are people retarded?

[datasuspect]

or do the majority of people in this country want a theocratic oligarchy?

or are so many people so distracted and so dumbed down by television and advertising that they don't even notice/care. i know i'm tired of being marketed to.

people, it's open season on freethought, progressivism, and humanitarianism. the most venal and cynical elements of the republican party have poisoned the body politic to the extent that i fear "america" as we knew it will no longer exist after this bush presidency.

they have "righteousness" (arrogance) on their side. bush's reelecion is largely fuel for the fire in extremist christian circles. a substantial amount of people believe that bush's reelection was made possible by god, and that bush is an instrument of god's will.

additionally, the extremist christian memes are not being questioned or examined in any way. the language of christian dogmatism is becoming the lingua franca of media, government, commerce, and the workplace. the rhetoric of "moral values" is being discharged into the national discourse like so much effluent, but hardly any real debate regarding the nature of the language or what "moral values" actually means is being discussed.

lately, i have been astounded by the amount of posts here counseling the left to assimilate with these extremist elements so as not to alienate them.

i say "bullshit."

if someone is sufficiently "moderate" to be swayed by conservative demagoguery, they weren't much of a progressive/democrat/liberal to begin with. they have the stink of agents provocateur.

the fringe has become the mainstream and the relatively short history of progressivism in this country is being swept from the scene.

[RevCheesehead]

1. interesting thoughts.

I don't pretend to have all (or any) of the answers, but I can make the following observations:

1. Many people use TV and Newspapers as their ONLY source of information. (But, gasp, what if they're not telling us everything?)

2. Most people in this country have NO IDEA of the "voting irregularities," and are convinced that "if Fraud happened, we would have heard about it." (again, "why shouldn't I trust the media?")

3. Americans are becoming more and more passive. We don't engage, we observe. We want things handed to us, and if it tells us what to think, all the better. (I saw this first-hand at a Kerry rally in September. My friend and I were cheering are screaming, and a bunch of high-school kids were just standing there, doing nothing. Even worse, some of the adults just sat back and watched. I wanted to say, "hey, this isn't TV, it's REALITY!")

4. "If it doesn't apply to me, I'm not interested." This attitude is perhaps the most dangerous of all. Got a job? Healthcare? Insurance? Terrific. But try living without it for a year, and then you'll begin screaming for these things. (I'm OK, why should I care?)

5. We've bought in to the notion of Ronald Reagan's "bootstraps," believing that anyone can succeed if they only apply themselves. If someone is in need of a job, food, or healthcare, they just aren't trying hard enough. (absolution of guilt)

6. We are hopelessly racist at heart. We refuse to acknowledge that people in this country NEVER had a chance, because of things being stacked against them. The American Dream is in reality, a nightmare for many non-white Americans. (but I don't hate anybody!)

7. We believe in the inherent good of all people, and find it almost impossible to believe that politicians would rig an election. (Watergate was a dark time: we learned from it, and it will never happen again.)

8. We define "moral values" to mean "my own personal opinion," rather than "the common good for all humanity." We proof-text the Bible and other sources to make it say what we want. We avoid reading the entire thing, because we might get a different message.

Those are just a few observations. Feel free to add your own.

[Krs216]

2. Because they have been fooled by the repubs

People simply bought thier crap, plain and simple.

[bryant69]

3. The Racism one is hard to sell

I think it might be more accurate and useful to say that we have a prejudice against poor people (many of whom happen to be of a different skin color).

The Hopelessly part is also great. If it is hopeless why even bring it up?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[RevCheesehead]

5. Because admitting it is the first step.

I am a racist. I know that. And by being constantly aware of my racism, I monitor my language, attitude, and behavior.

(in religious speak, it is a part of acknowledging that "I am a sinner.")

It ideally prevents me from making broad, sweeping generalities about people. It humbles me, and reminds me that MY experience is just that: MINE. I cannot assume, or presume, that other people have had the same opportunities (or disadvantages) than I have.

[bryant69]

7. I don't know

I think that cheapens the word racist to the point that it loses all meaning.

What you are talking about is that you have an understanding that you need to work to understand other people and not be satisfied with generalities (as you say). So if you walk in a room and see a black guy and a white guy, you are comfortable automatically assuming you completely understand the white guy? By the same token does the black guy get to assume he automatically understands both of the white guys?

Plus Racism is such a hateful term--calling on us all to accept that we are all racists is pretty close to calling on us all to hate ourselves.

There are real Racists out there, who use their positions of power to deny blacks (and other minorities) jobs or to hurt blacks (and other minorities) in other ways--I think the word Racist should be used to apply to them.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. People in this day and age are taught to shut down critical thinking

when it comes to religion. The American way is to be tolerant of all religions, though you can be plenty intolerant of no religion, because it is in the constitution. This keeps them from questioning the foundations of cults, like the Branch Davidians and Christian Identity. If you look at cults too closely, you see that other, established sects like Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are not significantly different from the cults. Further, the line between these sects and mainstream Christianity is very fuzzy.

If you critically examine even the most far out cult, you threaten your own religion.

Most people don't want a theocracy, and don't believe it can happen. They will not look at Utah, and see a theocracy at work there.

Most people think, Religion - good; secular - bad, and don't take it any farther than that. They don't appreciate the separation of church and state because, unlike in Europe, America has never suffered the ill effects of the entanglement of government and faith, of sectarian strife and outright religious war. Our isolationism and disdain of world history prevents us from learning by the example of our ancestors who fled to America to get away from such wars. The Puritans who settled here were refugees from the English Civil War, which was largely a religious conflict. The Irish migration was largely due to conflict between the Catholic Irish and the Protestant English who periodically tried to subdue them. German immigrants came to America fleeing an area that was devastated by constant warfare, often on religious lines, between the 16th and 18th centuries. And of course, the Jewish migration from Russia at the turn of the last century was prompted by pogroms against them instigated by the Russian Orthodox church.

Christians are worst about this, because they, unlike most others, rely almost exclusively on faith for their beliefs. They aren't driven by law, as are Jews and Muslims, and don't put much stock in meditation and self-examination, as do Buddhists <can't speak to the Hindu faith, as I know little about it> but depend faith to carry them through all challenges. Therefore, the ultimate challenge, questioning that faith itself, is out of the question. They have to put their faith in being irrational, so they cannot question irrationality.

Long winded and pedantic, I know. Just working on working it all out myself, as a rationalist.

I hate not being able to figure these people out.

[radwriter0555]

6. YES. Especially UhMurikkkans.

They're bleeping idiots.

[bemildred]

8. Don't use that word. It will get you in trouble here.

But yeah, TV rots your brain if you watch too much of it.