Owen,
A theory (hypothesis strictly speaking) ... With all their polls and
focus groups, the Republicans decided/discovered long ago that scaring
the bejeebus out of people over fear of national insecurity was a great
way to get elected and re-elected. The antidote to fear is a decent
education, so the Republicans undermine the country's education system
making it only available to the more wealthy, convicted right wingers
who benefit from "them who has the gold make the rules". Then feed the
less well educated on the belief of an American Dream (whateverthatis),
repeat the mantra of "trickle-down-economics will work... trickle-..."
and sleep well at night. Repeatedly tell folks Republicans are the only
true patriots capable of defending the country from the foreign peril
etc. and you have a self-perpetuating system. Until one day it just
doesn't sell.
But as I say it's just a theory: could it be?
But I don't buy stupid people, I buy educationally deprived people, ie
willful but not on their part.
R
Owen Densmore wrote:
I'm very willing to accept your premise that people are willful,
stupid, ignorant, and all the rest.
The question is: why does that imply a particular voting pattern? Why
do idiots vote republican? Have republicans mastered some weird sort
of hypnotism that gathers in the ignorant?
I'd presume some sort of Gaussian curve for idiots, wouldn't you? Why
are they skewed one way or the other? Why aren't they stupid enough
to vote for Obama?
-- Owen
On Oct 31, 2008, at 12:10 PM, Douglas Roberts wrote:
Owen,
I'm guessing (purely guessing; I could be completely wrong) that you
have
not ever had a job that brought you squarely into daily contact with
"average" people. I suggest this, because if you had, you most
assuredly
would not be asking (paraphrasing now)
"Why are people so willing to be completely fucking ignorant?"
The answer, IMNSHO is: the human population is, in the aggregate, on the
average, with some exceptions, pretty happy being completely fucking
ignorant.
Another way of asking your question would be: "Why are people the way
they
are?" The answer of course, is: "Because that's the way they are."
Of course now, I find myself wondering why you are wondering why
people are
the way they are...
I mean, isn't it obvious?
--Doug
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
