Anti-reform town hall attendees are unable to locate Iraq on a map.
Anti-reform town hall attendees are unable to locate Iraq on a map.
Many town hall protesters enjoy boasting to federal lawmakers about how knowledgeable they are about public policy. For example, at a town hall meeting with Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) yesterday, an attendee stood up and declared, “I have taken the time to look at certain provisions of a bill on the Internet and I can quote…the sections and the page.” But the Omaha City Weekly went to a recent town hall hosted by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and found that the health care protesters actually aren’t all that informed about public policy. They asked 40 pro-reform and 40 anti-reform attendees to locate Iraq on a map. The results:
A full 75%, 30 of 40 pro-reform attendees, could identify Iraq in its rather eye-catching, dead center position on the map. Only 52.5 %, 21 of 40 anti-reformers could do so. [...]
More telling was the startling reactions I got while conducting the test. Pro-reform people, even those geographically challenged few who laughed out loud at the futility of the task before them, portrayed a uniformly agreeable front. Most gave a knowing, touch_-like nod and smile. I received no negative comments, none at all, from that group.
The same could not be said of the other camp. Far from it.
One gentleman practically knocked the clipboard out of my hand in jabbing – angrily and correctly – at the country that (John Kerry was right) represented the wrong war at the wrong time in the wrong place.
Many sneered. Most at least glowered. Four accused the test itself of being somehow biased.
One anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, “Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?”
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Not surprising. Stupid and proud.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:47 pmMs. South Carolina said it best!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTjaYaORCKo
August 28th, 2009 at 3:49 pmWow, I wonder if John Zeigler will say the question was unfair.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:50 pmThe GOP likes em dumb.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:51 pmEven more than the violent, racist and antidemocratic tendencies this crowd displays, the almost defiant ignorance of these people is distressing. I understand that to enthusiastically support candidates like Bush and Palin who cannot utter a coherent English sentence it helps to be dumb as a brick. What I do not understand is how these knuckle draggers seem to think their ignorance is a positive.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:51 pmSo what? What does Iraq have to do with health care reform?
Other than Iraq has public health care?
Other than paying for our troops to be there means we have a harder time affording it?
Other than pointing out that you really aren’t as informed about anything as you claim?
I vote for all the above.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:52 pmThese folks either didn’t pay attention in geography class or just plain flunked high school.
I’d be ashamed of being so ignorant.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:53 pm“Anti-reform town hall attendees are unable to locate Iraq on a map.”
And let’s add that most of these folks don’t know:
1. Hawaii is one of the 50th states.
2. All of the three branches of government
And the list goes on and on. It is not surprising that the uninformed town hall attendees can’t locate Iraq on a map. After all, the Victor Frankenstein GOP party creators didn’t teach them that part of history. Sigh.. The dumbing down of America.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:53 pmBecause of iraq, the deficit is out of this world… and what have we accomplished??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMoQYbRV9NQ&NR=1&feature=fvwp
August 28th, 2009 at 3:55 pmgully foyle says:
These folks either didn’t pay attention in geography class or just plain flunked high school.
I’d be ashamed of being so ignorant.
Never mind high school, how about the last 5 plus years of Americans dying in Iraq for Bush The Simple!
August 28th, 2009 at 3:57 pmRent a copy of” Idiocracy” to see the future of America
August 28th, 2009 at 3:58 pm” an attendee stood up and declared, “I have taken the time to look at certain provisions of a bill on the Internet and I can quote…the sections and the page.”
bullshit. they took the time to memorize some lie sent to them in an email from some healthcare insurance company astroturf operation to spew at a townhall as if it were fact.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:58 pmI’m not sure if they like ‘em that way, or if they’re just forced to rely on ‘em.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:00 pmWell DHU!!!! remember that fix news placed Iraq some where it was not suppose to be. Smiles so of course this bias question form a very liberal reporter was a setup and gotcha question/ Just shows you that misinformation and lies are just not good no matter who spreads them.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:00 pm“One anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, “Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?”
ten bucks says his ass would have snapped right to attention though if you told him his socialized VA benefits were going buh0bye.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:01 pmI would have liked to seen those poll numbers broken out by race. Since blacks have fought in Iraq in greater relative numbers than whites I suspect they also knew where Iraq was in greater relative numbers than their white brothers.
