Am just now getting around to watching Big Think's Editorial Top Ten of the year as I wait until 3 this morning when the SuperBowl will begin.  The premise of Big Think is amazing to me: grab a bunch of influential people, ask them a penetrating question and then let them speak for five minutes or more.  It is interesting when you sit and listen to people without the flashing signals and bottom scroll bars and overly enthusiastic reporters that so often are too busy to understand what the hell they are talking about.  The people I respec tthe most, are those that can take a step back from what is happening and try to see the bigger picture.  This site is trying to achieve something akin to that.   

This is how  BT introduces the video:

Ted Kennedy was a model American politician: he rose from a famous
family, had significant personal wealth and connections, endured
scandals, and was a shrewd political operator. But what set Kennedy
apart from his peers was the authentic and uncompromising moral drive
that he brought to the Senate. He understood and used his advantages to
successfully push America in a better direction. In one of his last
interviews, Kennedy reflected with Big Think on his career, his family,
and his faith.

I must admit that I do not have terribly strong opinions either way on Teddy.  I heartily endorse, in principle, those values and goals which he fought for over all of the years.  However his personal scandals preclude me from full-scale fandom.  Yet, I really appreciate what he says in this video about citizen participation.  It is the key to forward progress.  And even though I think that the Tea Partiers are quite off key policy wise, I do endorse their collective action and their ability to leverage that to achieve their goals.  I also appreciate what BT says in their introduction, that Teddy used whatever influence and advantages that he was given and that he produced to try his best to work for those around them.  And he did keep doing that until the end of his life.  And so, I big you a late adieu lion of the senate.  May you rest in peace.

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