Why Americans Hate Democrats?A Dialogue. The unteachable ignorance of the red states.

Slate ^ | clifcrds

[clifcrds]

Why Americans Hate Democrats—A Dialogue The unteachable ignorance of the red states.

By Jane Smiley Updated Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004, at 3:24 PM PT

The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry.

I suppose the good news is that 55 million Americans have evaded the ignorance-inducing machine. But 58 million have not.

Ignorance and bloodlust have a long tradition in the United States, especially in the red states. The error that progressives have consistently committed over the years is to underestimate the vitality of ignorance in America.

The history of the last four years shows that red state types, above all, do not want to be told what to do—they prefer to be ignorant. As a result, they are virtually unteachable.

The reason the Democrats have lost five of the last seven presidential elections is simple: because lots of Americans, even those who don't share those same qualities, don't know which end is up.

We have to give them more to think about than they can handle—to always appeal to reason and common sense, and the law, even when they can't understand it and don't respond.

Whatever their short-term appeal, they are borne of hubris and hatred, and will destroy their purveyors in the end.

Jane Smiley is the author of many novels and essays. She lives in California.

[clifcrds]

Another Left Coast Educated Elitist claiming that 58 million voters in the "Red States" are too ignorant to understand what is good for them. With this arrogant "our job is to lecture not listen" attitude there will be a lot more Democryts leaving office early!

Also notice that she does not leave an eMail address so that her narrow-minded propagandist views can be challenged. That takes real courage!

[NavVet]

"Why Americans Hate Democrats"

What's not to hate?

[anniegetyourgun]

Why Americans Hate Democrats—A Dialogue The unteachable ignorance of the red states. ^

Posted by USAF_ret
On News/Activism ^ 11/05/2004 2:54:06 PM PST · 12 replies · 722+ views

Slate ^ | Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004, at 3:24 PM PT | Jane Smiley
I say forget introspection. It's time to be honest about our antagonists. My predecessors in this conversation are thoughtful men, and I honor their ideas, but let's try something else. I grew up in Missouri and most of my family voted for Bush, so I am going to be the one to say it: The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry. I suppose the good news is that 55 million Americans have evaded the ignorance-inducing machine. But 58 million have not. (Well, almost 58 million—my relatives are not ignorant,...



Why Americans Hate Democrats—A Dialogue The unteachable ignorance of the red states. ^

Posted by ClintonBeGone
On News/Activism ^ 11/05/2004 5:36:53 AM PST · 163 replies · 3,627+ views

Slate ^ | 11/04/04 | Jane Smiley
The day after the election, Slate's political writers tackled the question of why the Democratic Party—which has now lost five of the past seven presidential elections and solidified its minority status in Congress—keeps losing elections. Chris Suellentrop says that John Kerry was too nuanced and technocratic, while George W. Bush offered a vision of expanding freedom around the world. William Saletan argues that Democratic candidates won't win until they again cast their policies the way Bill Clinton did, in terms of values and moral responsibility. Timothy Noah contends that none of the familiar advice to the party—move right, move left,...

[finallyatexan]

There's that "progressive" word again - in other words the stupid red states did not embrace the communist agenda!

[Spok]

If the leftist elite keep thinking this way, history will continue to repeat itself. I look forward to it.

[dr_who_2]

How could that be, after Dick Cheney sent everyone to George Soro's website and so much money was spent to "educate" the voters about the evils of the Bush administration? Democracy is a b****, ain't it?

[I_dmc]

Hmm, author appears to write about farm animals.

[Americanwolf]

Jane Smiley=clueless liberal


Seems that more and more of them are popping up lately. :)

[Americanwolf]

About take care of them...or....being with them in a special and significant way... :)

[The_Victor]

Why Americans Hate Democrats—A Dialogue

The unteachable ignorance of the red states.

Please use original titles

[tsmith130]

I suppose the good news is that 55 million Americans have evaded the ignorance-inducing machine. But 58 million have not.

The left controls every aspect of education in this country. Now what were you saying about the 'ignorance-inducing machine' and who evaded it?

[geedee]

Why do liberal gals always look like this . . . like they "think" they've got the market cornered on brains . . .

. . . while our Conservative gals WHO TRULY ARE INTELLIGENT look like this . . .

I know we've got a few Pubbie Gals who don't measure up to Laura in the looks department but from top to bottom we've got . . . I hope the feminist pubbies will excuse me for one short second, but it's true . . . we've got a helluva lot more babes on our side -- and I dare any organization to measure the brainpans of our gals against the noodles of the femi-nazis on the liberal bench.

Our Pubbie Gals would kick ass!

[doug from upland]

Whatever their short-term appeal, they are borne of hubris and hatred, and will destroy their purveyors in the end.
========================================

A classic. She dares to use the word hubris in the description of others. It doesn't get any better than that.

[heartwood]

hmm. one could note, that for a woman, being married makes you ignorant, and being single makes you smart. and white men are just hopeless you know.

[I_dmc]

ROFL

[Admin Moderator]

To prevent duplication, do not alter the heading. Thanks.

[Flash Bazbeaux]

Yes, the "ignorance inducing machine".

Of course it's a given that the "Red States" are ignorant. But it's not enough to say that the Red States are NATURALLY ignorant. It has to be MANUFACTURED ignorance, by the "ignorance inducing machine". It has to be the fault of those who are "spoon feeding" the masses.

The idea that the masses are too stupid to understand their own interests, and particularly that someone has TAUGHT them that stupidity, is a mainline Marxist notion "false consciousness" -- the workers take on the values of the capitalists, not realizing that the workers' values are completely different from those of the capitalists. It is the Communist's job to "shatter" the false consicousness of the workers, and instill in them a true worker's consciousness.

The great thing about this theory is it explains why the working class-- the ones who actually have jobs - have ALWAYS rejected communism, without reaching the conclusion that communism itself is to blame.

This Jane Smiley column, or links to it, has already appeared three times here. But that's O.K. It is a classic work. It is so good it almost seems like it must have been written as a satire of what imaginary leftists think.

If you were to write a column like this as satire, and then say "this is what leftist think", you would hear wails of protest from the center-left saying "How dare you stereotype us this way. We are not a bunch of cartoon leftists wackos with asinine ideas like that."

Well, Jane Smiley apparently is.

[csvset]

Another Left Coast Educated Elitist

Jane Smiley turned fifty just in time for the new millennium. She lives in California with her three children, three dogs, and her sixteen (and counting) horses.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Jane moved to the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, as an infant, and lived there through grammar school and high school (The John Burroughs School).

After getting her BA at Vassar College in 1971, she traveled in Europe for a year, working on an archeological dig and sight-seeing, then returned to Iowa for graduate school at the University of Iowa.

Source

[nosofar]

Slate is really going off the deep end. It's beginning to look like another site no longer worth reading.

[SouthernFreebird]

Already working on getting our votes for the next election I see. LOL