How Our Media Is Helping America Turn into a Land of Political Idiots

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/media/how-our-media-helping-america-turn-land-political-idiots

Just days after the midterm election, President Barack Obama made a big climate change deal with China, asked the F.C.C. to regulate Internet service providers as if they were public utilities and pledged to address the immigration mess on his own instead of continuing to wait for Congress to arise from its dysfunctional deathbed.

The president’s inaction on these issues until now was intended to prevent the electoral debacle and partisan caterwauling that happened anyway. His previous patience has proven to be time squandered, and his search for common ground with folks who wanted his head on a pike turned out to be a case study in bad poker playing, if not wishful thinking.

This post-election Obama is the one voters thought they put into office in 2008, but who spent the next six years being called naïve for projecting their civic hopes onto a cypher. Whatever triggered his transformation – legacy clock ticking, nothing left to lose, stopbullying.gov – it’s a heartening moment for his base. The challenge now for him is to deliver on that change; the challenge for his supporters is to rescue the stakes of these changes from soap opera.

We loves us our political melodrama. “Will the Republicans force a government shutdown by baiting Obama to veto a budget that defunds immigration reform?” is the Washington equivalent of “What will Lance do when Kimberly tells him his lover is actually his sister?” “Will the House impeach Obama?” is as effective a cliffhanger as “Will the train slice Pauline into pieces?” The same narrative toolkit that makes stories entertaining – conflict, suspense, danger and rescue, power and perversion – also makes democracy theatrical and casts its citizens as spectators.

[liberal N proud]

1. The American media has been turned into a propaganda machine designed to mislead/misinform

and drive the American intelligence into the ground. Ignorance is bliss they say, but reality is that Ignorant citizens are easily led where the corporate master want them to go.

[underpants]

4. God I am glad you didn't use the word "stupid"

Because that would be too accurate.

I totally agree with your post

[Frustratedlady]

2. Social media is also a conduit for RW rumors and lies...

Granted, a huge percentage of the media is an echo-chamber for the RW talking points and lies, but the social media contributes a great deal, as well. In fact, it is scary how quickly a lie can travel around the world, let alone the U.S., and no one takes the time to refute those lies. Also, the Democrats seem to be shy in backing the POTUS, which is a shame.

[badtoworse]

3. I would not underestimate the voters

It's quite possible they understand the issues and are just rejecting Obama's agenda. Not considering that smacks of elitism and denial.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. not just "political" idiots.