The American people scare the hell out of me.

[kentuck]

Their inability to remember events of just a year ago and their contagious obsession with Barack Obama and his "socialist" policies. Their march in lock-step over the cliff with their favorite propagandists. Those people that cannot tell black from white, truth from lies, good from bad, are a threat to us all.

It's not just political "differences" and "free speech". It is about destructive thoughts and actions without regard to consequences. "No problem, I will my take my gun to where the President is giving a speech because we have the 2nd Amendment and I have that right" type of thinking.

We can no longer trust the people to vote in the best interests of their country or even in their own best interests. They, like sheep to the slaughter, follow the genius and wisdom of morons like Rush Limbaugh. Even after they have been proven wrong in spades, as with their support of George W Bush, they still refuse to accept any responsibility for their votes and their actions.

Perhaps it has always been thus. But, I don't think so.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. I lose faith in democracy nearly daily of late. (nt)

[NoNothing]

2. So what do you propose?

We can no longer trust the people to vote in the best interests of their country or even in their own best interests.

Is there any alternative? Somehow we've managed to muddle through worse.

[kentuck]

3. The only weapon I have is the truth.

You know it when you see it.

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. The alternative is in progress -

we will lose our democracy for a time, and then there will be a new democracy movement and the constitution will be brought out and dusted off and we will return to the government 'of the people, by the people, for the people" that the founders envisioned.

But it is going to hurt. A lot.

[Xenotime]

59. It's time for somebody to make decisions for those who can't.

Where decisions made are based on fairness and equality. That would be good start. I thought the healtcare bill was going to be just that.

[anonymous171]

4. If the American people are that stupid then they should be exceedingly easy to manipulate

towards our own ends. The fact that we are unable to says more about liberals' and progressives' lack of political skill than the American peoples' supposed idiocy.

[Zoeisright]

6. I don't know about that. It seems the common denominator is meanness.

The meaner and less educated someone is, the more likely they will like the repuke's screed of selfishness, judgment, cruelty, and greed. Republican dogma really appeals to the lowest of the low, which is why ignorant people are more likely to be conservative.

While asking people to actually think, and think of others beyond themselves, is difficult. I think that's one reason why Democrats have struggled.

[anonymous171]

10. Cruelty, selfishness, and judgement can all be used for progressive causes.

For example, we could argue that the bankers are worthless human beings and do not deserve any help from the American people. That is a progressive message that employs both judgment and selfishness. Politics is about ends, not means. We don't need people to think beyond themselves, we just need to make them support policies that help other people.

[virgogal]

28. You're equating lack of education with selfishness,cruelty,etc.? That

is an elitist comment IMHO,unless I am interpreting you incorrectly.

[ChickMagic]

31. +1 to Zoe

They see stupid people spouting stupid slogans
and say, "Hey! They are just like me, therefore;
I should vote for them because I would be wonderful.
Oh, and I could get the blacks and gays real good."

[GCP]

60. Zoeisright

If I could rec your post, I'd do it.
You are completely correct.

[ProfessorGAC]

65. That's The Whole Repub Strategy

They've been targeting the least and dimmest by using fear, ignorance, and resistance to change for the last 40 years.

It's no accident that the less educated and more selfish end up following that crew like lemmings.
GAC

[kentuck]

7. The propagandists support their own monied class.

They control what people hear over the airwaves. It is not easy to counter their message, no matter how false or manipulated.

[tom_paine]

38. No, it speaks to our lack of money, power, and a willinginess to lie like Nazis or Bushies

Frankly, if we had even a shadow of a Free Press, instead of what essentially amounts to the Right-Wing Lie Machine plus the me-too Corporate Media, the spell could be (maybe not now, things too far gone, but could have been a decade ago) broken.

Your comment is the worst kind of nonsense.

Give me 5 trillion dollars and a herd of think-tanks to rework and revamp Nazi-style propaganda for this time and place, plus the ability to, as a mirror to what the Corporations have done over the past 30 years, completely rework the media structure to be commanded by honest reporters instead of Corporate Consultants, and no manipulation necessary, the truth of reality will stand on it's own.

That is one fatuous comment you made there pal. Clueless, too.

I smell something here. Could it be the Freikorps?

[Tesha]

70. It's not that simple.

Conservatives, being businessmen, have tended to buy-up the
means of communication so that they can 1) earn a profit in the
short run and 2) assure the easy dissemination of their propaganda
in the long run.

