For many years America has been sliding into a dark abyss...
... succumbing to the lowest common-denominator -- spurning intelligence for 'cool.'
As a result all areas of American life have changed, but not for the better. In fact, it is easier to be stupid than it is to become smart. And, unfortunately, America has embraced stupid.
Sarah Palin has somehow emerged at the vortex of this strange struggle -- this negative storm. Perceived by some to be the answer for this country's ills, she is, in fact, one of the causes.
This erosion was happening long before Palin burst onto the scene, but her presence has exposed the negative effects of the direction we've been heading for many years. The Palinization of America!
What exactly is Palinization?
As I define it, it is the culmination of many years of unfortunate decisions regarding child rearing -- ill-conceived self-image programs, rewarding mere participation, the alienization of punishment, and the emergence of political correctness.
It is the failure of the education system; the dumbing down of America.
It's the self-righteousness and vitriol of religious factions.
The loss of civility due, in-part, to an erosion of communication skills.
It's the lies of politicians and corporate executives. The slow decay of integrity and honesty.
it's unreality television.
And, it's an uninformed and ignorant electorate; partially the result of a deficient media.
The lowest common denominators.
This has never been in more evidence than the rise of Sarah Palin. She is neither enlightened nor learned, but that doesn't seem to deter her or those that have followed her example. This lack of intelligence or knowledge is not isolated to Palin. There is a growing number of people who have been elected or threaten to run for office that have little understanding of history, the Constitution, government, or the law. Most are lacking common sense.
Those include Michele Bachmann, Louis Gohmert, Marsha Blackburn, Thaddeaus McCotter, Virginia Foxx, Rick Santorum, the Donald, and many others -- each hysterically and Constitutionally challenged.
This affliction seems to be rooted in the Republican side of politics, and Sarah Palin is the queen. Her answers to even the simplest of questions posed are either absurd or insane; incoherent ramblings void of intelligent content, filled with incongruous and meaningless analogies.
But it is the journalist's failure to challenge her inane statements that offends my intelligence, and should be equally embarrassing to the journalist and to the country.
The mere implication that Palin, Bachmann, Santorum, or Trump might run for President is not only outrageous but weakens the political process.
America is facing a multitude of urgent problems that demand serious, intelligent, common sense solutions in order to put us back on the right track.
That will never occur with the characters currently chosen to lead the nation.
We are in grave need of stronger, more informed voices, but they're being drowned out by the Palins, Bachmanns, and the Tea Party. Until we elect smarter representatives we're destined to continue down this same destructive path.
The rise of the Tea Party is another example of the nation-wide decline. They are an easily agitated disorganized fringe movement driven by weak interpretations and misinformation. A group with no clear message or direction. Their misdirected anger and overblown representation is fading for good reason.
The best thing that could happen to this country would be the media reestablishing its integrity by ignoring Palin, Bachmann, Trump, and Santorum and concentrating on the legitimate candidates and issues. Quit being the Lame Stream Media and return to covering important meaningful issues instead of the Palinized platitudes used by insignificant candidates and the Tea Party. This would help restore the media's integrity and trustworthiness; something that is grossly lacking and eroding this democracy.
The media can then be part of the solution rather than the big part of the problem it has become.
In order to survive as a nation we must vehemently oppose the dumbing down that threatens our place in the world order.
We must aggressively challenge the unfortunate Palinization of America!
Follow Jim Worth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorofmystery
You can't talk about Palinization of America without mentioning the Bushwhacking we took back then.
Indeed, End Times would come to fruition if by some fluke Palin had the "nukular" codes. By some fluke, I mean Diebold machines.
As much as we snicker at the thought of Sarah Palin running for President and the comedy gold, I can't laugh when I consider two sets of brothers that could make it possible for her to reach the White House:
1. obviously the billionaire Koch brothers, Charles and David, who have the money and influence over members of the U.S. Supreme Court, and
2. the Urosevich brothers, Bob and Todd. "Their respective companies, Diebold and ES&S, will count (using BOTH computerized ballot scanners and touchscreen machines) about 80% of all votes cast in the upcoming U.S. presidential election."
http://www.thelandesreport.com/UrosevichBrothers.htm
Even though the above is a 2004 article, I have no doubt that the percentage of voting machines is at least the same or higher.
