Posted on 09/26/2013 5:36:10 AM PDT by Kaslin
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is worried.
In a recent speech at Boise State, O'Connor said: "Less than one-third of eighth-graders can identify the historical purpose of the Declaration of Independence, and it's right there in the name. ... The more I read and the more I listen, the more apparent it is that our society suffers from an alarming degree of public ignorance."
This is good news for the left.
The ill-informed are more susceptible to emotional arguments. They are more likely to see life as a zero-sum game. They are more likely to believe that the prosperous become so only at someone else's expense.
Take my Twitterverse "discourse" on the proposal to increase the minimum wage:
Elder: Obama said a higher minimum wage is vital to "a rising, thriving middle class." Switzerland has no national minimum wage. Its unemployment is 3 percent.... U.S. had no minimum wage 'til 1938. How did it become so powerful?
Twitter respondent: America wasn't close to the super power it is until after World War 2 -- in 1939. And you're supposed to be a journalist?
Elder: The U.S. became a "superpower" because of minimum wage? Adjusted for inflation the first minimum wage would be $4. And I'm not a journalist -- I'm a commentator.
Twitter respondent: You asked how we're a super power. We don't recover from the Great Depression without military production in World War II and paying workers.
Elder: I repeat, prior to the 1938 introduction of minimum wage -- which today would be $4 -- how do you account for America's growth?
Twitter respondent: I guess you didn't go to high school like the rest of us to know there was no "growth" in the '30s due to the unemployment rate.
Elder: So far, I've politely asked questions. Before the '30s, we had a decade known as the "Roaring '20s" -- no minimum wage. Explain.
Titter respondent: We were "roaring" with a slave class. I don't accept that as good policy.
Once people resort to terms like "slave class" in a discussion on minimum wage, it's time to call the waiter and get the check.
Check out the "discourse" following my tweets on Aaron Alexis, the black man responsible for the Navy Yard killing spree. Did Alexis, as with killers Major Nidal Hassan of the Fort Hood massacre and former Los Angeles Police Department cop Christopher Dorner, receive less scrutiny from authorities out of fear of being called anti-Islamic or racist?
Twitter respondent: There is no dearth of pathetic Negroes like (at)larryelder willing to spout unsupported race-based guesses!
Elder: In your world is calling someone a "pathetic Negro" a brand of argumentation?
Twitter respondent (compilation): Pathetic Negro, a definition: To pander to racists using unsupported, fact-less race-baiting, eg. Your statement "in my world" is another Negro dog whistle to his masters, proving my point. "In my world" facts matter and your baseless suppositions of what others thought do not. Further, Negroes like you are always on hand with "observations" that "legitimize" Fox News views. Unless you're lying about your background, I'm not from the ghetto, gangs or criminal, what "world" do you mean?
Elder: I mean in the world of people who don't know how to craft an argument and instead resort to taunts and name-calling. That world.... Interesting that even the term "your world" disturbs you. Yet calling people with whom you disagree silly names is not disturbing.
Twitter respondent: I typically don't waste time with Negro amateur journalists promoting (at)FoxNews race-baiting narrative. You have my opinion.
Elder: Are you so ill-informed that you don't know the difference between a "journalist" and a commentator? As for my "race-baiting" narrative, here's exactly what I wrote and said. (I gave him a link to my last column on the Navy Yard killer).
Twitter respondent: "Pathetic Negro" is not a taunt, it's a term that describes Negros who fit their behavior to racist audience expectations.
Elder: Use whatever term you want for "pathetic Negro," it is not argumentation. I attempted to engage you, but you'd rather name-call.
Twitter respondent: Let's be clear. I do not "disagree" with you, Your "report" was base conjecture used as basis for race baiting "conclusion."... Your term, "your world," does not "disturb me" in the least. Like I said, I identified it for what it is, a Negro dog whistle.... You are neither and whatever you think you are, you are a pathetic Negro used by @FoxNews for "cover."
Elder: This is what passes for discourse? I make an argument. You attack the commentator. And you don't even realize it.
Democrats win because their narrative works on an emotional level -- us against them. Bad, selfish people -- known as Republicans -- want to stop the good and the decent -- known as Democrats -- from their right to health care, right to a job, right to a job with a "livable wage" and the right to not only enjoy one's own lifestyle but to brand critics as racists, sexists or homophobes.
Former Justice O'Connor is worried. We all should be.
No question about that.
That is why they claim voting without an ID and extended voting hours are constitutional rights , to get as many clueless to vote as possible.
The DNC platform and the U.S. Constitution are mutually exclusive concepts.
Trust me. The Republicans do as well. I practically got run out of the local party by daring to accuse Bill Clinton of having an affair.
Idiocracy, we are there.
The dems are in open rebellion with the support of the misinformed, hate-spewing voter. The end is not yet in sight, but it is inevitable — economic collapse will justify more usurpations.
Can’t argue with a totalitarian. Civil war and race war is coming. People are preparing and ammo is still scarce.
