Pretending to Speak for an Entire Culture

The New Media Journal ^ | Oct 30, 2009 | Frank Salvato

[NewMediaJournal]

One of the things that brings me to the boiling point is when I hear elected officials tell me what “Americans want” or what “Americans think.” To believe that today’s federally elected politicians understand – or care – what their constituents want, never mind Americans on the whole, after they belittled town hall attendees and ignored the citizenry’s opposition to government-run healthcare is to exist in fantasyland. No, federally elected politicians (and in many cases local politicians, as well) only invoke the wants and thoughts of “Americans” when they want to bolster their political positions and those have more to do with special interest groups and ideology than what Americans really think and want.

How many times have you heard Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, President Obama or any number of their surrogates – and to be fair and honest, it does happen on both sides of the aisle – begin a sentence with, “What Americans really want...” or “The Average American thinks that...” It is an insult to the intelligence of the citizenry, no matter how dumbed-down the American populace has become.

Another facet to this intellectual arrogance is when an elected official or public figure uses a “broad brush” to address an entire group or demographic, regardless of whether it is favorably or unfavorably.

[all the best]

Does their oath of office say anything about giving people what they want? NO!!! Protect and defend the constitution and not destroy it.