They are lucky, however, that they weren’t asked about specific items in the health care legislation. We know that those supporting Obama have far more accurate knowledge about what is actually in the bill than those opposed.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:01 pmOne anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, “Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?”
Well you over all people show know thats where over 4000 of your fellow brothers and sisters died!!!!!!!!!!!!!
shaking my head you make us Vets look bad.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:02 pmOne anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, “Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?”
– - I dunno, maybe to see what $1,000,000,000,000 (a trillion for you trolls) buys these days.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:02 pmBecause of iraq, the deficit is out of this world… and what have we accomplished??
Several private corporations like KBR and Blackwater are showing nice profits.
The Iraqis still don’t like us and want us out of their country.
According to the Department of Homeland Security we are no safer today, after a couple of trillion spent than we were 8 years ago.
The US government has some real nifty tools now that the Constitution has been bypassed.
We have an administration that thinks those nifty, illegal tools are still pretty nifty.
We are still broke.
We have a small percentage of Americans who are getting to vent their insanity on the public stage making us look even more ridiculous to the world.
Torture is now acceptable even if it is still illegal.
Need more?
August 28th, 2009 at 4:03 pm“One anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, ‘Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?’”
/facepalm
August 28th, 2009 at 4:04 pm“One anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, “Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?”
clearly a case of a librul “plant” spitting on members of the military.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:04 pmDallasNE says:
I would have liked to seen those poll numbers broken out by race. Since blacks have fought in Iraq in greater relative numbers than whites I suspect they also knew where Iraq was in greater relative numbers than their white brothers.
you have any links or facts to back this up? I am just asking as thats be pretty interesting.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:05 pmGee. I wonder where they get their hate from?
August 28th, 2009 at 4:05 pmA: Beck
B: Limbaugh
c: Bachman
D: Hannity
E: Billo
F: ALL OF THE ABOVE
The GOP likes em dumb.
Apparently so does the corporate media.
cnn refusing to air pro health reform ad. See ad here.
Thom Hartmann’s comments concerning the deep roots of the multinational corporations into our society are very true.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:07 pmBecause that where the money that could be used to give YOU better VA benefits and OTHERS any benefits at all went.
THAT’S why the hell you should care.
But I know you don’t.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:07 pmthat s/b that’s
August 28th, 2009 at 4:07 pmOne anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, “Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?”
– - A lot of your ilk was saying the exact same thing about Vietnam in 1965.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:08 pmWhen stupid people are facing their own stupidity they just get more stupid.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:08 pm“One anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, “Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?”
and if angry trannie annie coulter were there, i am sure she would have said to him, “because of people like you, we lost vietnam” like she did to max clelland(d)
August 28th, 2009 at 4:10 pmCan’t fix this, too many and too proud of their ignorance.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:11 pmThere was no doubt in my mind that these anti-reform, birther, deathers came from Stupidistan.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:11 pmI think a better task would have been asking them to locate
August 28th, 2009 at 4:13 pmthe planet Earth.
The trolls will probably say, “so what? What does Iraq have to do with health care reform?”. And they’ll have a point. It’s theoretically possible for a geographically challenged person to study up on health care without relying on talking points generated by others. I’ll concede that it’s possible — even if it’s improbable.
But since the geography test WAS administered, we can attempt to come up with explanations for the discrepancy in geography knowledge between the pro-reform and the anti-reform crowd. And in the process, we can even see a connection between knowledge of the location of Iraq and knowledge of the health care reform process.
First possibility — the pro-reform people are just a bunch of snobby elitists who place some kind of importance on education.
Second possibility — if it was important to know where Iraq was located, surely Rush would have made sure his audience knew that bit of information.
Third possibility — the Omaha City Weekly must be a biased liberal socialist rag, and they skewed the results to fit their agenda.
