Have we lost the ability to think for ourselves?

Maybe the biggest danger is believing that the opposing side are all dupes or brain dead. Once you truly believe that it justifies ignoring all evidence contrary to your sides view.
The other danger is believing that all evidence which contradicts your sides view is propaganda. This closes your mind to the possibility of being wrong.

The media is a warped lens which strives to convey to people what they already believe.
If you are a liberal you hear constantly about corporate greed and religious intolerance. Because thats what they think you want to hear.
If you are a conservative you hear about government inefficiency and waste and you hear about moral decay. Because thats what they think you want to hear.
Things have become so polarized that when anyone tries to tell the real truth they are branded as traitors by both sides. Left in the cold they seek whatever shelter they can find within whatever political party is less damaged by their findings. It is no longer safe for them to speak their true opinions so they withdraw into party politics.
The public mimics this in their daily lives. Everyone wants to be part of a group. Everyone wants acceptance. Many of us have undefined anger and want to vent it, and it easier to accept a given view and attack and opposing one than it is to carefully research our beliefs.
SO, we can think for ourselves- but most of us have other things we would rather do.

 

We need a balanced budget- plain and simple. And you can't cut essential services to guarantee a balanced budget- people will suffer and the Constitution insures against this. You need to raise taxes plain and simple. Raise them so we have a balanced budget... we can't move past step one without this in place.

And so be it our National Budget is 4.5 Trillion- we need to raise 5 trillion domestically to cover this and pay down the National debt- there is no way around this.

 

Why do Americans think it is dreadful to have the economy under democratic control? It certainly isn't because they think for themselves, is it? Obey your masters, deepthinking kiddiewinks!

 

^^think someone should tell "deepthinker" there that the UK is no different?

 

I'm quite confident that most people who are politically active "think for themselves". Instead, what I think you're experiencing is the power of 'sound-bites', mixed with a bit of inability on the part of many to elucidate a nuanced view.

But here's a large motivation for "herding" together with an ideology, and - thus - falling victim to being accused of simply parroting a party line:

Each side has identified that the other side as an ideological agenda. As such people choose sides, as there is far more power in numbers. It is this exact thing which has caused the parroting about which you complain.

Multi-party voting via a "vote-off" would be about the only way of curing this problem. I'm not a fan of a two-party system inasmuch as a semi-pertinent third party can screw up with the will of the people by siphoning off votes which would otherwise go to one of the remaining two sides which is more reflective of a given person's views.

Instead, I believe that - at minimum - three parties should be represented during voting, at which point the top two vote getters face off.

I think that would solve a plethora of problems in this country, not the least of which is that about which you complain.

 

Here is an example I gave on the Current Event forum. I know I have both sides ticked off. because no one has answered. But these are good examples of not thinking for yourself.


Originally Posted by Albert Di Salvo
GM is Government Motors. I wouldn't buy one.


This seems to be the attitude of many Republicans and it's stupid. GM is putting out some good cars now. They are employing thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of other jobs outside of the auto industry depend on them for their jobs. The profit from those cars and trucks mostly stay in the US to create even more jobs.

So union Americans make them and get advantages other non union people don't. Is that a reason not to buy one of their cars? Your not paying anymore than you would a foreign owned non union vehicle.

You don't like the fact that the government gave them 40 billion dollars to bail the out. I don't either. I don't like the fact the banks got over twice that much to bail them out, but I still have my accounts with one of those banks. I bet most of you do to.

Let's look at the main reason the auto companies were in the shape there in. It really wasn't wages. They didn't make much more than non union auto workers made. It was over pensions and health care and an aging workforce. GM alone has over 400,000 retirees drawing pensions and had their medical paid for. They gave up big wages for benefits. Now those benefits have come back to haunt the auto makers. But are they any different than what is happening with Federal, state, county and city workers? They did the same thing the auto companies did. Now those benefits are coming back to haunt them also. The governments are broke, they can't pay for those benefits. Almost all those pensions are underfunded and it's getting worse every day.