And they've been successful at both.

Liberals tend not to be sufficiently focused on owning media, and
that's currently costing us greatly. Have you noticed how often these
days we can't even *BUY* access to the media?? "No, I'm sorry, that ad
would be inappropriate to run."

Tesha

[AlinPA]

5. Sinclair Lewis wrote "It Can't Happen Here" a story about a stupid man being

elected by an ill-informed population and the fascist takeover that had the most ignorant people running his government. This Sarah Palin infatuation by the media and the tea baggers, birthers and "Christian" fundamentalists make me think that what Lewis wrote could definitely happen here.

[kentuck]

8. Oh, it could happen here.

I am convinced more every day.

[tomp]

55. the only thing that is going to happen....

.....is the continued rule by the rich.

Does anyone actually think that if obama OR palin were doing something against the interests of the rich, they would be allowed to stay in office?

I mean, come on! have we learned nothing from history?

it really doesn't matter if tanks are in the streets or if the manipulation is via media and government.

clear-eyed resistance to fascism is the only way. and if i can't get more than a handful on du to agree with me, we've lost.

so the question is: how stupid are WE?

[PearliePoo2]

21. Chauncey Gardiner anyone?

There is a frightening segment of our population that knows nothing. They know nothing and could care less about educating themselves.
They can't find their own ass with both hands, let alone find the majority of the world's countries on a map.
But, they CAN parrot the Fox talking points of the day and drool mindlessly over brain-dead bimbos like Beck and Palin.
I know people that would not be able to name their own Senators let alone their Representatives to the House.....and they will vote against their own wallet and well-being every time and not have a freakin' clue.
USA! USA!
fucking pathetic

[patrice]

9. Cognitive skills: there are scientists who say that the highest level of cognitive ability, say,

according to someone like Jean Piaget, is achieved by a very small fraction of the population.

The reason this is important is because limits in one's ability to think would probably corelate with limits in one's ability to recognize less than immediate threats of various types, or if you do recognize some less than immediate threats, you'd have trouble differentiating between those which are of a higher probability compared to those that are more likely just bullshit paranoia or just pure-D bullshit in some cases.

[anonymous171]

11. OK, all that means is that we need to change up our arguments.

More appeals to values and emotions, less logical bullshit.

[patrice]

12. Do both, with the caveat to NEVER lose sight of Reality!

[kentuck]

14. But you would still need access to the means of propaganda...

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound??

[anonymous171]

23. True. nt

[patrice]

46. True, but it can also be done on a one:one, or one:few, basis. Everytime some

sales or service person asks if s/he can do anything else for me, I slip in a one or two line zinger with a little info in it. That's just one example of the sort of thing you can do if you are willing to take the social risk.

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. some are trying that -

"Polar ice caps melting at unprecedented rate". Yawn.

"Polar bears dying!" Oh, really? How can I help?

[tomp]

57. the problem is that that cognitive ability is distributed equally....

...among those with high and low moral development.

[patrice]

62. Did you mean "equally"? or "unequally"? It's an important point that , while not all moral

development is derived from cognitive ability (I suppose some people do just get what is right and commit themselves to living it without having to figure it out), cognitive ability does play an essential role in quite a bit of moral development.

I think the generations previous to the Boomers just pretty much thought that you sort of inherit "right and wrong" from those with the authority to define it and there are no cognitive tasks involved.

You still hear this point of view when someone claims "There is no right or wrong amongst Moral Relativists". Also sometimes referred to as "situational ethicists", moral relativists do most definitely think there is right and wrong that has to be FIGURED OUT from the facts, all of them, of the situation at hand. That's a bunch of cognitive tasks and if you never develop the ability to do basic logical functions and proceed to higher order reasoning skills, you're not a very good moral relativist, perhaps that's why it is thought that moral relativism does not recognize right and wrong.

[tomp]

67. i meant equally.

thank you for the psychology lesson, but all i really meant was that there are smart moral people and smart immoral/amoral people.

[90-percent]

13. I agree enthusiastically

We seem to be splitting at a level of mutual loathing the likes of hasn't been seen since the Civil War!

Our public policies are based on propaganda from wealthy entities that want to convert our way of life to that of middle ages serfs. Wage slave, economic servitude.

Rush Limbaugh has a $400,000,000 Contract for making such comments as those heard all during the Haiti Disaster.