Of course, it’s also possible that most of the people on the anti- side of the health care reform issue tend to parrot talking points instead of educating themselves on public policy, and their information sources are extremely limited. Whereas the people on the pro- side of the health care reform issue are people who get their information from a wide variety of sources, and they prefer to make up their own minds on issues after gathering as much data as possible.
Because chances are that a person who does his own research and fact gathering will, in the process, get educated on a lot of things pertinent to U.S. policies — like where Iraq is located. A person who is told what to think by someone else will learn only what that person tells them.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:13 pmMSM only shows the cranks, paranoid and hysterical. But isn’t it funny how MSM almost NEVER shows the Hitler signs and racist messages on their coverage? MSM is trying to show these unintelligent buffoons as ‘Average Americans’ to appease their corporate sponsres. But the jig is up. Many Americas are on to this scam. The last 8 years of Bush have taught many Americans that MSM isn’t to be trusted. MSM enabling of Bush and his cronies to invade Iraq is a prime example how badly the American public has been used.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:15 pmMore proof that the knuckledraggers either reject or never heard of the concept that knowledge is power
August 28th, 2009 at 4:15 pmThis is the smarts you get with No Child Left Behind!
August 28th, 2009 at 4:16 pmA few more things to add to the list of accomplishments for 2000-2009.
We hit a recession that rivals the Great Depression.
We wasted a budget surplus.
We invaded a foreign country for the first time.
We spent about 3 trillion dollars with no hope of any kind of return to the American republic.
We violated just about every treaty the US has ever signed in relation to war and the treatment of prisoners.
We elected a President in hopes he would return the US to a standard of law and have pretty much been disappointed on that so far.
We learned how to act like a despotic third world dictatorship while still saying we were doing it for our own good.
This list is not definitive or all inclusive. Feel free to join in.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:18 pmWe may get health care reform but you can’t fix stupid.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:18 pmDallasNE says:
I would have liked to seen those poll numbers broken out by race. Since blacks have fought in Iraq in greater relative numbers than whites I suspect they also knew where Iraq was in greater relative numbers than their white brothers.
Just follow the link to the full story. Answer: all the people at the town hall were white.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Oops, correction:
Just follow the link to the full story. Answer: all the people at the town hall who were against HR3200 were white.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:22 pm“Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?”
Amazing. After eight plus years of the talk of the axis of evil and its better to fight them over there than over here and this veteran doesnt care where 130k of our troops are located on a map.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:22 pmIronic isn’t it? These asses are saying we don’t have the money for health care for OUR citizens and yet, they have no problem with spending billions in Iraq every year? Isn’t their loyality misplaced? But then again, these people think it is nothing but welfare to illegals and poor, when in fact, it would benefit all Americans. I bet a lot of these folks have ‘Medicare’. They seem to have no problem living off the Governments teat.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:23 pmDid anyone test to see if they could find their ass with both hands at the same time?
August 28th, 2009 at 4:23 pmDid anyone test to see if they could find their ass with both hands at the same time?
The way things are going, I think we are going to need DNA testing to see what species they are.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:25 pmmisscoleopteramolly says:
The trolls will probably say, “so what? What does Iraq have to do with health care reform?”. And they’ll have a point. It’s theoretically possible for a geographically challenged person to study up on health care without relying on talking points generated by others. I’ll concede that it’s possible — even if it’s improbable.
Actually it is relevant in this regard – the xenophobic right wing is pushing two memes:
First, that whatever the health care system or situation of any other country in the world may be, it isn’t relevant. This is the degree to which they take “American Exceptionalism,” as if we inhabit an entirely different universe than other countries, where math and logic work differently. Don’t tell me about Canada or France, this is the YOO ESS AY!
Secondly, if that doesn’t work, then they’ll tout our health care situation as being vastly superior to all others everywhere. To back this up, they have to ignore the statistical evidence and instead cherry-pick a handful of things out of the vast array of statistics that are used to measure health care outcomes. As if that weren’t enough, sometimes they even take those tidbits out of their own context.
