Admittedly, I approached the attached article with a mixture of fear and anger. Setting aside these feelings and, valiantly I may add, resisting the urge to break something, I read. It was not until approximately 1/2 complete,
that the actual story was revealed:
"Exactly how Americans define "socialism" or what exactly they think of when they hear the word is not known"
It occurs to me, that this statement encapsulates much of what I believe to be a the failings and ills of society today.
Gone are the days, if they once existed, of opinions rooted in fact and study. Regardless of your thought of socialism, should not an individual have, at the very least, a general understanding of an issue prior to lending their thoughts a voice? I cannot help but feel, that this seemingly minor issue, lies curled at the base of the majority of the problems we face as Americans today. The consistent failure, day in and out, to truly define that which you stand for and against has become an anchor on this great nation.
Daily, people expound upon that which they half-understand, vote without research or fact, blindly trust that all will be "okay", and, in the end, assign blame where they see fit. The responsibility for the mess we currently enjoy lies within us all. Whether because we have failed to properly educate ourselves in each decision, to prepare our children, or merely to speak out when the time is ripe, the fault is surely ours. With every silenced tongue and lazy opinion, democracy dies.
Socialism refers to the various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of compensation based on the amount of labor expended
I believe that the phenomenon of which you speak began with Hunter S. Thompson and gonzo journalism. Worst thing ever.
ReplyDeleteIt continued with the advent of "eye-witness" interviews. This gave people the horribly mistaken impression that anybody gives a crap about them or what they have to say publicly. I don't know how many times I have wanted to punch a television while watching "Joe McBlow" tell me that "there were just flames shooting out everywhere" or "he was always real quite, kind of kept to himself. But I never had any problems with him." No, kidding, Joe. The five-alarm fire was shooting flames everywhere. Glad you were there to witness that. Otherwise, I would have no idea what a FIRE LOOKS LIKE.
Then you progress to American Idol and Deal or No Deal, where people assume we want to hear their life story just because they are standing in front of a briefcase, a button and a bald comedian.
Finally, the "too big to fail" belief is held by many people concerning our government and way of life. As you said, things will work out. It'll be OK. There's nothing we can do to completely screw ourselves. Really?
All of this has greyed the line between having actual, useful knowledge to impart and simply having a platform from which to spew your ignorance.
The only three possible solutions that I see, other than shipping stupid people to California and then blowing it up, are education, education and education. Taught by people who have practical knowledge and skills rather than people who like construction paper art projects and story time.
Excellent blog! The whole "bipartisan thing" has gotten so out of hand that people no longer seem to examine or explore the issues. They just throw out whatever limited knowledge they have received from viral emails.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading more of your blogs!