Image via WikipediaPeople are too dumb or too lazy to verify what they spout. This makes it so people, who are trying to get real work done, have to waste their time correcting mis-truths and disinformation just to garnish the slightest bit of public support to make progress anywhere.
People don’t realize how dangerous this ploy is.
Right now the economy is in the shitter. People are scared. People have lost their jobs they’re angry. They have organized mobilized into this populist “tea party”. They even think it’s a real grassroots organization, dismissing the fact that they’re being led by billionaires and a corporate media. These are the angry masses that will eat up any scapegoat that their “leaders” feed them.
We’ve seen this in history before. I’m not trying to evoke Godwin's Law or anything but I see a lot of correlations between the right-wing disenfranchised populist uprising here in America a lot of what people experience in Wiemar Germany. There was a lot of angry people, scared about the loss of their jobs and an economy in bad shape.
Those angry, uneducated people were looking for someone to blame. They didn’t care if they sided with a political party that would be responsible for fucking them over and destroying their democracy, not to mention the massive harm they would do to other groups. No, all that mattered was they found leaders who pretended to have answers. People like quick and simple answers and fixes, certainty and shared anger.
That’s what the Nazi Party gave them. That’s what the Tea Party/Fox News/AM Radio and portions of the GOP are giving this right wing uprising too. Anything intellectual is ignored or met with disinformation an a general air of superior anti-intellectualism.
Everywhere I go: home, at work, on the TV/radio, browse the internet – I see the same message:
“My opinion is better than your facts!”
This approach is rooted deeply in ignorance and anger. When the populace stops listening to those with brains, ignores factual information and opts for those that shout opinions, we got a problem.
The Tea Party would be an extremely powerful force if they had a politician that was worth a damn. Every time they have someone who is charismatic, they’re an obvious idiot or crook.
If a Tea Party-er comes along who is charismatic and honest, the US is in trouble. Because of the frustration, disillusionment, justified anger and the absence of any coherent response from liberals. What are people supposed to think if someone says ‘I have got an answer, we have an enemy’? There it was the Jews. Here it will be the Illegal Immigrants from Mexico, the Muslims, Teachers, Women, Unions, Planned Parenthood, NPR, and Blacks (you can toss in atheists, homosexuals and; liberals too). We will be told that WASPy private sector males are a persecuted minority. We will be told we have to defend ourselves and the honor of the nation.
Instead of fixing problems that truly affect the all of the working class, the nation will be convinced to support legislation that will further protect and consolidate power for the corporate elite.
All those privacy rights, the voice we have in our government, due process, checks and balances that protect us all?
Those things just get in the way of security and stability! The right-wing that supports these parties and leaders will get hurt too, just in a more subtle way – they give away their rights and are too stupid to realize what they’ve done to themselves.
Steve
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