For instance, some people travel from other countries to the USA for care. Never mind that some other people travel from the USA to other countries for care, or between two other countries for care, etc. By ignoring that part, they try to make us sound like a huge health care destination for the world, which we are most decidedly not.
Another cherry-picking thing they do is talk solely about high-end, expensive treatments. While it’s reasonable that we have more of those now than most other countries, it’s rarely what very many people need in very many cases. And those than can afford it now will still be able to afford it after we set things up so others can get help too. The only way that such “Cadillac Care” would be at risk is if a national health care plan bankrupted the top 1% so much that they could no longer generate demand for it. And it’s not even remotely indicated that such a thing could happen.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:26 pmLOL! Do you think they can chew gum and walk at the same time? I know I’m being petty, but these people make it too easy. They truly are so sad and demented. To wrap yourself in ignorance is not acceptable. It shows they are extremely lazy. “Why think when others can do it for you.” Is not an excuse.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:31 pmI missed a big one.
We created the 3rd largest organization and a new cabinet post to supervise all of the other law enforcement and intelligence gathering agencies so they could keep up with the illegal wire tapping and searches to prevent people who board planes in foreign countries from doing it again.
And now we are letting them illegally confiscate data from your computer, just because they think its fun.
Could someone help me find a good thing we have done in the last 9 years?
August 28th, 2009 at 4:34 pmI would counter that with ‘our troops, injured in Iraq, receive government healthcare’ are you against that?’
August 28th, 2009 at 4:35 pmI am still trying to figure out if kwsventures can find that business of theres on a map…
August 28th, 2009 at 4:35 pmtheirs…
August 28th, 2009 at 4:36 pmdbadass says: I am still trying to figure out if kwsventures can find that business of theres on a map…
Mr Wilderness prolly depends on a handheld GPS unit
August 28th, 2009 at 4:37 pmFrankly, I am surprised they even found the Town Hall Meetings.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:38 pm#39 CZ-1
I saw that all 40 opposed to health care reform were white. I also saw that they said they had a breakdown by race. I was wanting to see that number for those supporting health care reform. I have in fact sent them an e-mail asking for that information.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:40 pmDo you, sir/madam, want to increase the costs of our troops healthcare by enriching a jet setting CEO and his shareholders that would consume more of your tax dollars?
August 28th, 2009 at 4:40 pmThey use long buses instead of short ones?
August 28th, 2009 at 4:43 pmHe should have been yelling that to Dubya in 2002.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:47 pmSoapBox says:
I guess that is the true answer to “Is (sic) our children learning?”
August 28th, 2009 at 4:49 pmWell if that was the map, no wonder 21 of them could point it out, hell, it said “Iraq” right in the middle, which means only 21 of the 40 could read.
Really, I am surprised about how ignorant people are about where countries are around the world on a map…
…too much “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s most Talented”…
…me, I love a good night looking up history and science.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:49 pmOT
August 28th, 2009 at 4:50 pmAnyone know why Poppy and Babs aren’t going to the funeral?
I have noticed that newscasts seldom show maps anymore. When they do they’re so covered with bells and whistles they look more like AOL than geographical maps. I have the internet and a globe, and would have gotten this. Maps are very key issues in wars, because wars are territorial—aggressive wars are land and/or resource grabs. Wars are predatory. The ideological blah, blah, blah is for the cheap seats.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:52 pmI wonder: What percentage could identify the unlabled form of the United States of America on a globe, especially if it was first spinnig when presented to them? And what about upside down and spinning? (Ok, now I’m just being silly)
August 28th, 2009 at 4:55 pmOT
Anyone know why Poppy and Babs aren’t going to the funeral?
Sumpn bout bee-u-teeful minds being wasted
August 28th, 2009 at 5:03 pm#53 DallasNE says:
I have in fact sent them an e-mail asking for that information.
