People, when confronted by difficult challenges, have always been subject to descending into ignorance. This has been the challenge to society ever since it was initiated by huddling humans.
Without a rational approach to problem solving, whenever men are driven by fear to fall back on superstition and suspicion of what is new, losing confidence in their ability to cope with the challenges to be faced, human society has suffered. We all have a very human weakness - for wanting to avoid solving hard problems and to withdraw into obsessive insistence on long held prejudices and beliefs. When traumatized people engage in repetitive (autistic-like) behavior. You see people insisting on simple, reassuring practices and beliefs. Repetitive chanting of slogans and demanding unswerving loyalty to simple, absolute rules as 'solutions', encompasses the full range of political expression of this fearful crowd. It's a flight from difficulties, wishing they would just 'go away. Holding out hope that chanting magical words will drive the demons away.
But does this mean America is descending into a Dark Age of stupitiy and fear, i.e. Conservatism? I believe, fortunately, things are not as bad as is postulated by some.
Note that a CBS poll on the Debt Ceiling Debate, revealed that 66% of respondents said they wanted a balanced debt ceiling agreement with as much revenue increases as program cuts. So you see (to borrow from Mark Twain), rumors of the death of rational thought in America ... are exaggerated.
Now the poll revealed that there is an indication of an inward turning, autisic kind of ignorance among a portion of those polled who only wanted cuts and no revenue increases. But I believe this ignorance has been given larger voice by President Obama's unwillingness (or inability), since coming into office, to vigorously 'Fight the Good Fight' against stupidity, and the relentless use of disinformation by the Corporate Lobbyist party. This sort of behaviour on the President's part, only encourages bad behaviour by the con men and 'acting-out' by the fearful, childish, the easily lead. It is childish fear which is really the basis of the ignorance which leads those so emotionally disabled to stubbornly hold out agaist all rational argument and evidence, which establishes the invalidity of their beliefs. They hold, obdurately, to their non-reality based beliefs (an emotional blanket, ala Linus) despite all evidence of their irrelevance.
But I believe there have always been times when a segment of the population which has always been out of touch with how things really work, get more agitated (not just when the moon is full). At such times they act out, with much shouting and noise-making (perhaps out of a desire to drive off the 'bad spirits' which frighten them). They cause much contumely and garner no small amount of attention (especially from vapid corporate media types). But after a time, the novelty wears off. People grow tired of their repetitive tantrums. And losing the attention they so desperately want, they wander off, muttering to themselves. Leaving the problems to be solved (and often the mess to be cleaned up) by more sober personalities.
Yes, the ignorant can disrupt things for a while. But I do not believe we are headed for a new Dark Ages. This too, will pass, .... like a difficult bowel movement.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/18/poll-debt-ceiling-deal-should-include-cuts-and-tax-increases/
Poll: Debt ceiling deal should include cuts and tax increases
By: CNN's Rebecca Stewart
(CNN)-As the debt ceiling clock ticks down, a new poll indicates that more Americans favor a balanced approach to reaching a deal resolving the nation's budget deficit.
According to a CBS News Poll released Monday, 66 percent of Americans say an agreement to raise the amount of money the nation can borrow should include both spending cuts and tax increases.
More than half of Republicans say the agreement should be balanced and roughly seven out of ten Democrats and independents say the same. More tea party supporters also agree, since 53 percent say any deal should include both spending cuts and tax increases.
Republicans and adults who identify with the tea party are more likely than Democrats or independents to support a plan that only includes spending cuts. Almost four in 10 Republicans favor using spending cuts alone to reduce the deficit and 44 percent of tea party supporters agree. Twenty percent of Democrats would leave tax increases out of a debt ceiling deal and include cuts only; 28 percent of independents say the same.
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