(Really though, you guys...even if you don't want to discuss or hear about anything political, PLEASE FOR ME watch the first two videos. They are hilarious. Even if you're a die-hard Republican. Because these people make NO SENSE AND IT'S FREAKING FUNNY.)
Watch this video first:
My thoughts:
At first, I was just like...."Hahahahahaha. Entertainment value only. In every crowd there's going to be a bunch of crazies. The makers of this film clearly cherry-picked the wackos to make the whole group look bad. So, this isn't a legitimate resource. But it makes me laugh anyway." The makers of the film state that those interviewed were selected at random, and that they had many more minutes of footage like that, but hadn't put up the full video yet. I was still skeptical and just watched it a million times to laugh over and over at parts like 3:55-4:18 and 5:33-5:50. PS-PUT YOUR FAVORITE TIME MARKERS IN THE COMMENTS, PLEASE!
Now watch this video:
My thoughts:
"Wait...another one? Showing a whole new batch (with the exception of one woman) of epic ignorance? I love that I have a new video to rewind and watch over and over, like parts 2:13-2:22 and 6:00-end, where she prays for him. But...seriously? It's okay, Lorena. Like you told yourself earlier, the filmmakers are just cherry picking. Not everyone in that crowd is that insane." SAME RULE: LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS WHAT YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITES ARE.
AND THEN THERE WAS THIS:
My thoughts: "WTF??????" I really was stunned and a little mad. The first two videos were just plain funny. But this...I heard a huuuuuge crowd parroting back lie after lie. So much hate and racism and ignorance. It made me feel sick. And it wasn't edited. This wasn't even all of it, this was only the last five minutes. I couldn't tell myself that this wasn't an accurate representation of what was going on, because there was clearly no cherry picking. This was just...wrong.
My knee jerk reaction, one I said out loud to a friend, was: "I thought that I was all for bi-partisianship. I thought that was the way to go. But if this is what the Republican party has come to...then I want no part of it."
*pauses, waits for a minute to be crucified*
*realizes that even though I live in Idaho, no one is around to hear me speak such blasphemy*
After I calmed down a bit I was able to realize that the lameness I was seeing had less to do with "republicanism" and more to do with many other reasons. See also: racism, ignorance, bigotry, and Glenn Becksim.
*pauses again, waiting for the crucifixion*
*realizes again that no one who lives in my house is going to crucify me*
*decides to take it to the interwebs*
Glenn Beck, I used to think you were a harmless fool. I realized today that I was wrong. You are not harmless. You are a million nasty things that I'm not going to say right now, but above all, you are A HUGE PART OF THE PROBLEM. I'm sorry, but isn't your precious "9/12" supposed to be about coming together as a nation like we did the day after 9/11?
I saw none of that today. I saw a herd of blind sheep following a shepherd who is not bi-partisan, but bi-polar. I was disgusted that to further your own rude, horrible agenda, you would sacrifice what's best for our country by perpetuating lies to people who trust what you say. You, sir, are an asshole.
In summary:
- At first, I was merely amused by what a handful of people thought. I didn't really believe all the hype.
- Then I realized that this was more than a handful of people.
- And then I got mad.
- Because I realized that we as a nation are never going to get anything good accomplished as long as people are so uninformed about the issues.
- But who was to blame for this tea baggers display of stupidity?
- Oh right. Glenn Beck. And all his kind.
- Haaaaate. So much anger at that particular moment in time.
- If you're going to hate the president for ruining the country, that's fine with me. I encourage it, actually. Disagreement is what makes this country great, as long as your opinions are BASED IN TRUTH AND KNOWLEDGE AND ACTUAL FACTS.
- Don't be stupid. The end.
6 bits of feedback:
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Rena served up yummy for blog-dinner tonight. And although delicious, all of it makes me sad. Even sadder because my own dad is a loony tune as well.
I don't know much about the health care debate. Because all I ever see on the news is people hurling vitriolic propaganda about one party or the other. Which is my main problem with the bi-partisan system. It prevents anything helpful from getting done ever.
I keep hoping it's just the old people (like my looney tunes padre) and that when they all die we will live in a world of rational logic and open communication... except in Utah.
We won't live in a world of rational logic and open communication....sadly. My thinking is this:
It's not the just the older generation. Come sit in any Idaho classroom (or any lds college classroom) and listen to a whole roomful of kids spout off about something they don't know anything about, they've just heard someone else say it. So even when the older generation dies off, we'll still have people who aren't willing to come to their own conclusions, they'd rather go all "mob mentality" on us.
Rena, I had not seen these vidoes until now and all I can say is that you may be relatively young, but I swear they could name you Queen and we'd all be better off.
In philosophy, they often talk about the "Zeitgeist," which translates as "Spirit of the Age." The idea is that at certain times, whole populations are seized--often inexplicably--by a collective spirit. Sometimes it's good, sometimes--as in Nazi Germany--it's bad.
In our case, right now, America seems to be home to a very large number of bad spirits--people who are deeply misinformed, afraid, paranoid, arrogant, angry, controlling, racist, xenophobic and just plain dumb.
It worries me a lot, not only because it seems to have paralyzed the country, but also because I'm old enough to realize that situations can turn very bad, very quickly. Somebody gets a little too angry, somebody else gets shot, and suddenly there's blood running in the streets.
As you know from reading my blog (thank you for sticking with, BTW), my approach has been to laugh about it, to try to defuse the anger by pointing out how silly it all is. Although, as you point out here, it's actually not silly, it's harmful and even potentially dangerous.
Obama's national health care proposal, for example, has as much to do with Nazi Germany as it does a sack of Idaho potatoes (they're still God-fearing American taters, right?). The truth is that ALL (not most) of the world's industrialized nations have national health care plans (not to mention other humane perks like 4-8 week vacations and paid maternity leave) and yet nobody in those countries is being shuffled off to the gas chambers, or living in abject poverty, or being repressed by their governments. In fact, they seem quite happy, even relaxed, by comparison to the average overworked and underinsured American.
When you write that Glenn Beck and his ilk shouldn't "be stupid," you couldn't be more spot on, or more to the point, in my opinion. Thanks for this post. Reading/watching it was scarier than watching Saw, Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV combined, but informative.
Good luck out there in Idaholand. Just watch your back. A lot of them have guns. :)
Mike:
No, thank YOU for sticking with my blog. I know that only about one in five posts are worth reading. I am also glad you have recognized that I should be ruler over all things.
Your comments on important issues like this are always well thought out and drive home points that I've missed. Thanks for that.
Hey, I didn't say "ruler over ALL things." Just America. Don't let the power go to your head. :)
Ok, wow that first video was reatarted!! hahaha That lady made me laugh so hard I almost peed my pants! "Washingotn D.C. is the District of Destruction!!!!" "Tartan spelled backwards is SATAN!!" Hahahahaha I just couldn't continue without posting that.
Oh, and the people in that video are pathetic. I think they need to go out and do a little research on what they are boycotting for. They have absolutely no idea what they are talking about! That's all. haha
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