When I first heard that Debbie Wasserman Schultz couldn’t explain to Chris Matthews the difference between what Democrats believe and what socialists believe, I chalked it up to her incompetence. Schultz is not exactly Isaiah Berlin when it comes to philosophical sophistication. Heck, she’s not even in Irving Berlin’s league.
True story: During World War II, Isaiah Berlin was based out of the British embassy in Washington, D.C., where he wrote weekly memos on the state of the war. In the spring of 1944, Winston Churchill heard that Berlin was in London. He sent word that he would like to have the great intellectual come to lunch. Berlin eagerly accepted and the two had a pleasant meal. “Mr. Berlin,” Churchill asked, “what is the most important piece of work you have done for us lately, in your opinion?”
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