Waking the Sleeping Elephant in the Room: One Woman as Microcosm of US Ignorance

Let's talk about this shall, we?

First of all, let me say, I realize that seeing these clips on TV doesn't necessarily mean that I have the whole story, that I know this person's motives or background or anything like that. And don't think I haven't thought of the fact that during the Bush administration, the media made fun of smart people while during the Obama's administration, the media is making fun of dumb people - and since that's all subjective anyways, we should probably get into a "just the facts ma'am" mentality and quit squabbling like chickens.

I am using this instance to illustrate what I perceive to be widespread misinformation being shuffled around like it's fact. I am using it to illustrate how a country so used to doublespeak, ignorance and injustice perceives an attempt to heal as injustice or folly.

There ARE a few things that she says which I would personally like to address not really in terms of this one person saying them, but in terms of the fact that many many Americans seem to share these sentiments. File this under the category of "stuff that scares the shit out of Amanda."

1. I don't want this country to be like Russia. I don't want a socialist country.

I got news for everyone, as much as I would LOVE to see this country go socialist, it probably isn't ever going to. We are greedy sons of bitches through and through and if our own bloody, theft-filled history tells us anything it's that good ol' fashioned American greed is spelled C-A-P-I-T-A-L-I-S-M. The haves aren't going to let that go without a really brutal fight and, lucky for them, the have-not's don't seem to have a clue what's going on anyways. Yeah, it's a cynical, brief and not totally fleshed out assertion about our priorities and values as a country, but its pretty accurate.

2. It just seems like we're always at war with someone, so it doesn't really matter whether we're at war / I don't even pay attention to it.

Yeah. Shouldn't that raise a red flag for you? The fact that it "doesn't matter" anymore because it's so commonplace should matter to you a lot. Let me get this right. Providing necessary healthcare for all of our nation's citizens? Not into it. Warmongering all over the world under the guise of "bringing freedom" to nations who normally do not want our particular brand of it? Totally! Does this strike anyone else as being very fucked up?

3. Let's get this country back to the way the founding fathers meant for it to be.

Sure, let's just do that. We'll still have slaves, women won't be able to vote and we'll be involved in the systematic genocide of the rightful owners of the land we're sitting on. Brilliant idea.

4. Goddamnit, how am I gonna pay MORE taxes. They want to tax us MORE?

Hey, I have a good idea. Let's stop spending the ridiculous figure per day that we're spending on war in Iraq (yes, that IS still going on, in case anyone wondered). Then we'll have more than enough tax money for almost any hairbrained scheme to improve the USA that President Obama can concoct. Again. Health and wellbeing of each other and the planet? Bad. Killing? Awesome.

5. I'm normally not into politics, but...

STOP! Having an opinion does not make you an expert. And don't think it has escaped my attention that when you said that you began following the news during the Gulf War, you sort of just fizzled out because apparently, some of us cannot have babies and be abreast of current events at the same time.

Lord Jesus Christ almighty everybody, do we know how we sound when we open up our mouths to say something? Could we try to?

Please?

Promises Promises.

I swear to god, I'm going to post here. Either tonight or tomorrow. Seriously.