ratboy's anvil

Why are you people so gullible?

CBS has an article posted called "Irrational - Or Just Neurotic?"

In my opinion, it should titled "Irrational, Neurotic and Or Just Plain Stupid."

The American public on the whole is in no more danger than they were on September 10th, 2001. There is simply no basis to the hysteria that has been generated by the events of September 11th, 2001. What else of any magnitude at all has happened since then? What Americans are feeling is just hype generated by an adroit advertizing campaign by the media arm of BushCo proper and the yellow journalism pandering of corporate media.

To begin with Americans are neurotic in their patriotisms. All the flag waving, breast thumping and cheering at bellicose rhetoric is a sham. In actuality the American public is basically an amorphorus collection self-centered and lazy minded louts who tend to couch all political thought in terms of sports analogies and equate attacking Saddam to the "good guy/bad guy" cliches of the WWF. Its all "Go Team!" no matter what the subject is.

It is likely impossible for the average American to step back and view themselves objectively. They are far too provincial for self-inspection. They simply have no comparative. All things are measured against American values and precepts; the idea that those precepts and values might be relative points on a sliding scale and of little use to others outside of the context of their provincialisms never arises. It is that lack of perspective that generates such fierce reactions of mindless patriotism that are the hallmark of the American Way.

Once someone is mindless in their patriotisms they are also likely to be subject to mindlessly accepting that they should suddenly be living in a state of fear should their leaders broadcast that idea. (And it isn't like the leaders themselves are immune to their own hype.)

It becomes a feedback loop of irrationality. Irrational because it has no basis in reality. The worst thing that has happened since then is that some southern states had big chunks of metal falling down on them out of the sky when the shuttle attempted re-entry...and what's one of the first things out of the mouth of officials and the media? That the accident was not believed to be caused by terrorists.

That is an irrational thought based on the fear sold to the American public by government and media for months now non-stop. Its just advertizing people!

3000 people spectacularly taken out in one shot is meant to get our attention.

It succeeded.

What we do with that attention is the point.

Far more Americans died or were seriously injured that same year in car accidents. How many died of AIDS? How many died in excruciating pain from massive heart attacks? Where is the attention for that?

Why, America, do you obsessively fear that terrorists may attack at any moment but you do not obsessively fear having a heart attack at any moment?

Is that rational?

I think not.