They are no longer even trying to hide the fact they control everything. I think in the neighborhood of 70% of Americans would support some form of public option, why is it nothing more than legislation that could have been written by the industry that's violating it's public trust? Why is there not one shred of decency directed towards the not wealthy?

In history, has there ever been such a clear majority of Americans in favor of something and then be shown that their vote does not count because the people they vote for represent those that pay them not those that vote for them.

Taxation without representation, in my book.

The people running our society are behaving like Benito Mussolini did back in the thirties. Out in the open in plain sight of the entire earth.

Isn't the rest of the world trying to detach themselves from any form of dependence on the USA? Kind of isolating us to tell us they will no longer accept our powers to create and bust all these fucking bubbles all the time? And create so much human misery merely for the benefit or incompetence or ignorance of a few?


-90% jimmy

[tritsofme]

15. Like the old saying

In a democracy, people get the government that they deserve.

[Jennicut]

16. Many people in this country don't even know the names of the major leaders in this country

besides Obama. They don't care enough to know, not when they have others things to easily distract them.

[Occulus]

18. It's always been like this

I'm often told that, following Nixon's resignation, you couldn't find anyone who would admit to having voted for him.

The difference between now and then is Reagan, who convinced Republicans they could be utterly shameless, and nobody would do anything about it.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

19. You can't fix stupid..

the right are stupid, uneducated, spoiled, hateful imbeciles . Eight years of bush and all the heartache he brought to the country
and they're still supporting the repukes. If that didn't change them, nothing will. It's a numbers game now. How many of them
vs. how many of us. There will be no epiphany for them, no great moment of enlightenment, no changing their minds. We simply
have to outnumber them. Get out the vote.

[anonymous171]

25. They aren't stupid. They are just morally bankrupt. nt

[mrbarber]

22. Than lock yourself in your house and close the drapes.

I think the fact that DU even exists proves that the "American people" aren't all brownshirt fascists like you suggest.

[kentuck]

24. Surely you did not think I meant every American?

Or else, why would I have even bothered to make this post??

[SmileyRose]

66. I think you implied "the majority of the American people"

and I think you are wrong. I do understand the perception though. The "news", hungry for ratings, naturally highlights the nutjobs. They really are few. Unfortunately this is what corporate media does.

The VAST majority of Americans are not the twits from "Jaywalking" who have no clue who the President is, nor are we Limpballs supporters. The vast majority of Americans are thoughtful and complex. We are people who generally don't mind working our asses off, will generally give you the shirt off our back (as long as you don't clog up the left lane on the freeway or blast rap music out our bedroom window at midnight) - and we just want to know our kids will have a fighting chance and there will be some way to keep a roof over our head, food in our bellies and obtain medical care when we are too old to work and used up.

[GreenMetalFlake]

26. a coworker approached me today, frightened of where the US public is allowing power to lead

[patrice]

63. i.e. jumping to conclusions = dysfunctional cognitive skills.

Although there's always cause for concern about where "we" are headed, there is such a thing as responsible, i.e. knowledgeable, PARTICIPATION in the process.

[stuntcat]

27. me too

lots of them are nuts about war. Us vs. Them types. (edit- and trust me on this, a lot of them are ready for Jesus to come so they can join the Holy War. Doubt me all you want, but all my relatives are down South and some of them ARE those freaks.)
We consume more than any people ever in history but no one cares enough about the environment to change their way of life.

Whenever I go around people (honestly, I stay away from them whenever I can now) I hear the most awful things.
There are some who are alright.. a nice lady I was working with yesterday told me she'd just learned that Fox news was the most watched network news in the country. She seemed kinda freaked about it, especially since they just hired the conservative's darling Palin. They're giving her a platform and a fat paycheck. I told her it will not surprise me if my fellow Americans elect her president someday.
:patriot:

[Bluenorthwest]

29. Fox News is NOT the most watched network news in the country!

Not even close. Numbers from week of Jan 4th:

Network/show Viewers in millions

NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams 10.7

ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 9.4

CBS Evening News With Katie Couric 7.1

Cable Viewers in milions

The O'Reilly Factor (Fox News) 3.5


Hannity (Fox News) 2.3

Fox Report With Shepard Smith (Fox News) 2.1

On the Record With Greta Van Susteren (Fox News) 1.9


So there you go. They get 2.1 million for the 'News' hour, NBC gets 10.7 million. I get so sick and tired of hearing all about how Fox News is the most watched News when it is no such thing. We all have Google. Just saying.

