On 6/9/2013 12:37 PM, tom ronson wrote:
> apparently you've never heard of American exceptionalism --- this is a
> phenomena where guys like Irish Mike are told total bullshit and using
> their blind loyalty spread it around like it's fact, or something.
It is amazing how prevalent this has become, and how pervasive it is. A
fine example is this recent study:
http://www.pnas.org/content/110/23/9314
The basics: People were given a limited amount of money and had to
select between a standard light bulb and a CFL. When the boxes had only
literature describing the energy use all people were just as likely to
buy either one of the bulbs. As soon as they put a label on the CFL's
that said "protect the environment" they saw, "a significant drop-off in
more politically moderates and conservatives choosing that option".
Exact same bulbs, but because because they've been brainwashed into
thinking that anything that has "environment" on it is just for dirty
hippies they won't have anything to do with it, even when it has
negative effects on their financial bottom line.
And that is the kind of thing that really ticks me off. This country
has a TON of problems right now, and the partisan garbage is absolutely
killing us.
The light bulb didn't change when the label went on just the perception
of it did, a perception that was formed at least in part by people who
have a vested interest in the outcome. And that seems to be the
strongest guiding force the nation has today. Instead of "We the
People" it's become "We the Deluded".
And the saddest part is the vast majority of people are not all that far
off in what they believe in. The media and political parties wants to
portray personal views of Americans as being
________________________This far apart _____________________________
but the reality is when you ask detailed questions about issues they are
only
_This far apart_
I have no expectations of changing the hyper-partisans or chronically
mentally deficient, (you know who you are, or if you don't, everyone
else does), but what I ask of everyone else is to do one simple thing:
think. Use your brain. When you read an article or are sent something,
from either side, don't just take it at face value. Research it. Use a
little critical thinking to decipher on your own the merits of what is
being promoted. In order to survive we need a lot more people who
refuse to be spoon fed partisan dogma.