Does it bother anyone else out there besides me how we as a people seem to be rather methodically being dumbed down by the media?
From where I sit, the most obvious example of this lies in the whole "revolutionary" idea of the rhetoric being spouted by the tea-party folks. The thing is, the whole idea of a "revolution" (no matter how it is colored) sounds very exciting and romantic — especially to those of us who grew up during the volatile sixties. A lot of us sixties kids are pissed that we missed out on all the action back then.
But this?
I mean, what is it that the tea party crowd are actually rebelling against? As tea-party superstars like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck spout their rhetoric about God, guns, taxes, and the like, and attempt to liken their protests to some sort of populist uprising, the actual picture looks very much the same as the same party line that conservatives have spouted all along:
Let the rich be rich, let the rest sort it out amongst themselves, and let the privileged amongst us get back to our lives — thank you very much, and can I get an amen?
The suspects may change over the years, but the song has always remained the same. Whether it's "Commies For McGovern" in 1972; "Adulterers for Clinton" in 1996; or the completely bizarre assortment of nutcases, birthers, and the like attempting to pin every sort of label from closet socialist to Antichrist fascist on Obama now, the agenda is always the same.
The big difference now, however, is that Barack Obama — as America's first elected African-American president — represents the sort of target that feeds into whatever lingering suspicions and prejudices remain in an entire generation of white Americans who are about to die out.
Personally, I thought that as a nation we had long since moved beyond this sort of nonsense, but there is ample evidence to the contrary. Just turn on your TV...
This is only further complicated by the fact that we are presently living in economically challenged times — a crisis that in fact was brought on by eight years under a Republican administration that spent public money like drunken sailors in order to finance an agenda that amounted to a combination of daddy issues and a war on the middle class.
You wanna' talk fascism?
How about the Immigration law just passed in Arizona? Nothing says Hitler quite like a law that demands that a racially profiled group of people "show me ze' papers."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jet Gardner
Great article Glen, I submitted it to Digg for you.
2 - roger nowosielski
Indeed, Glen, I second.
3 - roger nowosielski
But why haven't you taken that burger-flipper job, you haven't explained?
4 - Mark
"This isn't a revolution. It's class warfare..."
trickle down class warfare
5 - Rob
Disagree with you completely...
I have never been to a rally or officially joined, but I am on the Tea Party side, and I will vote in November.
6 - Jet Gardner
Glen, I'm glad you brought out the race subject here. I touched on it on my own Tea Party article, but wasn't sure how to word it without sounding like a bigot myself (which I'm not)
I'm glad to see it touched on intelligently for a change.
Jet
7 - Jet Gardner
#5-The blind leading the blind
8 - George Bailey
Dumbed down is an understatement. The bigger problem I think is that it rapidly becomes self fulfilling. People start to believe the stuff and it goes downhill from there. I don't have the answer, but I for one avoid the sensationalism as much as I can. Try to keep positive!
9 - Ruvy
Glen,
The difference between your article and Jet's is that you got right in there and talked about real issues instead of setting up straw men to be knocked down in a wave of laughter. And for that reason, your article stands higher in my eyes than his.
As I pointed out to Jet, if I lived in the States, I'd be full of despair. The reason is that I am basically a socialist who wants to see a socialist agenda put through in the United States - but I have enough sense to see that the US of A can no longer afford such an agenda. And having lived on the streets once, I understand very clearly that what you cannot afford you don't attempt to buy!
Folks around this site this seem to think this attitude of basic fiscal prudence is ignorance or hatred.
But there is more, and I'm going to lay it out for you in clear gutteral English.
The media is being dumbed down on all sides (this is happening in Israel as well) - but that isn't the point. The point is that you (particularly the regular commenters here) ought to be smarter - after all, a lot of you are mavens of one sort or another on the media. You are writers like me, damn it!! And, for the most part, a lot of you aren't. And this is disappointing.
