American unreason: why US politics is full of clever men being wilfully stupid

[T_i_B]

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peterfoster/100268787/why-american-politics-is-full-of-clever-men-being-wilfully-stupid/

The voices of Palin and her ilk echo those of the 18th- and 19th-century Religious Awakenings and unlicensed Revivalist preachers who took on the intellectual establishment clergy with their direct appeals to emotion – no need to study at a seminary, just pick up a Bible and preach.

Even writing 50 years ago, Hofstadter identifies how – unable to argue against experts in an increasingly complex and technological world – the "commonsense" politicians simply take populist "revenge" against the eggheads because it struck a chord with the common people. It is essentially the same industry of ignorance and outrage, except that now it takes place not on the village stump but in the Fox TV studios and Tea Party jamborees where people like Ted Cruz – Princeton and Harvard-educated and married to a Goldman Sachs executive – can take the stage at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference and call for the "abolition of the IRS".

The shame is not with the uneducated, but with the politicians and pundits who fit that long American tradition of clever men being wilfully stupid. They do nicely from the television fees and ego-boosts, but as they pander to ignorance, they serve their own interests rather than those of the ordinary, angry, hard-pressed people whose lives they claim to want to improve.

Having just come from China, where education is prized as a lifeline to a better life, the contrast feels particularly stark.

[DetlefK]

1. I just realized which kind of superhero wouldn't work for US-audiences.

What is the trait of a hero?
1. He is outstanding.
2. In the climactic battle, he slays enemies by the dozen, regardless whether this makes sense or not. Examples: Kristen Stewart in "Snow White and the Huntsman", the Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland", Queen Gorgo in "300: Rise of an Empire"

Physical excellence as a sign of outstanding importance.

But what if a superhero's abilities were purely mental? I'm not talking telekinesis or telepathy. I'm talking reaction-time and intellect.

Think Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes in the fight-scenes. And now transfer that character into the Marvel Universe.
Imagine a superhero with the ability to be super-smart.
* He can immediately analyze an environment and the technology he encounters and exploit them to take down enemies.
* He's super-fast in drawing the correct conclusions in convoluted situations.
* He can immediately analyze somebody's personality and holes in his reasoning and exploit them to manipulate that person.
* He throws a weak punch.
* He defeats enemies by fighting dirty and unfair.

A small, skinny, ugly guy who can take down big, strong, manly henchmen by running away and outsmarting them.
Do you think, that character would be likable?

[yurbud]

3. Did you see THE WATCHMEN?

An even better use of the "genius" superhero.

Ozymandius realizes the nations of the world will eventually destroy everything if they don't have a common enemy to fight, so he creates one at the terrible cost of nuking a dozen cities.

The true genius superhero is a chess player who is a couple of moves ahead before his opponent realizes he's even playing.

[DetlefK]

7. But would a genius superhero be sympathetic enough for a stand-alone feature?

Can you imagine Ozymandias replacing Captain America in "Captain America 2"?

[yurbud]

8. no. A real genius would deflect the threat before it got to the point of violence

[yurbud]

5. Now I'll have to watch Downey's Sherlock, thanks.

[OnyxCollie]

2. Two quotes in response:

“Much of politics is the rational manipulation of irrational symbols.”
― Michael Parenti, Conspiracy and class power


“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”
― Upton Sinclair, I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked

[yurbud]

4. that Upton Sinclair quote comes in way too handy discussing politics

"Why can't I get my Congressman, a Democrat to do the right thing?"

"Why doesn't that supposedly liberal columnist or TV spokesmodel 'reporter' to acknowledge this or that fact?"

It answers both and related questions neatly.

[Doctor_J]

6. Stupidity, even if willful, would be forgiveable

the corruption, not so much. Palin is both.