I always thought Conservatives were a little smarter than Liberals. But many of you have proven me wrong. Your talking of never buying a vehicle from GM or Chrysler no matter what. Makes no difference how good their vehicles are. You have to be smart enough to know if you do that, hundreds of thousands of people will be effected. Many losing their jobs at a time this country is already in trouble. You also have to be smart enough to know if GM goes under, the government will never have a chance to recoup that 40.1 billion dollars. Still you stick with your decision of never buying their cars. Well, let me tell you, that is not only stupid, but your hurting your country. I'm sorry your not smart enough to understand that.
__________________



Democrats, don't get swelled heads over what I said to these Republicans, most of you aren't any smarter. Your backing a government who wants to raise taxes on business, put on more and more regulations and want to push unions on companies that are already fighting for their life against foreign competition. That is just as dumb. It's hurting our country.


http://www.politicalforum.com/curre...ove-stake-into-heart-once-proud-giant-15.html

 

The UK is, as you know, an American colony, and is brainwashing as fast as acid can burn.

 

Spend 12 years sitting under leftist propaganda, then complete your lobotomy with 4 more years of advanced mental programming in the officially acceptable dogma, and after graduation you'd probably be found doing more stupid stuff than just turning off the heat in the middle of winter to save the planet. Go for some postdoc treatment for a few more years and you may even get to become an itinerant missionary of the goof-gospel like Al Gore.

 

Is education really intended for Americans? Far too many are wasting their teachers' time, clearly. Send 'em back to Excretion Creek!

 

Have we lost the ability to think for ourselves?

I suggest you direct that question to a certain member here who calls himself..."Think for myself." Who better to address that question than that guy?

 

YOU HAVE NO CREDIBILITY- you are Libhater. This means everything you say is tainted by your hatred of liberals... this means you willingfully ignore 50% of the information out there which makes you ignorant and one-sided. WAKE UP!

 

Tainted? Maybe. Correct? definitely.

 

SM should heed your advice.

SM, who is "they"? Does"they" refer to America? or ????

 

MY GOD THIS PEACE (OOPS FREUDIA SLIP) PIECE DESERVE A STANDING OVATION!

...and as for this response I second that followed with a...

WAKE THE F*@K! UP AMERICA YOU ARE NOT A LABEL YOU ARE A...

"HUMANE BEING"

"WITH A COMMON DESIRE TO SURVIVE ON AN INHABITABLE PLANET

PERIOD"
"THINK FOR YOUR D@#M SELF PLEASE"

Now if you'll excuse me I got so exhited I forgot I am sitting on a commode my bottom a bit numb... got to get up and to business.


AWESOME WORK OP

 

MY GOD THIS PEACE (OOPS FREUDIA SLIP) PIECE DESERVE A STANDING OVATION!

...and as for this response I second that followed with a...

WAKE THE F*@K! UP AMERICA YOU ARE NOT A LABEL YOU ARE A...

"HUMANE BEING"

"WITH A COMMON DESIRE TO SURVIVE ON AN INHABITABLE PLANET

PERIOD"
"THINK FOR YOUR D@#N SELF PLEASE"

Now if you'll excuse me I got so exhited I forgot I am sitting on a commode my bottom a bit numb... got to get up and to business.


AWESOME WORK OP

 

MY GOD THIS PEACE (OOPS FREUDIAN SLIP) PIECE DESERVE A STANDING OVATION!

...and as for this response I second that followed with a...

WAKE THE F*@K! UP AMERICA YOU ARE NOT A LABEL YOU ARE A...

"HUMANE BEING"

"WITH A COMMON DESIRE TO SURVIVE ON AN INHABITABLE PLANET
PERIOD"


"THINK FOR YOUR D@#N SELF PLEASE"


Now if you'll excuse me I got so exhited I forgot I am sitting on a commode my bottom is a bit numb... got to get up and to business.


AWESOME WORK OP

 

I don't hate liberals--I hate your actions called liberalism, and I don't ignore 50% of the information out there , for I don't even ignore the 19% of liberal agitprop misinformation out there. I digest it all and then present you people with the truths on a daily basis. You should be praising me for my due dilligence on all matters political.

 

I know it hurts to acknowledge these truths as to the destuction of our country, because of course we have been sleeping on the job. We have failed to retain control of our country irrespective of party lines. When it comes to the health and viability of our democracy party no longer matters we are a united people who intend to see our American democracy restored. We LOVE America and intend to see her restored to HER FORMAL GLORY! THOSE DEMODCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WHO HAVE DESTROYED THIS COUNTRY AND HAVE DEFECATED ON THE CONSTITUION WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE! WE WILL RESTORE THE POWER TO THE PEOPLE! ... AND REBUILD THE AMERICAN DREAM TOGETHER

 

Religion uses a huge lack of critical thinking were science does not.