The most breathtakingly stupid/ironic thing I've heard in ages

[antelope_writes]

Okay.  Put aside your religious beliefs, political beliefs, questions of morality, the lot, and put on your thinking caps.

While listening to NPR this morning, I heard the following (paraphrased, because my memory isn't perfect):

“I don't care if the country goes broke, so long as we don't have abortion or gays getting married. If we have a moral

Comments

[blackbird_song]

I ... don't even know where to begin. From the Trilateral Commission through the calculated appropriation of our once potentially great country by the oxymoronic Religious Right, our complacent laziness as a culture has sewn us a poisonous garden that we must now reap.

Could I move to England, now? New Zealand? Or maybe Pluto? It's no fun to have much of an I.Q. or ability to think outside the box in this place.

I'll just be over here, remembering Gareth taking the piss so thoroughly out of this country through well-designed swearing, insightful and vicious mockery and a genius for mimicry. *happy place*

Catherine

[sanginmychains]

Canada is lovely. I could introduce you around.

*You* guys talked about us making gay marriage legal more than we did, I swear.

[antelope_writes]

No, in your typical quiet Canadian way you just got on with it. No need for the incessant revenge of the Drama Llama that goes on here.

[blackbird_song]

I am so there! (And it's not that long a drive, actually....)

I'm having to force myself not to bash my head repeatedly against the (huge) fish tank over the fact that America made such a f***ing fuss over Canada's decision to redress a fundamental, systemic cruelty that this country seems determined to retain. Honestly, I'm proud to live where I do, because they legalized gay marriage before any other state, and the momentum to overturn the court decision died the death it should have. So far, at least.

Now to go back to obsessive ogling of the John/Gareth Jack/Ianto goodness that was The Hub. *ahem*

Catherine

[sanginmychains]

Actually, I think he's saying that he believes God will take care of road maintenance and education, as long as the country doesn't allow homosexuals to file joint taxes or bequeath each other property.

[antelope_writes]

Fie on you, evil heathen practicioner of logic! Shun the unbeliever! Shun! Shun! ;)

[thaddeusfavour]

It's supreme and willful ignorance inculcated in them from an early age by their religion. You say they don't use logic? But their religion requires blind faith. They're taught to accept that they shouldn't question God. And, I think they feel better because their religion happily points fingers of blame at others, leaving them free of fault. Lost your job? It's not because you're not good enough, it's because those damn gays are getting married.

I try very hard to be fair, and I will not post a tirade against religion here, except to say that I find it is far more harmful than good. But, that's what I think and, oddly enough, I think everyone is allowed freedom of thought. :P

[antelope_writes]

Good point.

And...the prejudice against higher education? Ties into this. Education requires an ability to question, reason, and examine things, which obviously goes against faith.

[offer_of_hope]

You're forgetting to factor in the baseline "people are morons" component. When in doubt, default low and you will never be surprised.

[antelope_writes]

*sigh*

And we need to find you an icon.

[offer_of_hope]

I know - I am such an epic fail at LJ lately. I really should do something about that.

[caladria]

The stupidity of some people should astonish me, but it doesn't.

Because.. yeah. Actually, this seems like a good place to ask (with the assumption that the guy in your post doesn't think that the government actually does anything beneficial for him, if all he "needs" from them is the enforcement of a moral land):

Why do Americans hate/distrust/fear their own government?

I mean, specifically this President and government, I completely get that. I hate/distrust/fear that one. But in general, you seem to have such a paranoia it's almost funny.

(For clarity, I'm British, therefore I have no problem with a nationalised health service, or CCTV in city centres, and christ knows my Government's been complete arseholes this past decade in oh-so-many ways, but I'm not afraid of them. I'll just vote for someone else, next time.)

[thaddeusfavour]

Why do Americans hate/distrust/fear their own government?History

[antelope_writes]

Also on the history side of the house, the US government (and by that I mean federal and state) has a long history of fomenting an us-vs-them mentality to keep control of the masses...who can be entrusted to vote, maybe, but not entrusted to "make the right choice."

Fear is a strong motivator. Keeping a population in a state of fear, and offering what seems to be an easy solution to that fear, is a time-tested and proven method of control and manipulation.

[thaddeusfavour]

Agree. It's an unfortunate truth that fear is a poor state to make rational decisions in. Emotional ones however...