Another factor to consider is the testimony of Clinton Curtis:
http://videosift.com/video/From-The-Programmers-Mouth-How-The-2000-Election-Was-Fixed
"Computer programmer Clinton Curtis testified at the December 13th, 2004 Congressional hearing in Columbus, Ohio naming Republican Congressman Tom Feeney as the person who hired him to prepare vote-rigging software."
November 7th, 2000 was a disaster in so many ways and we'll be paying the price for that mistake for possibly 3 decades.
I would like you to read the two articles on The Cutting Edge Blog at my website, It's Worth an Opinion under the category 'Republican Crises' at http://worthanopinion.net.
With the debate going on over the debt ceiling I plan to finish the third article in the series and write an additional article about the debt ceiling.
Keep pushing for some sanity in this country and we may overcome the destructive Bush years sometime in the future.
Jim
The recent WPO poll shows that almost two-thirds of Americans say they will definitely not vote for Palin and yet, she is on the news everywhere, and of course, we have the non-stop obsession of Andrew Sullivan. The media is nine-tenths of the problem.
Oh, and every parent should read "the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother."
If they did speak with her, they just threw softball, "Are you running for President" questions. The need to start demanding some respect from this grifter.
Honestly, it was embarassing to watch as is the dumbing down of America that Palin promotes.
The news here reads like an action novella! You literally have the “bold†and the “beautifulâ€, the “goodâ€, the “badâ€, and the “uglyâ€! Nothing else sells to the “sheep-leâ€.
The one thing I disagree with you on (maybe) is that the educational system failed. I believe it was sabotaged by those, who believe that the stupid are easier to control!
The dumbing down of America!
Sad!
Her most inane story was that she claimed to be 7 months pregnant the day after John McCain won the Republican nomination.
In September 2008, journalists stuck their fingers in their ears and blindfolded their eyes and refused to investigate her "Wild Ride". Journalists have failed miserably to look at all the details that have been discovered since then.
Henry Blodget at Business Insider has been opening the conversation regarding Sarah Palin’s “pregnancy†with Trig.
http://politicalgates.blogspot.com/2011/06/henry-blodget-appeals-to-his-readers-at.html
I totally agree with you on this. However, when making a point about the lack of intelligence and education in our country, you ought to proof-read a little better. Grammatical errors have the potential to turn an otherwise intelligent statement into little more than irony.
You say "affects" when you mean "effects".
You didn't capitalize a sentence that stands alone (so it stands out).
You write "challenge her inane statements that offends my intelligence." The word "offends" should have no letter "s" on the end.
Again, I agree with your point wholeheartedly. Next time, just take better care to write as intelligently as your point speaks.
Thank you for your input and let me say that I agree with your suggestion. I will pay more attention to the grammar instead of hurrying to get it posted. Not a good thing when commenting on failing education.
I hope you will continue to read my future articles as I try to bring prescient issues to light.
Thanks,
Jim
Further, itt appears you bungled it again, Mr. Worth. An issue cannot be "prescient"; Webster's defining prescient thusly:
foreknowledge of events:
a : divine omniscience
b : human anticipation of the course of events: FORESIGHT
With your "It is fun to listen to the inanities" you compel me to concur.
But one thing you I have to admit about the media covering the Palin's, Bachmann's etc., of this world, they sure are fun to follow. They are today's version of the funny papers. I'm hooked. I just can't miss an episode.
I have to confess. It is fun to listen to the inanities, especially from Palin and Bachmann and the comedy derived from these statements is somewhat addicting.
At some point, though, it has to stop and we need to get back to fixing this country. I am writing a coming article that I think you will enjoy entitled, "The Failure of the Fourth Estate" which follows along these same lines.
Thanks for the comment.
Jim
If the journalists had done their job in September 2008, Americans would very likely have a much better health care system instead of suffering through her insufferable lies about "Death Panels". Instead, the entire media plugged their ears, put on blindfolds and refused to investigate the circumstances of her 44 day pregnancy.