There are ‘dems (aka, ‘Rats) all over the political intellect spectrum. It’s really a remarkable machine to examine.
A key aspect to this machine is that the inherent inteligence is distributed according to need and type. The true believers, the ones with the most knowledge, are solid communists. These are not abundant in the ‘Rat party, they are involved, activist, community organizers.
Then, we come to the other part, the vast bulk of the party. They are Constitutionally illiterate, complete morons, bereft of the news of the day. These are the bulk of the ‘Rat voting block.
More and more, liberals are really increasing their hate speech and threats towards conservatives. I don’t see a good ending.
Yep, the “Black Grievance Industry” is ramping it up and accepting full time applications!! If you had any doubt about it, review the Trayvon Martin v. George Zimmerman lesson plan HERE: http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2013/08/24/is-this-what-ryan-julison-intended-all-along/
Democrats believe that there is this infinite pot of money for them to spend that will cure all evils. They do not understand the the wealth that gets distributed must first be made. To them it is a zero-sum universe that they project upon reality, because they know themselves incapable of producing anything to justify the life to which they wish to become accustomed. The ultimate goal in said zero-sum world is to get paid for doling out the cash, taking a fat cut for their insightful beneficence.
The great majority of liberals are incipient totalitarians who always look to shut down arguments not agreeing with their views. Who needs to argue? Just call the other person a name, and in liberal logic, you’ve “won” the argument. They’ve been using these types of “arguments” for many decades.
“...People are preparing...”
My wife gets upset with me every time UPS delivers a case of Mountain House to the front door.
Oh well...
My libinlaw was helping us move last year and saw the amount of stored food, etc that we had -
AND WAS MAD, MAD, MAAAAAAAAD.
The reason, for her, was that it was a concrete expression of lack of faith in her god, government.
The reason for your wife might be that she doesn’t want to be reminded of coming hard times.
Public education payback. Over 50% of Americans are dumber than gravel.
Hey Larry: There is little democratic about the Democrat party.
From Back to Bataan...
FILIPINO: We have no arms.
WAYNE: Where did you get this?
FILIPINO: Killed a Jap.
WAYNE: Kill more Japs and get more guns.
While one of the goals should be educating the public the GOP has to accept that they have to work manipulate these ill-informed voters with emotional events like Paul and Cruz having been doing and with marketing campaigns attacking Democrats in a similar fashion that Democrats attack Republicans with the crap War on Women. GOP don’t like it but it has to be done because as long as stupid people are voting we need to get our share of them or at least confuse them enough that the stay home. I don’t like that this is the way it is but we need to stop just thinking that these types will just eventually get it because they won’t. They are too busy being entertained and partying. So if it takes free beer to get them to vote for us so be it, if it takes making our opponents into caricatures then so be it. People don’t like being told what to do, they don’t like having things taken that they believe they earned, they don’t like people screwing with their fun. I think that has great potential from a liberty standpoint. We just need to keep it simple for the simple minded.
“...doesn’t want to be reminded of coming hard times....”
Unpleasant facts tend to cause one to think - if one is CAPABLE of thinking - and it interferes with the “But...but...it’s not SUPPOSED to be like THIS - that could NEVER happen HERE” meme.
You hear that with some people when there’s a violent crime in a “Safe”, “nice”, “quiet” neighborhood. You can see it on their faces as the local TV vidiot reporter shoves the microphone in their faces. They’re SHOCKED that “something like THAT happened here... this is a quiet neighborhood” blah blah...
I’ve found that the more some people of a certain mindset face the reality of hard times ahead, the more they reject the message AND the messenger because of one simple thing: They’re just plain scared, and in the back of their minds, they KNOW it COULD indeed happen but won’t face it.
I know folks who got DIVORCED because because the man saw things spiraling out of control and started preparing for it, and the woman refused to accept it, was embarrassed by it, etc., - after all, what would the NEIGHBORS think?
In “299 days”, the author addresses this need for “stealth prepping”.
When the SHTF, the wife asks where all the stuff came from, and he said “The Easter Bunny”.
Indefatigable logic.
Again... that idea is terrifying to some people. And they’re the ones who won’t / don’t survive calamities.
Those that understand and embrace that simple idea - DO survive. And win.
Look at the movie “The Pianist”. Those people were herded from one deteriorating situation to another and ultimately herded into the boxcars for the last ride to the gas chambers of Treblinka, Auschwitz, and other death camps. And they refused to see it or do anything about it - they kept saying “We’re being relocated... it’ll be all right...” And by the time they realized what was actually happening, the boxcar doors were being locked in place behind them.
Even the main character, with an MP40 machine pistol laying on the ground in front of him, wouldn’t pick it up to fight back... conditioned NOT to fight. Sickening.
Just have to face the fact that a good number of folks are and always will be Sheeple, and you can’t count on them to be anything BUT Sheeple.
Find out who you CAN count on, and gravitate there. And have the WILL to survive whatever comes along.
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