I do not believe that race is the issue that "progressives" have made it. The big issue is class.
Obama is a man who has absorbed the white élitism of the WASPs at "Hahvahd" who see themselves as the "old money" that owns America. Add that to his affinity for Islam, his dislike of Jews who have pride in being Jews (all his "Jew-boys" are assimilated scum running away from their heritage as fast as their traitorous legs will carry them), his belief that America is the bad guy, his adopted affinity for black people (Crow Jim, in other words), and his shilling for the big bankers and insurance companies, and you have a formula for disaster.
That is what "progressive Democrats" have brought you in America.
Glen, you have illustrated well the faults of the other side of the fence - but the other side of the fence is also the WASPs who represent the "old money" that believe they own America. In other words, no matter where you look, you have the same pile of shit - with a slightly different stink, maybe, but the same pile of élitism, contempt for the common man and unwillingness to take responsibility for the downfall of what was once a great nation.
That would make anyone despair.
That is why I am so glad I am not an American anymore.
10 - Mark
#9 - "I do not believe that race is the issue that "progressives" have made it. The big issue is class."
I agree and note that class trumps nationality and religion, as well. Makes your rabid religious nationalism seem oddly misplaced.
11 - Baritone
I have noted many times that the tea partiers are railing against the supposed loss of "their" country as if they own it lock, stock and barrel' that the rest of us - that being the liberal left - are illegitmate usurpers. The TPs talk of "taking back their country" as if something material has actually been snatched from their hands. They have lost nothing.
However, they have eagerly and willingly been led by the nose by the likes of Limbaugh and Beck, Gingrich and Palin, and yes, by the likes of Nalle and Arch, etc., etc. into believing the evil dark cloud which has descended into the White House is, even as we speak, plotting to take away our guns (god bless the guns!,) our money and our rights. That they plan to herd us into leftist gulags for "reeducation" and that grandma is history. That we should "reload" and "take aim" against our "gangster government."
It does come down to class warfare, and the gloves have come off. The TPs are overwhelmingly white, and largely middle-class, upper middle aged to seniors who have not been able to come to terms with having an "uppity" president who "doesn't know his place."
BAR tlesby
Oh, just a reminder: This is bring poultry to your doctor week. Don't forget. Cluck, cluck.
12 - roger nowosielski
It's an odd, one-sided relationship, one of class. It'd seem that the moneyed-class is more conscious of it, in terms of excluding those who "don't belong." (E.g., rich, well-to-do African Americans, such as Tiger for example, prior to the scandals, would be accepted).
On the other hand, the "lower classes," though excluded, do not appear to be necessarily exercised by the "class notion," perhaps because they bought into the American idea/myth of egalitarianism.
Consequently, the class division in American society doesn't quire correspond to the kind of situation that may still exist in Europe (although given the present crisis, all bets are off.)
13 - roger nowosielski
It's an odd, one-sided relationship, one of class. It'd seem that the moneyed-class is more conscious of it, in terms of excluding those who "don't belong." (E.g., rich, well-to-do African Americans, such as Tiger for example, prior to the scandals, would be accepted).
On the other hand, the "lower classes," though excluded, do not appear to be necessarily exercised by the "class notion," perhaps because they bought into the American idea/myth of egalitarianism.
Consequently, the class division in American society doesn't quire correspond to the kind of situation that may still exist in Europe (although given the present crisis, all bets are off.)
14 - Ruvy
Mark,
I agree and note that class trumps nationality and religion, as well. Makes your rabid religious nationalism seem oddly misplaced.
NO!
Class trumps nationality and religion in the United States - as it should. THAT IS NOT TRUE IN ISRAEL.
What trumps everything in Israel are visions of national destiny - full stop.
Everything else - religion, class and all the rest - are part of the visions of national destiny. That brings with it its own problems - problems that cannot be properly addressed in this article or comment thread appended. But the failure to realize that is at the heart of the crisis that the Middle East is shoving down your throats.
