[lbo-talk] the depressing thing that is American politics...

[ravi]

On 24 Jul, 2007, at 19:01 PM, B. wrote:
>
> There are just so many fucking good reasons that
> certain things needs to happen, universal health care
> one of them, an end in Iraq another -- yet, no matter
> the brilliance of the salvos fired, they don't. Even
> when perfectly sound and reasonable reasons are
> elaborated -- it's just, thanks, but no thanks. And
> I'm not even blaming leaders for being obstinate,
> though they're obviously bastards. There is a HUGE
> amount of the US public that is so entrenched in a
> facts-be-damned mindset that I have no idea how to
> even comprehend it, or approach it.
>
> And I don't buy any more that the facts just need to
> get out to people, then everything will take care of
> itself. <...>

Here's my half-arsed take on it: the population is divided into a  
fairly large group that chooses various [biologically and culturally]  
received criteria over facts ("we trust a bumbling, mistaken Bush  
over anti-American liberals"), a smaller group of  
"liberals"/"progressives" who are frustrated  by the fact that facts  
do not matter, and a tiny bunch of wankers (that would be us -- and  
no that's not a word from the "blogosphere") who would be irrelevant  
even if we didn't spend our time beating on each other (no pun  
intended).

	--ravi