Idiocracy
Have too many Americans become gullible, ill-informed idiots who have elevated feelings over facts and replaced critical thinking with a blind sense of trust for authority? I'm not trying to be insulting here; I'm just trying to figure out Rudy Giuliani's poll numbers.
Four years ago Tucker Carlson asked Britney Spears on CNN, "A lot of entertainers have come out against the war in Iraq. Have you?" And Britney, who was chewing gum throughout the entire interview, answered, "Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens."
It's this kind of head-in-the-sand, free rein granted to those believed to be in a position of moral authority that has led to warrantless wiretapping, torture, and a $6.1 million judgment for a Kentucky McDonald's employee named Louise Ogborn. In 2004, Louise was 18 and working at McDonald's when her assistant manager Donna called her into the back office, said a police officer on the phone had identified her as a thief, and then forced Louise, under the "cop's" orders, to strip naked, do nude jumping jacks, submit to a spanking and finally perform oral sex on Donna's 43-year-old exterminator fiancé. The whole ordeal, ordered by a prankster over the phone, lasted three hours. But you know what they say about fast-food work -- the time flies when you're busy.
A Kentucky jury listened to testimony, watched a videotape of the entire incident and awarded Louise $6.1 million dollars from the obviously culpable party in this matter -- the McDonald's Corporation. That's right, two adults pressure a third adult into stripping, a spanking and a blowjob based on the word of a stranger on the phone and the fault lies not with the gullible idiots who blindly obeyed some perceived voice of authority, but with the company that happens to have its name on the sign out front. McDonald's has a written policy in their training manual against any type of strip searches and even sent out a voicemail warning franchises about such phone hoaxes but the jury found that the company was liable because, after all, the perv on the phone did say he was a cop and what choice did Donna the assistant manager have but to, as Britney says, "just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens"?
Bill Maher is the host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" which airs every Friday at 11PM.
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Have too many Americans become gullible, ill-informed idiots who have elevated feelings over facts and replaced critical thinking with a blind sense of trust for authority?
uh.... "Yes."
It's far easier NOT to think, NOT to pay attention to what's happening, NOT to take any personal responsibility for anything, NOT to 'grow up' and be an adult.....
and when authority figures are screaming "You're goon DIE!!!! TERRORISTS are coming!!!!!" well, an awful lot of people ARE going to cower under their beds and be more than happy if someone says "I'll protect you!"
what has this country become??????
are'nt we not unfrotunate that comedians are some of our best sources of political reason.
in my opinion, joe biden is the only candidate who sprinkles a lil science in 07 presidential politics..
p.s hou u during?????
These are the same stupid working class people that voted for Bush! Just blindly do what your told and listen to authority. After all he's a Christian and would never do wrong or betray your trust, and of course he'll only look out for your best interests and do whats right for America!
A vast of Americans supported the invasion of Iraq, a sovereign country that had done nothing to the USA. Citizens as well as almost all of the senior voices in both houses of Congress voted for the war, including, Madame Clinton, John Kerry, and John Edwards.
These citizens and lawmakers viewed Iraq as imminent danger to the USA. Why had the USA not invaded Pakistan, whose chief nuclear scientist was busy handing off Pakistan's nuclear know-how to a large number of rogue regimes? If Iraq was a danger, what about North Korea?
It seems self-evident that for most Americans, the so called "intelligence" on Iraq's WMD was irrelevant. The country went to war on the basis that it would be a cake-walk, not unlike the first Gulf War. The view that Saddam had something to do with 9-11 was and remains patently ridiculous.
Your question Bill hardly needed to be asked. Americans in general are astonishingly ignorant and unusually misinformed about almost all matters that lie beyond their borders and their immediate comfort zone.
The dumbing down of Americans began decades ago, and it is painfully obvious. Just tune into FOX and one gets a good idea of just how low standards have fallen. That this network would make Pravda look like a rank amateurs is hardly their most disturbing trait, rather it their constant stream of numbingly juvenile trash that is so shameful and that future historians will underscore.
Need I say more than to point out that Madame Rice and Dick Cheney speak glowing of FOX.
You had it nailed in the first two sentences. We are fast becoming a nation of stupid,gullible people.
