An Ironic and Fearful election

[selkirk]

The smart kids are never as popular as the big dumb jock. However now since the big dumb jocks (so to speak) have elected their quarterback, we (as a country, mind you) will all be married, have 10 kids, and low-wage jobs in about 5 years.

 

A bit over simplified and insulting don't you think? Bush isn't dumb (regardless of how he comes across at time), the people he surrounds himself with aren't dumb. They do seem to have a more simplistic view of society and world politics. (They seem to think in black and white, where Dems. see infinite shades of gray).

 

must claim the belated

Edited November 5, 2004 by selkirk

[scott_harpell]

The smart kids are never as popular as the big dumb jock. However now since the big dumb jocks (so to speak) have elected their quarterback, we (as a country, mind you) will all be married, have 10 kids, and low-wage jobs in about 5 years.

 

...thus sayeth the nerd.

[cj001f]

I still find it amazing the arrogance and intolerance on this forum that equates a differing opinion with stupidity. How many of you believe that the IQ test accurately measures intelligence?

 

Since when is correlating data intolerant? If thinking is arrogant your proving the less intelligant theory very well.

[David_Parker]

I don't nessecarily believe people vote for Bush because they are dumb, but maybe because of their religion.

I know many churches urged members to vote for bush this election.

I really didn't mean to imply all religious people are "dumb". I just find too many rely too much on faith and not information or potential concequences that are more relevant. They then become uninformed or close minded voters which to me is an indication of unintelligence. Some people just are not interested in educating themselves or suffer from "blind faith". "Educated", "informed", "intelligent" are synonyms, but not identical.

 

I think Bush operates too much on the above which makes it easy for religious people to align themselves with him. Not really the best, but we have to deal with that!

Edited November 5, 2004 by David_Parker

[ashw_justin]

The smart kids are never as popular as the big dumb jock. However now since the big dumb jocks (so to speak) have elected their quarterback, we (as a country, mind you) will all be married, have 10 kids, and low-wage jobs in about 5 years.

 

A bit over simplified and insulting don't you think? Bush isn't dumb (regardless of how he comes across at time), the people he surrounds himself with aren't dumb. They do seem to have a more simplistic view of society and world politics. (They seem to think in black and white, where Dems. see infinite shades of gray).

 

must claim the belated

 

Hey I was just usin' metaphorics or smililies, or somewhat'erayacallit.

[Jason_Martin]

I still find it amazing the arrogance and intolerance on this forum that equates a differing opinion with stupidity.

 

I usually don't rant on this webpage, but the recent election makes my blood boil. So here it is, I'm going to rant for awhile and then I'm not going to write again on this thread. The people this pisses off will just have to attack me behind my back, because I don't even intend on looking at the thread again...

 

I do believe that Bush's reelection was legitimate and perhaps that is why I'm so angry. I'm angry that people ARE too stupid to see through his propaganda and his lies.

 

Equating a differing opinion and intollerance with stupidity...? Maybe I do...but I'm a little bit intollerant myself when it comes to what's happened to this country in the last few days.

 

I think people who think the world is 6000 years old are stupid. There is no rational reason for people to believe this. It flys in the face of all science. Taking evolution out of text books is stupid...and so are the people who want to do it.

 

I think people who are worried about what homosexuals do in their bedrooms and want to legislate who one may or may not legitimately love are stupid. Who cares? Get over it! People who say their not homosexual certainly spend a lot of time thinking about it...self loathing for homoerotic fantasies? Maybe. I don't know. But I do know that their bigotry is stupid and not an opinion.

 

I think people who want to take a woman's right to choose away from her are stupid. Could we possibly get any closer to becoming Nazis?

 

I think people who want to insert prayer into public schools are stupid. This actually UNDERCUTS the freedom of religion in this country. Students who do not partake in the dominate religion at a given school will be faced with it on a daily basis. Ultimately, this is a technique of conversion under the guise of something else instituted by the radical right.

 

I think people who want to take money out of public education -- so that "No Child Left Behind" might be further underfunded -- are simply not paying attention. They might even be kind of stupid.