[stuntcat]

30. lol *whew*

I'll tell her that next time I see her. She was kinda :wow: about it.

[GCP]

61. I think they state it's the most watched CABLE news network n/t

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

32. That's really quite irrational.

[kentuck]

33. Why?

Do you still have faith in the American people to do what is best for our people and our country? Does it not concern you that we just got rid of George W Bush in the last election and many people are ready to try that same "experiment" once again? What is rational about that?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

34. The American people elected President Obama, they are sending lots of donations to Haiti.

I don't see what is so scary about us.

[kentuck]

36. They also voted for George W Bush...

and got us into an unnecessary war in Iraq that has destabilized the entire Middle East, doubled our national debt, and basically ran our country into the ground. Just when we have a chance to try and fix it, they seem to be ready to try it all over again. They have voted for policies that have transferred most of the wealth in this country to the top 5%. Now there are over 6 people looking for each job that might open up. And you see nothing scary on the horizon? Where have you been?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

44. You said you were scared of the PEOPLE not the FUTURE.

I'm not scared of either.

[tom_paine]

41. The duality of a people caught in mid-transition from what we were to what we're becoming

VERY schizophrenic.

It is weird, seeing one half and the other in such close proximity.

Problem is, the "donate to Haiti" part is being erased from existance. Not sure it can ever fully be erased. The Roman parallel for that is why the Emperors kept the Senate around, long after they were completely powerless. Because the central Roman founding Myth, born in the defeat of a tyrannical set of hereditary kings, was that Romans shall NEVER again bow down to a King.

If only human affairs were clean cut and simple, but they aren't.

Like the Romans, I expect we will occasionally pay lip service to our free past, and sometimes the Roman, errr, American Subject Populace will act strangely, especially at an individual level, opposite of what we are nationally becoming.

I've done a lot of reading about Weimar and Nazi Germany, everything I could about "on the ground" witnesses as to what the day-to-day life was like in an over-the-top-evil society.

You would be amazed at the normalcy of it, and the individual decencies or schizophrenic disconnects of the German People.

EXAMPLE:

In "I Will Bear Witness Vol. 2" by Victor Klemperer, he describes a scene of Jews and Liberals being rounded up for shipment to a Concentration Camp in 1944. In it, he speaks of the confused murmurrings of the crowd saying things like, "Well, they must have done something wrong or they wouldn't be getting arrested."

IN 1944! What kind of schizophrenic fantasyland delusion would it take to make a comment like that IN 1944 Nazi Germany, the craziest, most-cartoonishly-over-the-top evil society EVER, that did very little to hide what it was all about?

The same kind displayed by modrn day Americans, donating to Haiti's suffering individually while happily murdering innocents in Afghanistan and Iraq, through our collective actions. The same kind sent into a pants-wetting tizzy of "Save us! Take our last civil liberties! Do anything, just save us!" from a goober with a firecracker up his ass. The very same kind.

You asked a question, Dave. I tried to give you an answer to a question that has no easy, sound byte answer. Human affairs are not all 100% one way or the other. Individuals can and did remain individually "nice", even in 1944 Nazi Germany. If they can do it there, surely we can do it here.

And it's nowhere near "1944" yet for us.

[G_j]

35. me too

and many seem to get dumber, and meaner by the minute.

[bvar22]

37. Working Class Republicans have always voted AGAINST....

...their own Economic Interests.

I used to ridicule them for doing so.

I can't ridicule them anymore because Working Class Democrats are now being asked to vote against THEIR own Economic Interests.



The DLC New Team

(Screen Capped from the DLC Website)

Next on the DLC Hit List:
"Entitlement Reform"

[Little Star]

47. +1

[tom_paine]

39. Absolutely so, our very "1933 German-ness" is currently masked

by both our still relatively high standard of living and the neeed of our Aristocracy to avoid, for as long as possible, any bad PR that could come with conflating their own cause of Inverted Totalitarianism with Classical Totalitarianisms of the past.

It's basically a PR issue. However, let the belt tighten a notch or two more and it will become painfully clear exactly how alike we are to the 1933 Germans in almost every way, not just those you mentioned.

Undoubtedly, the American people are absolutely as scary as the 1933 Germans.

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
--Voltaire

In that context, the American Subject Populace are an atrocity, probably a whole series of grotesque atrocities waiting to happen.

[paulsby]

40. ah, american exceptionalism. du style

a new day. a new example

[tom_paine]

42. Could you please elaborate?

It seems to me as if the OP is making a point that we're not so different from anyone else who ever succumbed to Totalitarianism.