Read Al Gore's book "Assault On Reason".St
In a survey done last year,almost half of the people in a random street interview couldn't identify Dick Chaney but they identified the main contestants on American Idol !
That's a little hard to believe. Cheney is the most notorious vp since Spiro Agnew. Has been for years now.
Along these lines Bill, witness WalMart's CEO explaining that the 'Mart exists to gratify the wishes/needs of the poor. Next will we see shrinks drumming up business by subliminally inducing psychosis? wth?
Great words Bill !!
Couldnt have said it better myself.
As my nickname states, most the populas has gone numb and deaf to the realities and what it really takes to get things right again. Most people wont go march on Washington like back in the 60s, they are too busy in their little "bubble reality", myself included. We are all in deep shit here and theres no getting out of it short of a civil war right here at home. Dont take away our 2nd ammendment rights, we need our guns to fight off big brother when the day comes for us to do so. it wont be bin ladin that takes us out, it will be our own "nazi" government. They are bleeding America dry of money and have all but ruined our beautiful constitution.
JMHO
I think it's called 'ditto heads'.
Kudos to Al Gore and the ICCC for winning the Nobel Peace prize!
Everyone must take action, at whatever level, to combat Global Warming. It is our duty as decent citizens, responsible parents, and concerned individuals. The time for ignorance is long past.
Shari Buhan
yahoo.com1@yahoo.com
Hmmm...I'm not sure periods of productivity aren't the exception rather than the rule. Still, the people who made up this country 30 or 40 years ago when Watergate broke, well the shit that passes for governing now would never have flown then. We've been good at making money--until the rest of the world caught up. We jumped into wars when necessary. People around the world seemed to like us enough to want to come here, or at least emulate us. At our highest and best, we could lead the world in how to be productive and environmentally sound at the same time. We have the talent, what we suffer is a profound lack of vision. I don't see it changing soon. And by the way, no one will die without tv. My family does fine without it.
In the 1970s, Stanley Milgram conducted an amazing series of experiments that predicted the incident described by Bill Maher.
The Milgram experiments repeatedly demonstrated, under tight scientific controls, that more than 70 percent of average Americans (regardless of education or religious membership) can be counted on to brutalize innocent persons, provided only that they can defer responsibility to a credible authority under whose control they feel subject.
Bill Maher describes just such an incident in American life. If you want to read a summary of the Milgram experiments, go here:
http://www
america isn't any more dumbed down than it ever was. as for macdonald's getting hit with the lawsuit (I hope and trust there were criminal proceedings against the individuals involved) if a factory supervisor insisted a worker do something unsafe and the worker was injured, the factory would still be culpable. isn't that what osha protections and workplace safety are all about? making sure that there is a safe workplace environment? that's the corporation's responsibility. isn't it? what's the matter, bill, you think just because it's a fast food joint, a workplace (which hired the manager, etc.) isn't responsible for its workers during hours?
Bill,
Did you ever notice how the Germans had no control over what Hitler did? It's the same here. Our government is pursuing an agenda and they don't care what you think. Sorry.
I just wanted to make sure you understood. Even if you find a smoking gun laying in the middle of the street they aren't going to suddenly stop and say, "Oops! you got me. Okay I'll stop now. What can I do to make it up to you?"
This isn't Watergate and the fix is already in. I suspect the most we'll ever get from here on out is sober pronouncements from kindly looking middle-aged ladies about how seriously they take their responsibilities.
I haven't detected one iota of concern from our Government about what their doing and then it occured to me. Why would they be concerned? Everything is going pretty much exactly as planned. Oh that Mahr guy and his bunch whine alot but I don't expect they'll be charging the White House gates anytime soon.
Watching the TV show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" is a poignant walk down Idiocy Lane. Adult contestants, too stupid to answer 1st grade questions (ever thought of studying the curriculum before being a contestant?), beg their fifth grade saviors for help. So, so pathetic. Some who flunk out without earning any money don't even seem ashamed about their stupidity. They smile, simper, laugh even. If I were them, I'd hightail it to my nearest library
This is nothing new...how else would you account for GOP's electoral victories. There is nothing the right wing has to offer in terms of public policy; yet it has managed to dominated electoral politics at the national level.
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