...the very gods themselves contend in vain. -- Friedrich Schiller
When you spend decades carefully and deliberately breeding a political party base where paranoia, rage and malignant ignorance are actually rewarded to the point where they can no longer metabolize reality, you have no business being surprised by headlines like this (from Vox) --
Most Republicans now think colleges are bad for America-- or leaders like this:
They don't think much of the media either.
Most Republicans think colleges are bad for the country, and the vast majority think the news media is too, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. The Pew study, conducted from June 8 to 18 among more than 2,000 respondents, found that Democrats and Republicans are growing substantially more divided in their opinions on public institutions...
Now I'm gonna pull up a comfortable chair, put my feet up on my busted air conditioner, pour myself a cold one and wait for one of those fancy professional ladies and gentlemen of the Beltway media to toddle on by and explain how Both Sides are to blame for this.
Behold, a Tip Jar!
9 comments:
It's a crying shame we didn't think to exclude troglodytes from owning or using devices that rely on science and the education required to get there.
"I see here on your application that you don't believe in science," said the sales clerk. "Fuck off. No computer for you. I've entered your name into the Anti-Science Registry, so we're cutting off your internet access and just bricked your cell phone. How did we just do that? Science, bitch. Hope you brought a horse, because your car's electronics no longer work."
When was this poll done? Republicans have hated public institutions since Brown verses Board of Education.
I am fucking sick of this "growing divide" shit too. This new bullshit narrative tacitly posits that Democrats/liberals views, like generally supporting public institutions, are equally as alarming and radical. AND the divide starting in November of 2016...everything was fine before that....
the fact the even polls have to moderate the results so its Bothsides enough to get the press to touch it.
Last I saw,
37% of republicans still believe Obama not born in America.
29% of republicans polled favorably of Dick Cheney
39.8 of republicans identify and are favorable to, Russia!
39% of republicans would would (do) fly these flags in this order.
!) Confederate Flag.
2) Texas Flag
3) Russian Flag
4) USA flag
5) Favorite football team flag.
--All others.............
So now, dumb is smart! If I hear one more asshole Republican talk about American values, I think I'll puke. I'm retired from working at a University...you know, those places with buildings holding students who would like to know stuff. I know it's elitist of me, liking to know stuff, but I guess I'm not a "Real American" like the sods in the hills and dales who think Trump is brilliant.
Look the politics of these people (which like Pavlov's dogs they've been trained for) is RESENTMENT! To give them their due, a lot of them have been screwed over (hey, like the rest of us!), but they've been taught that it's the fault of pointy headed liberal elites and college snoots and Democrats. The resentment is honed particularly against the top 20% (college graduates, professionals, etc.) and not the 1% actually responsible who fund their indoctrination into this crap.
Check out pre-WWII German history, particularly the 1932-34 period, for a similar dynamic. How'd that turn out?
First in line for the David Brooks "No, really, I know a non college graduate" derpfest takedown.
You've all cracked me up today. Thanks.
Another lefty blog had a discussion about this yesterday (well probably several did, but I'm thinking of one). Used to be ye olde Republican Party (in my lifetime) circa the '50s - '70s were associated with higher education, and it was considered the thing to do to get a college degree.
Since around the time of Sainted Reagan - who in today's GOP would be considered a commie traitor d*mned LIEbrul jerk, frankly - anti-intellectualism became all the rage, and frankly, no kudos to me, but I've been predicting this particular outcome since Reagan. It was, frankly, inevitable.
I've witnessed some members of my rightwing fundie family descend into what I can only term as madness after decades of nearly 24/7/365 exposure to the Fox/Rush/"Christiany" Broadcasting media. I am not exaggerating when I say with sorrow that one sibling is nearly unrecognizable and presents (honestly) often as a very petulant but very entitled, rage-filled, tantrum-throwing child. This sibling embarressed their grandchild, who had gotten a full scholarship to a well-known and highly regarded east coast quasi-ivy college. How? By farting loudly in the library numerous times and then loudly dissing the library and the institution for being a Satanist librul worthless place. It sounds sort of funny, but consider such ludicrous behavior from someone allegedly an adult who belongs to the fanciest country club in their town.
It grieves me to witness this deterioration, but there you have it.
Republicans have been brainwashed to be constantly: a) enraged at almost everything, especially if they've been told it's something "librul," b) constantly bearing many grievances against society, certain groups of people and especially against Libruls, c) see all science and higher education as worthless and Librul, and d) you get the drift.
Frankly, most of these people are simply unreachable. I think their brains have been fried by the brainwashing, and there may be no turning back unless - truly - they spent copious time with some expert in cult deprogramming.
So yes: Republicans NOW see education as worse than worthless. It's "harming" our society in some unspecified way. Keep the wimmin 'n kids dumb as f*ck and never read a book no more. Makes the marks ever easier to control and manipulate. Don't want none a that there book larnin, much less anything resembling librul awful critical thinking. Big Authoritarian Daddy'll tell you exactly what to do, when & how to do it. Just don't worry your pretty little heads over details.
Ugh. We are so screwed.
John Cleese weighs in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvVPdyYeaQU
-Doug in Oakland
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