Nostalgia for “Stop and Think”
EJ Dionne’s words in the Washington Post today are applicable for living in our time. Actually, they are applicable to any age and across several disciplines, even religion. Stop and think.
Stop and think about the behavior of the current crop of Republican lawmakers, and opinion makers, in Washington and in some states as well. Their behavior and rhetoric are observational evidence of the cognitive dissonance that has taken over their party and is the foundation for my next statement. The current crop of Republican leaders in Washington, and in some states, are only interested in governing in a one party rule system where the current form of Republicanism has all the power. The message and policies serve to strengthen white America against those whom embrace the melting pot upon which the American experiment relies. To be fair, those persons probably embrace the melting pot ideal as long as persons of color understand their “place” which is equal, and possibly social mobile, but only to a point. The changing color of leadership in America frightens many in our Nation.
The recovery following the financial crash has seriously benefited the connected investor class only. The policies of austerity are creating a “Lords and Peasant” society in America in the 21st century in the name of decreasing the debt for the Nation’s future generation. Cognitive dissonance. If those in Congress and the Senate wished to solve the nations problems they would be working with POTUS rather than against him. Stop and think. When President Obama embraces a Republican idea then Republicans are immediately against it. The observational evidence attests to this conclusion: the current Republican leadership and opinion makers not only want this Democratic President to fail no matter what it does to the country, they really don’t want a non-white President to succeed because then it will be easier for other non-whites and gasp, even a woman, to be elected President of these United States. The evidence is out there if you get away from the Washington Times and FoxNews. Stop and think. That is what The Daily Show and the Colbert Report do and why they are compelling, Truth telling, and funny. Maybe it is why many people get their news from these two shows rather than “straight” news. These United States need the fourth estate to do their job rather than make money for the corporation.
The Culture of PreConception
EJ Dionne Jr | The Washington Post | April 24, 2013I’d acknowledge that none of us can get through the day without making a lot of assumptions. All of us have intellectual, ideological and moral commitments that we bring to bear upon what we think about almost everything.
But the hyperpolarization of our moment has sped up the rush to (contradictory) judgments, a practice further accelerated by new technologies. We have less patience than ever with the often pain staking task of gathering facts. We are better informed yet seem more efficient than ever in manufacturing conspiracy theories.