> We are what we are: Who knows why? My theory is that in order to
> believe most of the bullshit about "the cittee on a hill," the residents
> of that city become so detached from the real world that they
> reflexively attack anything which suggests that the real world deviates
> from the cartoon version of "America" they hold dear. I think many
> Americans intuitively understand that if they even begin to question the
> propaganda and nonsense with which they've been bombarded since infancy
> they will quickly lose their quasi-religious faith in "The Greatest
> Country that Has Ever Existed". Thus, unrelenting belligerence is their
> habitual stance. This will prevent other, more balanced people from
> even engaging them, because it's just so damn tedious to do so.
> Americans, by and large, really believe that we are both different and
> better than anyone else who has ever walked this planet - different and
> better in every way. No one else really counts. Anything that might
> cause a red-blooded American to question this belief simply cannot be
> tolerated; it must attacked and silenced, if possible. Hence the online
> assholishness.
Your analysis matches the level of political discourse in my own family. We simply don't talk about politics and religion, which is really funny because our family is a bunch of political junkies. My parents watch Fox News and listen to Limbaugh constantly. My little sister is a neighborhood Republican official and watches Fox News. The older sister is a more liberal (rich) Republican but she's a fan of Michael Savage. The only person I can talk to is my middle sister, who is a Perot-voting
independent who hates Bush. Even she got on my case one day when I tried to say something about politics, accusing me of not following any news other than my own stuff. Actually, I read a wide range of news coming from all perspectives.
You are on target about how these people don't want their bubble popped. If you want another example of what Woj was talking about, listen to the Alan Colmes show. He gets alot of the Fox News audience and those guys just rant like a bunch of loons.
It's simply impossible to talk to these people, although sometimes being an anarchist confuses them. When this crowd finds out that you dislike Bill Clinton, they drop some of their irrational defenses.
Thank god for the Daily Show. It keeps me sane and relieves the tension.
Chuck