Did anyone else watch the debates and question times prior to the british election? (they ran some of them on cspan and may still be on the cspan site if you want to see them) The Daily Show also has some clips of them here which I STRONGLY recommend everyone watch for the comparison:
http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/videos.jhtmlClick "a spot of..."
The debates were so open, and people were so informed. It was like NOTHING I've seen in american politics for the past 10 years. I blame the corporate media for it the most, but I'm afraid part of the blame must also fall on people who choose to pay no attention at all.
I was talking to some republicans the other day who were sold on the idea that social security would be gone a few years from now if nothing was done. They told me that the bush plan would need to be used. I wanted to avoid being confrontational as it was at work, but I asked some questions that were intended to make them think.
One of them was "So the bush plan lets you put money in the stock market right?" "yes" "So, how much money would go in to the stock market if everyone in the country paid in?" "Oh I don't know" "I bet it would be a lot huh" "Yeah probably" No light came on so I tried another series of questions.
"So under the bush plan if I invested in a stock that did poorly I would have nothing at retirement, correct" One of them went off on me at this point.
"Yes, but you can make so much money in the stock market. Let me tell you something I can only get maybe a couple hundred or thousand with the current social security or I can put it in stocks and maybe retire with 2 houses and boats blah blah blah" She was 40 years old and actually believed this. What fools these people are. They are so greedy the greed just destroys any common sense they may have.
So I went on "Well if it did poorly though I would have nothing" "Yes" "So if a million people invested poorly a million people would have nothing at retirement?" "yes". Their attitude at that point was "Sucks for them but I'm betting I'll have my two houses and boats" They didn't at all seem to grasp the problem of millions of people having nothing at retirement. After this there was an interruption and I didn't get to talk to them further about it.
It makes me wonder - they realized there was a problem with the "plan" - being millions would have nothing. But in their minds it seems it NEVER occurred to them that perhaps that might warrant a new "plan" that doesn't have such problems, or MAYBE working to fix whatever problem they seem to think exists now. (perhaps not blowing SS money on wars would work) But I swear to god it's like people just don't THINK in this country. Whatever options exist are brought to them by the corporate media and they are the only options that are viable.
It just makes me lose all hope for this country. I could picture these people in the UK at those question and answer times. They'd be laughed out of the building by those in the UK. Unfortunately it seems that here these people are far, far more populous than abroad. I think they've consolidated enough power now to the point of them being able to take us for the ride as long as they want or until the car crashes. If it wasn't for the corporate media this nation would be in such better shape.
I think the media is why the UK has such a better state of affairs. Their they get real what's happening in the world news. Here we get Run-away bride and Schiavo. Some god help us.