The Revolution Will Be YouTubed

Adam Smith was one of the Founding Fathers' ideological gurus, and the high priest of free market economics.

And this weekend, he also just got the harshest possible lesson in his namesake's hidden hand.  CNET has one of the best front to back recaps of the events.

The 21st century Adam Smith decided to express his opinion about the Chick-fil-A.  Fine.

He decided to take out his frustration on an employee. Not cool, but his right.

He felt the need to tape it.  Then share it on YouTube.

At the risk of drawing the same kind of wrath, might I suggest that the Adam Smith got a heapin' helpin' of hubris with his waffle fries.

It is bad enough to worry whether or friends or enemies will be taping your antics and posting them for laughs or hates on YouTube.  Or, to document violence - foreign (like Syria now, Arab Spring earlier) or domestic (the police clash with residents in Anaheim, complete with Bull Connor-like dog action).

This is social self-immolation, pure and simple.

He is now sorry. He has lost his job, and he's all over the Internet trying to apologize and delete the original posting.

Unfortunately for Adam Smith, he runs smack dab into one of Bill Smith's iron rules of the Internet: digital assets are extremely portable and easily copied PLUS once posted, always available somewhere.

So the linked version of his drive thru is locked by someone else.  It is clocking 750,000 views at this posting time with 353 likes and 3600 dislikes (that's a for real order of magnitude).

Be careful out there kids.  Keep your head on a swivel, and most important, stay frosty - don't let your passion get the best of you posting.

So once again, think before you post, kids.  Stay frosty out there. Keep your head on a swivel.