fact that they were also well-heeled did not hurt: this is America and we believe deep down that if someone studies hard, works long hours, and gets just a little bit lucky, he (or she) can and should make out like a bandit."