Excellent. But reading the whole article, seeing the irreverent tone of it, and the reporter’s admission that it wasn’t a scientific poll with a large sample size, it’s probably poor data anyway. I liked the reporter’s just-say-yes approach where he said yes, you are correct to everyone and noted their reactions to the question and to being told they were correct (right or wrong). Throw in a few more questions to round out a variety of topics, and with a bigger sample size, THAT would be some interesting data.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:05 pmGiven this image most tea-baggers will have difficulty locating the solar system!
August 28th, 2009 at 5:11 pm59 – Marie – I’m pretty sure it’s because they’re hateful old misanthropes.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:12 pmWAR…How Americans learn Geography.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:19 pm“Eye-rack?” It’s near Eye-ran, no?
These anti-health insurance reform folks are the perfect zombies marching for continued corporate greed. They are stupid and masochistic to boot. They must love being raped by private insurance companies; being denied needed health care procedures; being denied any insurance coverage at all due to “pre-existing conditions.” It’s too bad that they cannot continue to stew by themselves in corporate juices, and let the rest of us move on with a Day One robust Public Option. Why do they care? Oh dear, some poor folks might be able to get some decent health care… Would Jesus be a corporate zombie? I don’t think so…
August 28th, 2009 at 5:32 pmI thought it would be a story if they knew where Iraq was, not the other way around.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:45 pmHell, repugs don’t know where Hawaii is.
More proof they’re born with the stupid gene.
They’re quick to show anger and violence when confronted with the obvious.
repugs command ignorance.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:08 pmAnd Texas wants to revise its curriculum to provide a more “conservative” perspective of history – in other words, they want a curriculum completely lacking in historical perspective.
Aren’t conservatives ignorant enough already?
August 28th, 2009 at 6:18 pmA Viet Nam vet didn’t care where Iraq is….
That sums up the Repub base. I don’t give a sh*t about people today, I don’t give a sh*t about anyone but me. I hate America. I don’t even care to inform myself about today’s issues. I’m a stupid loser. I watch Fox “news”.
You really explained it to us, Mr. Veteran. What an insensitive, uninformed, lying jerk you are.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:33 pmFortunately, a lot of Viet Nam vets will be fighting to maintain quality care, showing newbies the ropes, and volunteering to drive shuttles so they can get to the VA hospitals in cities they don’t live in. This guy does not represent.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:38 pm“One anti-reform Vietnam veteran also responded, “Why the hell should I care where Iraq is?””
Hey, he probably didn’t care where Vietnam was either – at the time, he just knew he was there and didn’t want to be (and he couldn’t just walk home, or hitch a ride with a passing hippy). If you put a map of SE Asia in front of him today with all the politcal boundaries and place names erased and asked him to draw a line representing the general location of Vietnam, South, North or both, he might not be able to do it.
And in a sense, it doesn’t matter where Iraq is. It may be sufficient for most people to know it’s a resource sink, bleeding us for people and money and material.
Righties are almost always suspicious when someone asks them a question, especially if it looks like it’s politically loaded or is the lead-in to something that might bite ‘em.
August 28th, 2009 at 7:27 pmIdiotcracy!
I went to a health care demonstration recently to observe.
When I asked the pro-reform people why they were there, most gave a story of a recent illness of their own or in their family,
one was a nurse who said she was there because she saw what was going on with the insurance companies.
The anti reform people were generally anti-Obama and “anti socialism”
They were angry when I tried to engage them in conversation, it seemed often like they had some socialization problems and one seemed downright dangerously paranoid.
It would be interesting to see the breakdown of pro and anti health care reform backers with respect as to how many doctors, nurses and/or people who have actually had experience dealing with our health care system are represented on either side.
August 28th, 2009 at 7:34 pmQuestion: If not knowing where Iraq is on a map makes one appear stupid, how does a presidential candiate who thinks there are 57 states in the U. S. look? Is he also stupid?
August 28th, 2009 at 7:57 pmPresident Obama never “thought” there were 57 states. It was a slip of the tongue.
