Too long for idiots?

Post by **chiQ** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:07 pm

An article from Esquire:

http://templeofpolemic.proboards42.com/ ... 1130126466

That's a good read :icon14:

Post by **jester!** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:18 pm

The US is saddly laughable in so many ways. When bush was reelected one of the talking heads said that 50% of americans believe in 6 day creationism. Now, even if that number is inaccurate, even if its out by 25%, do you want a quarter of your population to be that backwards? Considering the economic, political, and military clout that the country has around the world?

Sad.

Post by **seremtan** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:18 pm

hm, this has a faint whiff of old about it. or perhaps i found it somewhere else

it's pretty entertaining though :icon14:

Post by **chiQ** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:34 pm

seremtan wrote:hm, this has a faint whiff of old about it. or perhaps i found it somewhere else

it's pretty entertaining though :icon14:

Maybe, according to their online version it was published November 1, so the issue probably came out in October.

Post by **SiCdeth** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:34 pm

not that I'm an idiot, but maybe I just don't want to sit and read through some bs someone is trying to force down my throat.. which is always what articles like that are like...

wanna try and summarize it first instead of calling anyone who doesn't want to read it an idiot?

Post by **jester!** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:49 pm

In summary.

1. The US intellectuals are no longer trusted and appreciated for their knowledge but mistrusted and treated as being elitist by the population at large who believe that with access to mass media they have just as valid opinions on everything as these so called experts.

2. The religious right feels under attack by the educated population concerning such things as Intelligent Design.

3. The US administration has reflected this behavior by ignoring experts on international policy and anti-terror etc.

4. From TFA

"The Gut (gut feeling/common sense) is the basis for the Great Premises of Idiot America. We hold these truths to be self-evident:
1) Any theory is valid if it sells books, soaks up ratings, or otherwise moves units.
2) Anything can be true if somebody says it on television.
3) Fact is that which enough people believe. Truth is determined by how fervently they believe it. "

5. Its basically stating how the US has become anti science and is regressing into a bunch of fearful, paranoid, people depending upon their faith and/or demagogues in the mass media to tell them how things are.

Post by **R00k** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:56 pm

Yea, someone else here - Fender maybe? - posted it a month or so ago. It's a really good read.

Post by **chiQ** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:58 pm

SiCdeth wrote:not that I'm an idiot, but maybe I just don't want to sit and read through some bs someone is trying to force down my throat.. which is always what articles like that are like...

wanna try and summarize it first instead of calling anyone who doesn't want to read it an idiot?

Not particularly. It's not something you can really summarise.

A trailer for the article might read: 'Idiot America is apathetic, lacking in self-motivation and curiosity, bestows authority based on audience response, and is run by its gut', but you need to shed apathy, rouse your curiosity, get past the lack of inane entertainment value, and use your head to get past the initial barrier, so you may as well read it, run away bravely, or class yourself as part of Idiot America.

Most of my American friends aren't part of Idiot America - they're part of alert, rational, considered, and intelligent America, but the news coming out of the US over the past few years makes the existence of Idiot America very easy to believe in.

Post by **plained** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:05 pm

i could sumerize it if i read it , but im not going to

Post by **Hannibal** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:18 pm

R00k wrote:Yea, someone else here - Fender maybe? - posted it a month or so ago. It's a really good read.

http://quake3world.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13379

Post by **chiQ** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:25 pm

Hannibal wrote:
R00k wrote:Yea, someone else here - Fender maybe? - posted it a month or so ago. It's a really good read.
http://quake3world.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13379

Ah, cool, okay ignore me then

Post by **Foo** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:52 pm

chiQ wrote:Most of my American friends aren't part of Idiot America - they're part of alert, rational, considered, and intelligent America, but the news coming out of the US over the past few years makes the existence of Idiot America very easy to believe in.

This holds true in most countries I think. The UK is heavily populated by lower class working types who concern themselves with the racist end of the newspaper selection, spend their weekends in the pub, would say 'darkies' in general conversation if they knew they'd get away with it, and hold extremely naive opinions on just about every political subject you'd care to mention.

Fortunately for the UK, there's no one party universally catering to them, they could be voting conservative or labour (though rarely lib dem). That reduces the impact of the group somewhat, but it's essentially the same thing as you're seeing over there.

Post by **Transient** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:00 pm

I printed it out and will read it while I'm on the crapper some time.

Post by **GONNAFISTYA** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:06 pm

SiCdeth wrote:not that I'm an idiot, but maybe I just don't want to sit and read through some bs someone is trying to force down my throat.. which is always what articles like that are like...

wanna try and summarize it first instead of calling anyone who doesn't want to read it an idiot?

Ok..I'll summarize this thread for you instead:

- you walk in extolling the same characteristics that the article was talking about (idiocy)
- you then get pissy when people tell you to actually read it and pull yourself out of the characteristics you've extolled (idiocy)
- the circle continues

Post by **GONNAFISTYA** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:42 pm

I don't mean to really come off as a troll in an otherwise thought provoking topic...besides chiQ is kinda cute and probably has nice tits....