PS. On an entirely different subject, Joanne Huspek could use a kind word in designing a smithy to make jewelry.
15 - roger nowosielski
It's an odd, one-sided relationship, one of class. It'd seem that the moneyed-class is more conscious of it, in terms of excluding those who "don't belong." (E.g., rich, well-to-do African Americans, such as Tiger for example, prior to the scandals, would be accepted).
On the other hand, the "lower classes," though excluded, do not appear to be necessarily exercised by the "class notion," perhaps because they bought into the American idea/myth of egalitarianism.
Consequently, the class division in American society doesn't quire correspond to the kind of situation that may still exist in Europe (although given the present crisis, all bets are off.)
16 - Ruvy
Roger seems to be having problems with sending messages to this medium.
17 - Alan Kurtz
Glen, in ostensibly decrying the dumbing down of America, you exemplify it. First, your article is repetitious. Paragraph 7 proclaims, "The big difference now, however, is that Barack Obama--as America's first elected African-American president--represents the sort of target that feeds into whatever lingering suspicions and prejudices remain in an entire generation of white Americans." Paragraph 17 reiterates: "What makes it different this time around, is that Barack Obama, as America's first African-American president, makes for such an easy target." Paragraph 18 is another ditto: "But the thing is, Obama makes a perfect target for those folks. Because of who he is, Obama feeds perfectly into the sort of prejudice and suspicion--particularly for Christian White America--that allows for the sort of particularly incendiary rhetoric we have seen from the tea-baggers."
Are Blogcritics readers really so dumb that you have to rehash this stale revelation three times within the space of 500 words? As cited above, you twice identify Obama as America's first elected African-American president, label him as a sort of target, an easy target and a perfect target, and repeatedly have him feeding into the suspicions and prejudices of Christian white Americans. Your writing style is the equivalent of dunking a donut into tepid coffee until all that's left is a soggy mess.
Even dumber is that your title leads with "The Internet," yet that subject appears in only two brief sentences near the end, where you charge that an online journalism emphasizing content over investigative reporting is (a) the result of long-ago cooptation by Corporate America and (b) partly to blame for class warfare and the dumbing down of America. That might make an interesting blog topic, but you fail to discuss it.
Only in paragraphs 18-21 do you at last disclose the real point of this article: "My parents. I love them dearly. But every time I go over to their house for dinner, they are glued like zombies to Fox News." I admit, FNC is enough to spoil anyone's free meal. But what does that have to do with the Internet?
18 - Glen Boyd
The way I see it Alan is that if you repeat something enough times it will eventually be accepted as fact. Hey, works well enough for the rightie-talkers, right?
-Glen
19 - Glen Boyd
Thanks for the Digg submission, Jet.
20 - Jet Gardner
My pleasure Glen, did you like what I wrote in the description?
21 - Jet Gardner
18-Glen if you're going to paraphrase my article, (Page one paragraph three) at least leave me a comment over there on whether you liked it or not?
you. you. you. you friend you. :)
22 - Glen Boyd
Jet,
I haven't even read your article yet, so I have no idea of what you mean by paraphrasing it. I'll make a point of having a look later tonight, but if there are similarities, it's just a coincidence.
-Glen
23 - Jet Gardner
I meant no harm, nor was I implying anthing my friend... Promise.
24 - Baritone
It's not necessarily bad to repeat oneself. In giving speeches I was taught to start out by telling them what you're going to tell them. Then tell them. Then tell them what you just told them. That gives some people at least a snowball's chance to hear and actually understand what they just heard.
Not necessarily the same with written work, but still not a bad principle.
BARracuda
25 - Glen Boyd
No worries and no harm done. You do have me a little curious now that our articles might be at all similar though. Like I said, I'll be sure to have a look a bit later. I'm tempted to reply with a quip about great minds thinking alike...but I'll need to read what you had to say first.
-Glen