Good, God these republicans are revolting.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:29 pmThe news story seems a little thin.
http://www.omahacityweekly.com/article/2009/08/27/web-exclusive-map-quest-town-hall
It’s billed as the Omaha City Weekly, like it’s a credible news source, but if you read the account, it’s the sole endeavor of a single web reporter. The premise, the poll question, the sample selection, the results and the assessment of the various respondents.
The objectivity of the account seems questionable.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:20 pmBeethoven Rules says:
Question: If not knowing where Iraq is on a map makes one appear stupid, how does a presidential candiate who thinks there are 57 states in the U. S. look? Is he also stupid?
The legal definition of the United States of America encompasses not only each of the 50 jurisdictions represented by a star on the U.S. Flag.
It also encompasses American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marian Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the national capital– Washington, DC.
I’m willing to bet that the president was referencing that fact when he made his statement. So in referring to the total land jurisdictions of the USA, he was only off by one.
But even if I give you the benefit of the doubt that he was not referencing that fact, your feeble effort to poke fun at his geography gaffe still only reveals your own ignorance.
Based upon the language embedded in the seals of the 50 main USA entities, there are only now and have never been more than 46 states. Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are commonwealths.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:37 pmBeethoven Rules says:
Question: If not knowing where Iraq is on a map makes one appear stupid, how does a presidential candiate who thinks there are 57 states in the U. S. look? Is he also stupid?
Did he say he really believed that, or did he just misspeak one time in the middle of saying something else? I would think that would be relevant.
.
South House says:
I’m willing to bet that the president was referencing that fact when he made his statement. So in referring to the total land jurisdictions of the USA, he was only off by one.
That’s a nice try, but the simple fact of it is he merely said the wrong number one time, while in the heat of a grueling primary vs. Hillary, where his entire schedule had been nothing but travel / speak / sleep (and not enough of the third one) for many months on end.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:56 pmpaleolib says:
Even more than the violent, racist and antidemocratic tendencies this crowd displays, the almost defiant ignorance of these people is distressing. I understand that to enthusiastically support candidates like Bush and Palin who cannot utter a coherent English sentence it helps to be dumb as a brick. What I do not understand is how these knuckle draggers seem to think their ignorance is a positive.
Indubitably, friend…
These cro-magnons are too concerned with threatening violence against all others to really care what else is going on in the world, or the country.
Sadly, we liberals aren’t getting it…
August 28th, 2009 at 11:59 pmIt’s not about health care. It’s about control. It’s about votes and simply BEING in power for these people. It has nothing to do with actually DOING SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE while IN power.
Based on test results and the negative reactions on behalf of some goopers to the test + a designation of the test as biased, it seems to me that the the goopers need a little affirmative action to on this test./snark
Boy, they are not only ignorant but also arrogant, “Why do I need to know where Iraq is located on a map?”
Believe it or not, these are the same attitudes I dealt with for the 33 years I taught social studies. A lot of people in this country just don’t think it’s important to know anythng about foreign countries, or even the U.S. for that matter.
August 29th, 2009 at 1:12 amThese idiots couldn’t find Iraq if it was marked on the map.
August 29th, 2009 at 1:19 am82. majii sez: … A lot of people in this country just don’t think it’s important to know anythng about foreign countries, or even the U.S. for that matter. August 29th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Yes, you’d think that people need to know more about their own country and the world they live in, and you’d be wrong. (snark)
Keep in mind that our fellow citizens on the right, those who call themselves Republicans and conservatives and, occasionally, proud right wing terrorists, are actually virtually all reactionaries. They’re not interested in today, especially not when a very un-WASPy person has appeared at the White House, and at the top of the food chain there-in. Mind you, most of those reactionaries are not themselves WASPs; they’ve just assumed what they think are the trappings and though processes of WASP-dom. I could go on about high church WASP and low church WASP and that sort of thing, but I’ll spare you my ramblings on that subject.
The point about them being reactionaries is that they want to live in a past, in some golden age which didn’t exist, but which is part of a mythology they’ve constructed. They don’t want to hear, don’t want to know that America is and has been a work-in-progress. Society and culture in the larger sense always is; if we stop, we die. There is no place in the world for a static culture or society, but the conservatives we know will certainly try to create it.
