Tully Mars

I understand that and I think my ultimate point was people are often discussing these topics without really understanding the complete concept and, at times, the definition of the basic terms. I read your point about health care reform and I think it's spot on. People are misusing terms/words and then utilizing that to demonize other people, their actions or their ideas. Too many people get their info, right and left, spoon fed to them by sound bites shot at them by people getting paid a pile of cash to spin an agenda. And, I believe, most people have no idea just how big is that pile of cash. Olbermann, for example, signed a 4 year deal worth 30million dollars. So, and I don't know the details (these things are always wrapped up with this much now, signing bonus etc...) roughly 15 million a year. I haven't checked lately but Rush was making many times that amount years ago. My point is these people are paid a huge amount to push an agenda at their audience. They are not getting paid to report fact, tell you the truth or even be honest. In fact if they did tell their audience the absolute truth they'd likely lose ratings and money. I used to watch Keith when I saw it was on but his "Special Comment" went from being a once and while rant after a major event to a nightly tirade. I turned him on one night and as I listened I thought "fuck this guy's not really any different, or not much different, then Rush, Beck or Hannity. He's just slinging mud in the other direction. Fuck this, I'm going to go walk my dogs on the beach and watch the sunset." Since then I mostly use non-US based sites for my national and international news, BBC, CTV etc... Their take on things doesn't seem as clouded to me.

Not only do people need to tone it down they need to be better informed on, at times even on the most basic of, political terms, ideas and concepts. I bet if the average voter took an 8th grade social studies tests regarding politics they'd fail miserably. The very same people who would fail that test have no problem telling you you're not informed or you should get more informed. They'll tell you it's about conviction, speaking from the heart, sticking to principles, having common sense. Blah, blah, blah. And then go on a rant about Obama being a socialist or a fucking Nazi. Really you think Obama is like Hitler and I'm the one that needs an education? You know who was like Hitler? Hitler was like Hitler and there hasn't been anyone really like that, certainly not in US politics, since he shot himself 65 years ago. Bush wasn't like Hitler, Obama, Cheney, Pelosi... none of them are anything like Hitler and it's pretty insulting to folks who lost family members due to Hitler to compare anyone to him. People just are not that well informed which would not be a huge problem if not for the fact they’ve convinced themselves they are.

This brings me back to your point about the health care reform situation and how people have ended up calling it something it clearly is not. For some time now there’s been a real push to get back to grass roots (like every grass roots movement was brilliant, sigh) and get rid of these “career politicians.” To get common folk with common sense put in charge of things. Bush Jr. ran in 2000 as a “Washington outsider.” Hell, the man’s father was vice President for 8yrs and then President for 4, how much more “inside Washington” can you get then having your own father be the President? I know I heard him more then once talk about getting rid of “these career type politicians.” He was a state Governor for 4 or 5 yrs when he said that. If I hired an electrician and asked him how long he’d been an electrician and his answer was “5 years” I’d think he was a career electrician, wouldn’t you? We have career politicians calling for the end of having career politicians in office while their running for re-election or office. I find that just fucking ridiculous. Like calling for elite people or career politicians to be ousted from office is always a good thing. People calling for the end of having elite people running things should look up the word elite.

Blah, all this talk about people being "elites" and that being bad is basically dishonest. It's a play to the base move. It's asking “who would you rather have a beer with" all over again and tying that answer to who would you prefer to have running the country. How are those two things related? It's basically a "bait and switch." And the average "common sense" US voter keeps falling for it. Would you choose your doctor or auto mechanic based on whether you'd like to share a few laughs or beverage with them? Or would you prefer someone well trained regarding the subject in question? When they trash on the "elites" what I think they're really saying is well educated people are not to be trusted or are somehow less desirable then just "common folk, with common sense." You know people just like you and your neighbors or your friends. I like my friends and, when I lived in the US, knew almost all my neighbors and frankly I don't want most of them running the government. Most of them are fine people but, like me, do not have the knowledge base it would take to correct the situation we find ourselves in today.

The world is complicated. In same way you can no longer go out to your car, lift the hood and quickly make sense of how it works. You need to study it and understand it to make any beneficial corrections. Understanding the economy, environment, interstate commerce, foreign policy and affairs etc… takes more than common sense. It takes education. That education can come from self research or an Ivy League school. Where you obtain it isn’t rather important but having it is certainly important.

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I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo

Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club