In fact, the very opposite of what you seem to think it means.

But, don't take my word or the OP's for it. Take the word of someone who KNOWS by personal experience:

http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/jaspers02.htm

[anonymous171]

50. Ever read Brave New World by Huxley?

If not, I would highly suggest that you do. Totalitarianism can't exist in the modern world. It is not longer acceptable. That is why the PR industry exists, to get us to go along with those in power so they don't have to coerce us into cooperating with them.

[tom_paine]

52. What you are describing is the same old snake in a different garb.

And so am I.

http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/20080515_chalmers_johnson_on_our_managed_democracy/

I have read Huxley's Brave New World. I would suggest you read my link in this post and the one you first responded to, as they further elaborate my position.

At some point, our only difference would seem to be semantics. You don't want to call our modern form of government totalitarianism and suggest PR makes us comply. I and so many others are saying that what you describe IS part of the New Totalitarianism, created out of the "modern world imperative" of which you speak.

You say poh-tay-toe and I say poh-tah-to. You say to-may-to, and I say to-mah-to...

But we are both describing the same phenomena.

Oh, and by the way, when the cheap energy starts running out and/or the economic Ponzi scheme staggers further, I think you will see the Brave New World/Inverted Totalitarianism was something of a hothouse flower that could only exist in a cheap energy-comfortably living economy.

Then I think (though I would certainly rather be wrong) you will see that your assumption regarding old-fashioned Totalitarianism is incorrect. From the national Psychology to the actual laws, it's all pretty much in place already, like an ignition waiting for the right moment to turn the key and start 'er up.

But really, I don't think we are that far apart in our assertions, only our semantics.

[Canuckistanian]

43. What does that mean?

"Exceptionalism" is arrogance. The OP is expressing FEAR.

[mvd]

45. Me, too

Too many Americans don't have any idea how bad the Repukes are. They know about the recession, but instead of keeping the Democrats in power, they just want a "change" even if it's a return to before. Another example: in New Jersey, not many liked Corzine. But with Christie, critical services are in danger of being cut, tax cuts will go the wrong people, gay marriage is set back, and you get complete incompetence. But they just wanted a "change." Another problem is I think the Party needs to go back to our core progressive principles more, to excite people. Staying home is not a good option, but some Democrats don't think it matters.

[Tesha]

71. People have been (falsely) educated that there are only two choices in any situation.

One of the mechanisms by which Fox (and the rest of the propagandists)
keep people ignorant is to present them with every issue as if the resolution
of that issue offered only two choices:

1) A terror attack: Retaliate militarily or do nothing.

2) Poverty: Force "Welfare Queens" to get jobs or continue to waste money on them

3) Religion: Christianity or Islamo-fascism

4) Tax cuts or tax increases

5) Preserve the sanctity of marriage or allow any damned kind of sexual conduct

5) Republicans or Democrats

Many of these issues offer far more than two choices, but presenting
everything as black versus white, a good choice versus a bad choice,
people become conditioned to thinking in those terms. And once that
happens, it becomes very easy to manipulate people just by manipulating
what they perceive as their two possible choices.

Tesha

[DeadEyeDyck]

48. I have thought about this topic a long time

I have reached the conclusion that no arguement will bring the left and right together. They are so different that you would think they came from a different planet. For that reason, I advocate some for of secession.

I don't mean that people put their belongings in an ox cart and go to the other AmeriKa. I see something like a virtual secession.

What if you were allowed to state explicitly the type of country you supported, progressive or conservative? Those on the left could have Univ Health Care with single payer, government paid education, gay marraige, unfettered abortion, union shops, strong socialism that takes ownership or control of most corporations that are also left in nature?

The other side would have their individual rights, privatization of everything, home school and private education where everything is bought by the individual. They can fight their wars and enact a draft. Have their guns. Pay for their own firemen and private policemen. They can support giant corporations and money grubbers. They can pray in theis schools while waving the flag. They participate with their types and we with ours.

In a sense, we do this with the Armish community. It would require some adjustments and compromise but at least each side could see where their way of life gets them.

I think eventually one type of society would win - hands down and the other would learn. Then we would not have this polarized country like we have today.

Oh well, back to sleep....

[tom_paine]

54. That's a nice thought, and I hate to be a cynic, but knowing human history

I think it much more likely that, as their Privatized Paradise collapsed into poverty and despair, their rulers would have no choice, in order to save their own skins and power, to invade us and take our stuff.

