Last year Pope Francis’ Christmas Eve homily had words of wisdom. The Pope spoke of the value of smallness. Of course he spoke from a religious perspective: God chose to manifest Himself as a newborn baby. But not any baby, a working-class baby born in a stable. Francis emphasized the worth of the working class and the dignity of work.

But the value of smallness applies elsewhere as well.

Bette Midler mocked the people of West Virginia as “poor, illiterate, strung out.” Bette makes $150,000 a week plus 10% of the box office for “Hello Dolly,” and front-row seats cost up to $750. For someone who lives in that rarefied atmosphere to ridicule the poor is, to say the least, disgustingly arrogant.

Dr. Fauci proclaims from the White House whether schools should remain closed or restaurants and stores should continue to go under. Could local health departments, with the input of local residents, do a better job?

Leftist think-tanks and the Harvard faculty lounge proclaim what schools should teach children. Could local school boards, with the input of parents (remember them?), do a better job?

President Biden, or whoever decides for him, proclaims how trillions of dollars we don’t have should be spent on vast projects we don’t need. Could local city councils and state legislatures do a better job?

Local authorities are replaced by state authorities, state by national, and now national by international. How can a remote elite, responsible to no one and utterly indifferent to local needs and conditions, possibly do as well as local  authorities responsible to local residents?

Recently my car needed service. The young, newly-hired service advisor and I had a chat. He had more wisdom than a roomful of PhDs from prestigious Eastern universities. They know many facts, some of which are actually correct. But he has wisdom (remember that?). He knows how to live and how to treat other human beings.

Pope Francis had a point. Often smaller is better. That’s something progressive advocates of big government need to learn.