Republicans love to suggest that they are in a political contest with liberals. The notion of what constitutes a "liberal" is somewhat like a diseased soul --- morally degenerate, whimperingly sympathetic to the poor, employers of illegal immigrants, and probably drug addicts. To admit that you are a liberal is to emerge from the primal slime of the vegetative earth. How can anyone admit to it? I don't see how Republicans get away with this crap, frankly; except they do.
But nothing really highlights the center of this contest more than the present Republican attack against NPR and Public Television. What is the problem? NPR and Public Television are intelligent media. It is intelligence that offends the Republicans. Those liberal creeps all went to big public universities and took higher degrees. They want the media to be truly critical and to organize genuine discussions. Ridiculous! How can you make a decent buck in a world where people are actually able to ask real intelligent questions about what you are actually doing? Preposterous!
The sad truth of our world is that we are not locked in a two-party political conflict but rather in a vicious and uncompromising war between ignorance and intelligence. Major issues --- healthcare for example --- are fought out in almost complete ignorance, in terms of ridiculous notions and assumptions about death panels and loss of personal choice. No one will listen to an intelligent argument --- that is, to first understanding what the legislation provides and then asking why and what alternatives might be. You might find some of those discussions on NPR --- but not for long if the Republicans have their way.
Why are Republicans so afraid of intelligent discussion? Because it is in their interest to have an ignorant and impoverished population.
No comments:
Post a Comment