I can't say i'm thrilled with the way things are going. Are we going to just see-saw back and forth for the next century? Enact, repeal, enact, repeal. Do people really think we have some gung-ho gun slinger in office doing things no one wants?
Is the only way to combat this to yell louder than the next guy? To get some entertainer to corral people to another point of view by talking down to them? Except the speakers I'm referencing (Beck, Rush, etc) aren't talking down. I genuinely am starting to believe that they are talking on the level of their listeners. Their listeners are just lacking in intelligence. "Squirrel!" And I hate to say that, but its becoming increasingly obvious.
In discussions with apparent learned individuals, I come across basic facts, that they can't argue, they just were completely unaware of. And when confronted with these facts, they acknowledge them, and then move on in their same direction. If it doesn't back up their opinion, it must be irrelevant.
Are you aware that there is a whole world out there? People that do things differently, and they work!
So it seems in order to combat the blatant, raging ignorance that is so popular now, we must lower our projected intelligence, use smaller words, louder voices, and flashier lights. "Squirrel!"
"If you amplify everything, you hear nothing" -- John Stewart
How true. How true.
But what do we do? How do we get our point across to people who make decisions with their bodily humors?
Idiocracy is truly coming about. I am sad.
3 comments:
You hit it right on the mark. It really does seem like screaming gets the most attention these days. But one thing you didn't mention that I notice in the Limbaugh/Beck/Hannity devotees -- the ones I know are positively in *awe* of the radio hosts' intelligence(!). They go on and on about their insights and grasp of politics, history, etc. I feel like I'm in Bizarro World sometimes, having actually known intelligent people. It does make me sad!
Oh, and about the back and forth thing. (Sorry to abuse my comment privilege for the day!) The president got pilloried over his "clinging to guns and religion" remark... but it is so true. I know tons of people who went out and bought up ammunition when he was elected, and then millions of others launched this "Christian America" crusade. It's really like, nothing must ever change, no hint of "foreign" ideas must come in. He hit the nail square on the head, about the fear and the clinging, but people couldn't step far enough back from themselves to see it. I see it and can't convey it to people. I'm terribly frustrated.
...no foreign ideas must come in...
sounds familiar...
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