 

I heard a joke wherein someone asked how you can tell a Republican on a pirate ship? He's the one wearing two eye patches.

 

Open your eyes! GW brought us to war on false pretenses! How could you possibly support someone who does this? This is not a question of conservative, liberal, democrat or republican. We are fighting a war that was justified by calculated mistruths. There is still a percentage of this country that believes that Sadam was somehow behind September 11th... I have a feeling that the people who believe this don't have very high IQs. Indeed, they might even be kind of stupid!

 

Theoretically conservatives like fiscal conservativism. What happened to that? Everyone knows the numbers...they have nothing to do with opinion. Those who have simply dropped their concerns about America's financial future because their party is in control are simply not thinking things through. They could be stupid.

 

They called Kerry a liberal. People don't seem to remember what liberals have been responsible for in the past. Liberals freed the slaves even though back in those days liberals were Republicans. Liberals got women the vote. Liberals fought for civil rights. Liberals have fought for the homeless and those who live in near poverty. Liberals have fought to keep us out of unneeded wars. Liberals are the reason we have modern environmentalism. Liberals fight for teachers and for education. Liberals make the movies you watch and sing the songs you listen to.

 

According to the Bush camp, Liberals are the stupid ones. The reason, because we know we can do better. We know it. And we know who the dumb ones are.

 

So I guess I am an intollerant liberal...seems like an oxymoron, but there it is...

 

People who voted for Bush are STUPID!!!!!

[Skeezix]

No, Bush IS dumb.

[cracked]

People who voted for Bush are STUPID!!!!!

 

Ah guess Ah'm jest anoother one o' dem unejucated folks out dere. Ah don't know nuthin', ah just fallow dem pro-paganda and never read nuttin'. Ah'm just a rehd-neck hick; under edu-cayted and un intell-igent. That's wah ah voted fer BUSH. Yee-Haw!

 

Now go fuck yourself.

[klenke]

For those unwilling to read all the way through Jason's post, let me sum it up for you a little more succinctly.

 

Jason said, "I usually don't rant on this webpage, but the recent election makes my blood boil. So here it is...

Blah blah blah blah

Whaa whaa whaa

Blah blah blah

Whaa whaa whaa

Blah

Whaa

And in case you didn't hear me, blah whaa blah whaa."

 

Or, if you prefer emoticons:

" "

[catbirdseat]

Great post, Jason. There are lots of very intelligent people who voted for Bush. My brother is a prime example. He's very intelligent. But what is notable about him is that he doesn't know how to think critically. For him, faith is enough for many issues. When you accept things on blind faith, you don't have to listen to any other advice or weigh any facts. There are many, many people like him in this country. Just because we have wonderful brains, doesn't mean we'll use them.

[klenke]

For chrissakes people, quit shitting on people because they happen to have faith in God. You should hear yourselves talk. Pathetic.

[catbirdseat]

I drop brown coils on the religious right from a great height.

[cj001f]

For chrissakes people, quit shitting on people because they happen to have faith in God. You should hear yourselves talk. Pathetic.

klenke-

People who take the bible literally are morons. Tom would agree

[rbw1966]

Maybe CBS is referring to "faith" as in "I have faith that GW will make the right decisions".

 

For a large majority of the voting public, researching the issues (and candidates) and developing a cogent ideology that informs their decisions is simply not something they have the time, inclination or aptitude for. Rather than do that, they place their faith in someone they identify with--perhaps on a very superficial level, but nonetheless they do in some way identify with him--and vote for that person.

 

Does this make them stupid? I'm not going to judge that. Everyone makes their own cost/benefit analysis on whats important to them.

[Squid]

For chrissakes people, quit shitting on people because they happen to have faith in God. You should hear yourselves talk. Pathetic.

 

Get a job before I drop coils on you.

[klenke]

For chrissakes people, quit shitting on people because they happen to be unemployed. You should hear yourselves talk. Pathetic.

[JayB]

"Anyone who has convictions that differ from my own and votes accordingly is stupid." Who are the parochial ones, again?