August 29th, 2009 at 1:51 amMr. Burns says:
Sadly, we liberals aren’t getting it…
It’s not about health care. It’s about control. It’s about votes and simply BEING in power for these people. It has nothing to do with actually DOING SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE while IN power.
An excellent point. They want power for its own sake. We only want power insofar as it produces a better America. As such, we’re at an inherent disadvantage at all times. But it’s one I gladly accept. The only appropriate tactic is to continually expose them.
August 29th, 2009 at 2:52 amIn both cases the level of knowledge is too low. As Maher said in one of his New Rules pieces “some of this stuff you should be able to pick up simply by being alive”.
August 29th, 2009 at 6:30 amWow what a surprise! While attending a town hall meeting in Johnstown Pa. I looked around at the antis and remarked to a friend that “All of the college graduates from that crowd could fit in to a phone booth”. I only made such a statement after I saw several were wearing Sarah Palin buttons. If you think Palin is potentially presidential material I will go out on a limb and say that your IQ is probably in the range of that poor,unfortunate turkey filmed being slaughtered behind her during the campaign.
August 29th, 2009 at 12:09 pmhealth care reform and the war in Iraq aren’t necessarily one and the same true, but what is true is that most people the blindly stand behind America right or wrong, usually don’t know anything about policy in general. most Americans are out for themselves and that’s it. they couldn’t care less about what happens to their neighbor, let alone what’s going on in Iraq.
we’re not a collective society. we are taught to be individualistic. it’s the American way. that’s why we’re getting left behind by many developing countries when it comes to health care. According to World Health Organization, we’re #37.
i found this web site interesting:
http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-healthcare.htm
August 29th, 2009 at 12:33 pmThe problem’s Ms. North Carolina had, are endemic, and indicate the paucity, of verifiable, social evaluations!? For example, on average, how many citizens ‘know’ the three ways that a surveyor uses (quite in the grand, tradition of George Washington!) required to describe an ordinary plot of land? IMO(?): a. three landmarks b. major geographic features c. other surrounding, built structures. p.s. please correct this, if it eternally, confuses your customary locational references??!
August 29th, 2009 at 8:42 pmBeethoven Rules says:
You are stupid. We all know what happened there and it wasnt that Obama didnt know how many states there are. You are such a stupid brainwashed piece of garbage. Doesnt it embarass you to be so cripplingly stupid? You ignorant punkass troll
August 30th, 2009 at 3:16 amLet’s face it…Maps have a liberal bias…
August 30th, 2009 at 11:11 amThe anti-reformers also had trouble locating the restroom.
August 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pmHow could you forget the moosette with the mostest: Sarah Palin?
texasrick says:
August 30th, 2009 at 9:42 pmGee. I wonder where they get their hate from?
A: Beck
B: Limbaugh
c: Bachman
D: Hannity
E: Billo
F: ALL OF THE ABOVE
Wow, What an indictment against the so-called public education system in this country. This speaks volumes against the Dept of Education and the teachers unions. The dumbing- down of America has been going on way to long in this country. Unfortunately for the politically elite, there are ways around their evil intentions. I sure am glad my kids are no longer subjected to the leftist indoctrination and mindless drivel of government education.
August 31st, 2009 at 9:51 amSo much for the ‘no child left behind’ this clown is way behind the bus. This is not surprising somewhere around 80% of younger Americans have not clue about geography and where countries or even states are and that really is a damn shame.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:56 amAmerica has some serious education problems and the only damn thing parents complain about is whether or not there is or isn’t pray in school or if creationism is taught or not.
America we have some serious problems here.
Man, you guys are quick to throw out the personal attacks. How do you expect to have ANY kind of meaningful dialogue by throwing insults? I find it ironic no one in this thread mentioned anything about Obama stating he had been campaigning in “58″ states—is he “ignorant” too? I also don’t see anyone here chastising the voters who helped put him in office who were later interviewed and had no idea who Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid were. So, call all the names you want…just remember that thing about glass houses and stones.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:16 pm