#2: Ignorance

Albeit for what coppers my sense is worth (I like to think $0.09 < x <$97.63), I am unable to understand why ignorance is so in vogue at the moment in the Great American Oatmeal Puke Mindfuck Political Discourse. This ignorance and hatred of anything that even faintly smells of an outgroup is surprising and rabid, especially since it seems to emanate most violently from the American demographic I had previously written off as most sedentary and mentally dull. Although perhaps this is why they are able to demonstrate such irrational hatred even in the face of contradicting factual evidence: dull-mindedness is what distinguishes the herd animal from the wolf. It is relatively straightforward to herd a herd of cattle or flock of sheep, but it is exponentially more difficult to herd cats or squirrels. Perhaps it is that McCain/Palin continue to drop racial code words into their speech designed to stir up fear of otherness in their supporters. Examples:

"Obama pals around with terrorists!"

Translation: "Obama is a scary dude who is friends with other scary dudes who are probably brown and/or angry!"

"Obama is a Muslim!"

Translation: "Obama is a scary brown person who thinks!"

"Obama is an elite!"

Translation: "Obama is educated and therefore thinks you are stupid!"

A personal observation: the angry masses aren't doing much to offer evidence to the contrary of the suspicion that they're stupid. If they weren't stupid, they would know better than to regurgitate chain mail lies as Sacred Dogma and would also know better than to continue to vote against their best economic and social interests because Obama "kills babies" and "doesn't think gays are perverted sinners". It's silly! And ignorant...

I mean, do we, as a country, really want people as ignorant as ourselves to be running the show? I want the smartest progressiviest leaders possible, not some Limbaugh-clone dolt who thinks that the 1950s America that never even really existed is a magical Utopia (scary intrusive thought: what are these angry masses going to do if Obama does when tomorrow [knocking on wood]? Will they go home back to reality TV or will they be bitter and cling to their guns and religion, as their wont has often been?).

So what is it? Why are people still so ignorant? Sure, college is expensive, but a high school diploma is free in this country. While it is true that the public school system's teaching methods by and large are tailored to produce worker drones and not critical thinkers, I expect better from a populance that believes itself to be the freest, smartest, and most bestest in the entire world.

I am truly at a loss here. How is it that the country that put golf balls on the Moon, Tetris on your computer and bad food and worse movies in the sky has come to venerate the uneducated simpleton as being the essence of what America is and stands for? I am baffled.

However, I guess I'm not terribly surprised given that this culture pays professional athletes millions of dollars and pays teachers and policepeople diddlysquat. Thoughts, comments, prognostications?

I've appended some moving picture evidence of my claims of ignorance above below.




Also, it should be noted that I qualified my pasty appearance as a disclaimer for when I talk about race issues, for I naively believe in upfront honesty. Furthermore, I may also occasionally post cartoons of my own drawing.