 

I am just sorry that you forgot to cite people who still believe that protectionism and state ownership of productive resources will lead to an increase in employment, political freedom, and prosperity in your list.

 

Imagine, after all of the empirical evidence that the past century has provided to challenge such beliefs - there are still people who can't remove their ideological blinders, asses the evidence, and think critically about these matters...

 

 

[catbirdseat]

I don't see a correlation between liberalism or conservatism and protectionism. Both parties have been guilty of it. Oh, and Jay, it's ASSESS, not ASSES.

[scott_harpell]

I drop brown coils on the religious right from a great height.

 

I love that you people call yourselves the "accepting," "non-judgmental," people and you say that you are accepting of "everyone." Do you not see a problem when you want to shit on a certain group of people? You hypocritical fuck.

[Squid]

Here's a non-judgmental hug for you, Scooter. Don't cry.

[scott_harpell]

Thanks man!

[cj001f]

I am just sorry that you forgot to cite people who still believe that protectionism

Which party are you talking about JayB?

 

The party for steel tariffs? The party for closing America's borders to immigration?

 

Protectionism isn't the province of the Democratic party - there are plenty of Republicans in favor of it.

[jordop]

Quote

 

They called Kerry a liberal. People don't seem to remember what liberals have been responsible for in the past. Liberals freed the slaves even though back in those days liberals were Republicans. Liberals got women the vote. Liberals fought for civil rights. Liberals have fought for the homeless and those who live in near poverty. Liberals have fought to keep us out of unneeded wars. Liberals are the reason we have modern environmentalism. Liberals fight for teachers and for education. Liberals make the movies you watch and sing the songs you listen to.

 

According to the Bush camp, Liberals are the stupid ones. The reason, because we know we can do better. We know it. And we know who the dumb ones are.

 

So I guess I am an intollerant liberal...seems like an oxymoron, but there it is...

 

People who voted for Bush are STUPID!!!!!

.

Edited June 7, 2021 by jordop

[snoboy]

Moved abortion debate to it's own thread here.

[Norman_Clyde]

Jason

 

Klenke: I'm not dissing anybody for their faith in God. I'm dissing them for behaving like sheep. I believe that most reasonably intelligent people, if they were willing to fight against their own fear with faith AND reason, would not be willing to ignore Bush's lies. Ignore is the operative term here, as in Ignorance, which I would define as the intentional putting away of reason-- usually as a simpler way of dealing with emotional discomfort.

 

Here is the apparent progression of logic, cited by those who voted for Bush because of his Moral Values, that I have seen repeated in the media. It may or may not be accurate (although I've heard it from more than a few people firsthand as well):

 

1. I am a devout Christian who believes in God.

2. Bush prays in public and on television. My pastor, and all my friends at church, tell me how they are sure Bush has God's blessing. Kerry doesn't pray in public, plus he supports abortion rights. My pastor and my friends remind me how this indicates that Kerry is ungodly.

3. This is how I know God wants me to vote for Bush.

 

Following the above is usually a citation of how admirably principled Bush has been, because he talks a lot about freedom in his speeches and never admits to being wrong. Some have said things like "I don't like the war in Iraq, but Bush just seems like a principled man." I'm paraphrasing here, but I promise I've seen this general argument in print.

 

I have heard people whom I know to be reasonably intelligent, repeating the above mantra plus or minus small variations. I confess, I have a big problem with this kind of thinking. I see a huge mass of people, claiming to have a hotline to God, but who are afraid to even consider an opposing view on a moral issue as monumental as war; who follow all the other sheep, say they have "moral values" but don't even care to examine their own hearts. How many of them have suppressed their own personal doubts about Bush, but voted with the flock, because they never question religious authority? How many of them have seriously considered the relative abomination of homosexual intercourse versus carpet bombing? How many, after being exhorted in church to vote Republican, were brave enough to challenge the pastor after the sermon-- or better yet, during the sermon? (What would Jesus do?)

 

Yes, I call this ignorance. I could say it in a kinder, gentler way, that some people are currently not able to fully employ their powers of reason, because they're too afraid-- but it's the same thing. And I'm disgusted.