"There are a whole lot of folks who make people stupid for a living"

[phantom power]

The latest Democracy Corp report (pdf) on the beliefs of Republicans is highly depressing. It's not only what they believe; it's that they are just wrong about everything. Their brains have been marinated in a toxic stew of highly corrosive anti-science religion, Fox News, hate radio, and intensely targeted misinformation campaigns. It's a wonder that they can still remember where the Sun rises and sets.

The study broke Republicans into focus groups and then categorized them as either moderates, evangelicals, or Tea Party members. The moderates sound like sane people who just don't like paying taxes or dealing with government regulations. The evangelicals and Tea Party folks sound like they've been programmed by a malicious scam-artist oligarch/preacher. They are all totally paranoid. I mean "paranoid" doesn't even do justice to what they believe. We need a stronger word.

...

Part of me insists on mocking these people, but I am actually angry that there are so many people who have been programmed to be this upset and filled with anxiety and basically unhappy. People aren't naturally this mixed up. You have to physically damage people to get them to believe and behave this way.

There are a whole lot of folks who make people stupid for a living. And they're screwing up my country.

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2013/10/3/18283/5618

[Laelth]

1. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[meadowlark5]

2. It's really a shame

And people make them angry and stupid for their own short term gain with no care of how it will effect this country for decades to come.

[Uncle Joe]

3. The Jimmy Kimmel thread on this forum is an excellent example of the power of propaganda

Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2013, 08:42 PM - Edit history (1)

in dumbing down the American People down.

But the dumbing down damage is perpetrated by much more of the corporate media than just FOX "News" and hate radio, the supposed central, "mainstream" entities play a more insidious role.

Most people have come to expect rabid right wing points of view from FOX and hate radio, but when the supposed neutrals in the corporate media use soft forms of manipulation, that's more difficult to detect or oppose and as a result far more damaging.

The upshot being the corporate media is first, last and foremost the corporate media, no matter their ideological label.

Thanks for the thread, phantom power.

[liberal N proud]

4. Some are on FOX, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC

As well as the groups in the article.

[pscot]

5. Our economy is based on it.

Every thing we are today we owe to Madison Ave. We'd be nothing if we didn't shop.