| JPL78 said: I realize it's oversimplistic but it's a paragraph in an internet discussion not a doctoral thesis. I don't disagree with you either but making blanket statements that fat Americans with their heads in Doritos bags are dumb and lazy and that is the problem is a bit oversimplistic as well. And for the record I don't advocate "more democracy" but a more effective and representational one. I know that is a pipe dream. |
I don't think it is all that oversimplistic. That was a bit of illustrative hyperbole, sure, but people being content to be ignorant and lose themselves in distractions for as long as they can is both basic human nature and the cause of many, probably most, societal and political problems. Most people only poke their heads up when their good time is interrupted, at which point they are ticked off and looking for something to kill so they can go back to normalcy ASAP. When 9/11 signalled an end to the heyday that was the '90s, it was, "Kill them ragfucks!" When Iraq turned into a clusterfuck there was a lot of, "Bush is Hitler! OMG, Bush must've done 9/11!" When the housing bubble burst, it was all, "Goddamn banks!" Everyone always suddenly fancies himself to be some kind of expert on this new and unfamiliar situation just because he has strongly held opinions about it, and very few people shut the hell up and bother to actually become educated on the complexities before coming to a conclusion about it.
And that's the problem with a more representative democracy. Who is going to win a popularity contest, do you think? A smooth liar, or an unpolished but honest person? A guy who tries to contend with the vagueries of life and tells some unpleasant truths? Or a guy who promises easy explanations and quick solutions, complete with a devil onto whom all blame conveniently falls?