But...

If you step back and look at it all this article - to a large extent - explains why Kracus has created (to his utter embarassment) so many "random thought" threads that were based on "gut" feelings with no basis in fact whatsoever. And the moron actually defended his "theories" (in the face of overwhelming and easily reachable evidence that proved him wrong) with comments like "I just know it's true cause it seems right" to further cement his humiliation on a public forum read by - possibly - millions if not trillions.

And of course people like me came along and ass-raped him for it but that didn't seem to make a difference.

And having DiCbreath come along and lament about having to actually read it is just icing on the cake.

Post by **hax103** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:53 pm

Nice post Foo.

Chiq: Are you saying there is no "Idiot New Zealand"? - See Foo's post.

Foo wrote:
chiQ wrote:Most of my American friends aren't part of Idiot America - they're part of alert, rational, considered, and intelligent America, but the news coming out of the US over the past few years makes the existence of Idiot America very easy to believe in.
This holds true in most countries I think. The UK is heavily populated by lower class working types who concern themselves with the racist end of the newspaper selection, spend their weekends in the pub, would say 'darkies' in general conversation if they knew they'd get away with it, and hold extremely naive opinions on just about every political subject you'd care to mention.

Fortunately for the UK, there's no one party universally catering to them, they could be voting conservative or labour (though rarely lib dem). That reduces the impact of the group somewhat, but it's essentially the same thing as you're seeing over there.

Post by **Turbine** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:53 pm

Holly crap it looks like we have found the source of the worlds most undereducated population.

The only place these people get their education from is the church?

1+1 = prayer?

No offence to anyone, please, we are all to smart for that here!

Post by **hax103** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:02 pm

Worldwide, I would suspect that a stupendous number of people (certainly in Europe)believe that the Bible events are real history. Or at least would be unwilling to say its false or only a "metaphor" For centuries, the greatest western thinkers have debated the existence of God (ala the Bible) and the events mentioned therein.

It must in some way be challenging for a person to go to church on Sundays, engage in the services/prayer and then reconcile their Sunday actions/thoughts with scientific evidence of history.

Turbine wrote:Holly crap it looks like we have found the source of the worlds most undereducated population.

The only place these people get their education from is the church?

1+1 = prayer?

No offence to anyone, please, we are all to smart for that here!

Post by **Turbine** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:08 pm

Well I meat a guy once that tried to force fead me that crap about the Earth beaing only 10000 years old.

What about the Egyptians that preadate everything modern? They are literarly etched-in-stone-evidence.

What about the Messapotamians, Greek?
Caveman, fossils, bones, carbondating, science, logic, common sence? Anyone?

Well, I certantly told him, he wont be sliping me tose stupid ass pamphlets again. What an excuse of a human being.

I have my religion, thankyouverymutch, and thare is nothing against science in it.

Science is proof of God's work.

Post by **SiCdeth** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:11 pm

"5. Its basically stating how the US has become anti science and is regressing into a bunch of fearful, paranoid, people depending upon their faith and/or demagogues in the mass media to tell them how things are."

ok, like anyone doesn't know that? I have to be called an idiot because I don't want to waste however many minutes it'll take reading something that I already know? I don't watch the news so I'm not corrupted by what the powers that be want me to know and I don't give a shit about the war either way, doesn't make me happy or sad or anything. I am not biased in any way to anything regarding politics? So I'm an idiot because I care about myself and not what anyone else has to tell me? If the article is complaining about mass media and blablabla telling you what to think and do and feel, then what the fuck is the article doing? the same thing. And let's say you are not part of "idiot america" or whatever.. you are some in the know citizen who is not held down by the man, do you lead a more satisfying life then someone who is "blinded" are you more succesful? are you rich?

I say live your own life and don't give a shit about anything else but what concerns you directly.. I don't fuckin vote.. I don't pay attention to anything but me and my friends and my job to make money and the shit I want to buy to entertain me so my life sucks a little less.

Post by **Turbine** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:18 pm

If the article is complaining about mass media and blablabla telling you what to think and do and feel, then what the fuck is the article doing? the same thing.

It is telling you to stay open minded, but what it fails to explain and demonstrate is how world news allways conflicts with the american news, when it comes to politics, war and internal/external issues.

So the article is saying, be carefull whose news you eat up. Have multiple sources.

But in todays world of foprce feeding, it is imposible to know who is who, unless you happen to be in that advantage point. That would let you see.

In order to do that you have to live in a nutreal country like, Switcerland, where they are not concerned with covering up, or makebelefing anything. Just straight up news. Unbiased

Post by **SiCdeth** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:22 pm

i don't need to read a billion word essay on why i should stay open minded and not believe everything i hear or see...

but i guess i need some fag on a messageboard to tell me i fit in with the subject of the article just cause i don't want to read it..... makes sense