It's an old story, but one which keeps playing over and over. In a RW Authoritarian Nation, such as you described, purged of it's liberal and intellectual elements, no complicated dog-and-pony show of elaborate lies and Corporate Media Infoganda would be necessary.

They'd probably do something very straightforward and simply, like the Nazis did to Poland. Dress up a bunch of their guys in our uniforms, and attack themselves.

Then the invasion. I don't think they'd put us in concentration camps and do the Hitler thing, that would be bad PR. But they WOULD put us in Slave Labor Camps with shitty food and nonexistant medical treatment.

Then Rush, Beck and the trest of the Kinder and Gentler Nazis would chortle about how "liberals and Arabs do die fearful when they have to do actual work, they're so unused to it."

Sorry to be a bummer, but that's my view

[Imajika]

49. So let me get this straight...

The American people scare you because you believe they are obsessed with Obama being a "socialist", and you think they can't tell black from white, truth from lies, etc, etc.

Yet, this same American electorate over the last several years has voted FOR Obama by a near landslide, put 58 Democrats in Senate and 2 left of center independents giving the Democrats a filibuster proof Senate, made Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco (arguably one of the most liberal cities) Speaker of the House, continue to give the President near 50% approval ratings despite a horrendous economy, etc, etc.

Don't you think you, in light of all this, your post sounds kinda...well...foolish?

The public can't help that the Democrat's fail at message management. It isn't the public's fault Obama didn't push for a healthcare bill everyone could easily understand and get behind.

Is this post about Mass? I am sorry, but Coakley is a pretty bad candidate. It is what it is. The voters have seen some of the shenanigans the Democratic party has pulled in MA and didn't much care for a candidate that didn't much bother to campaign and acted entitled to the seat.

The fact that people sometimes vote in ways you abhor is nothing new. It HAS always been thus. The public voted for Nixon...twice. The public voted for Reagan...twice.

Then again, the public also voted for FDR - 4 times. The public voted for Clinton twice.

Politicians lose touch with the people. Political parties often forget about the people they are supposed to be representing. Sometimes people just want to try something new. That is democracy. It is nothing new, and it will always be this way in a free country.

Castro has been in power 50 years. Some here love the guy, but in no democracy is any one person or political party going to be running the show for 50 years. Change is good. Change forces people and political organizations to grow, adapt, innovate, rethink, etc, etc.

I wouldn't spend much time being scared of the people if I were you. The people are fine.

BTW, I think Coakley is still going to win, and I think the fact that it is this close might just be a good lesson for our party.

[GoCubsGo]

51. Like Gore Vidal said...

United States of Amnesia. It HAS always been thus. You'd think the consequences of the Hoover administration would have been the end of his party, yet...

[Atticus]

53. I have a very well-read liberal friend who quietly assures me that mankind has only

been able to maintain a progressive and enlightened society for a generation or so at a time. He further notes that we entered a "downward" or negative phase of the cycle when Reagan was elected and we will not live long enough to see the goodwill, optimism and prosperity return.

I'm pouring a tall one. Tomorrow is another day.

[KittyWampus]

56. The crap DU'ers post scares me to.

[GCP]

58. We've lived here for 30 years

Brought up our kids here. But my husband desperately wants to move back to the UK. We cannot believe what this place has become. I blame Reagan, but it seems like the country has gone completely off the tracks and nobody seems to be able to do anything about it.

[IsItJustMe]

64. I know exactly what you are talking about. A good lie seems to catch on and repeat itself over and

over again regardless of rational thought. I never really understood it until I read this book called "Virus of the Mind".

At least now I know where the insanity is coming from.


ON EDIT: Here is another scary thought about the good old US of A that can make you loose sleep. Approx. 48% of this country voted for McCaine with Sarah Palin on the ticket as Vice President. Now you tell me that this country isn't seriously Fricked up.

[hfojvt]

68. you mean just the ones who post on DU?

Or all of us?

[Alias Dictus Tyrant]

69. The American people?

How about just "people", it isn't unique to Americans. It is endemic to the human race.

I have yet to find a corner of the globe -- and I've checked -- where the local population is not provincial and ignorant. The only real difference is that people just choose different things to be provincial or ignorant about, per the local fashion. Some silly choices are better than others as a practical matter, but the underlying problem is the whole "provincial and ignorant" part.