Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

We are a nation of sheep...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • We are a nation of sheep...

    Here are some reasons why most Americans don't appear to give a rip about what our country is becoming...

    "...Behaviorally, it is clear that citizens, from cradle to grave, are primed to conform to the dictates of those in power, instructed never to question the validity of what those who would like to take control of our lives have to say. Most Americans have no idea; that what we are fed by the news media (televised and paper-print news) is nothing more than a portrayal of what powerful corporations (those who pay the salaries of those who run mass media) want us to believe, that what happens to pass as education is as often as not mere propaganda (e.g. that Americans are the good guys and their enemies are, without exception, always the bad guys), that what we learn in church may have very little or nothing to do with the truth, that what our parents teach us may be nothing more than an accumulation of their own personal biases…… no doubt a rather subtle modification of what they were taught by their parents. And through such a process, governments and nations around the world wield control as to what their citizens, believe, value, and do.

    And, of course, in our own society, the primary way most of us are controlled, the way the vast majority of us are forced “to tow the line,” is through the ominous threat of being fired. Something like this: If you are interested in keeping your career on track, that you would like to keep your job, then you ought to consider the following in order to assure your employer that you deserve the right to keep your job; get married and have a couple of kids, become a member of a social club (such as the Lions Club, the Kiwanis Club, or the Rotarians), be a good capitalist, be a patriotic citizen who loves his country, and make sure that you attend a local church so that everybody will know that you believe in God almighty. However, if, for whatever reason, you decide that you would like to become a rebel, that you would like to begin thinking for yourself, then you’d better brace yourself for trouble, because there is a reasonable likelihood that you will be fired! You see, in America, there is a rule of thumb concerning the working world which basically says that those who do what they are told to do are likely to keep their jobs, whereas those who tend to think for themselves, tend to buck the system, (tend not to do what they have been told to do) end up jobless, powerless, and left to fend for themselves on the mean streets of society.

    But why? Why does such a thing occur? Why would America the beautiful, land of the free, do such a horrible thing to its own citizens? The answer is quite simple: Knowing that knowledge is power; the secret is control, controlling the out flow of information, making sure that citizens know no more than they “are supposed to know,” making sure that they remain relatively uninformed, making sure that they are given “just enough” that they will go along with, peacefully accept, the premise that they are well informed, that they have a good idea of what is going on. It is necessary then that the government keep the people from learning the truth. Keep them from even wanting to know the truth. Put the fear of God into them to the extent that they will never question what they have been told to believe. You see, those in power may say that they want their citizens to be educated, to be well informed as to what is going on, however, such is simply not the case. Ask yourself this question: What happens to those of us (teachers, preachers, philosophers, writers, journalists) who do not “tow the line,” those intent upon proposing alternate ways of looking at the world? Look at what happened to Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Mohandas Gandhi, even Socrates. I mean, really now, who among us wants to be crucified, assassinated, forced to drink hemlock……. wants to risk the possibility of losing one’s job, the ability to put food on the table for one’s family? However, just in case you do not believe me, try this on for size…… the next time you go to work tell the boss that you are an infidel (that you have grown up and no longer believe in God), that you have decided to become a socialist (that capitalism essentially sucks), that you no longer give a shit about your country (that you have decided to become a rebel, an actively-participating antiwar protestor), and then see what happens. Do you get the point?..."

    Why aren't we teaching people to think for themselves? To have knowledge is to be powerful.

    Miulang
    Last edited by Miulang; October 18, 2005, 09:54 AM.
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

  • #2
    Re: We are a nation of sheep...

    "...We are a nation that professes to care about our children. Yet we are leaving them a legacy of unspeakable loss and planetary calamity. Because of us the next fifty years and longer will be a horrible time to be alive, unless we wake from our long stupor of indifference and complacency and reverse these disturbing trends. Failing this, it is our children and their offspring who will have to deal with the result of our self delusion.

    Like tactless cowards, we are allowing the ruling elite to hijack the economy, the ecology, the religious institutions and the educational system of our country. They rule not only through the growing use of force and coercion—through the emerging police state; but primarily through the judicious use of lies and propaganda, which too many of us dutifully believe. The corporate media, as startlingly revealed recently in the example of Judith Miller, does not serve the principles of democracy. It serves the interests of the rich and powerful. They are the cheerleaders for death and delirium. Why do we lend them our ears and our minds? Why do we sell them our souls?

    Turn off the television. Listen to the sound of the wind moaning through our devastated, liquidated forests. They are telling us something that we desperately need to hear. Conservationist Aldo Leopold stated: ‘The penalty of an ecological education is to live in a world of wounds.’ But what is the penalty of ignoring those wounds? The din of the machinery of capitalism is drowning out something that we absolutely must pause to hear. Stop. Look. Listen. Proceed with caution down a different path than the one that was chosen for you by those in power. Solutions—to the extent that they still exist—lie within the hearts and souls of those of you who read this page and seek to know truth. To know truth is to have power. Examine the evidence and reach your own conclusions. I hope and pray that enough of you know what this entails. The alternative may be more than I can bear. It may be more than any of us can bear. ..."

    Excerpted from text by Charles Sullivan

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

    Comment


    • #3
      Dictionary of Republicanisms

      .
      'Before we (the left*) can win the great battle of ideas, we must debunk the right's political discourse, a veritable code of encrypted language that twists common usage to deceive the public for the Republicans' purposes. We (The Nation) decided we needed to break the code by building a Republican dictionary. Skewer their deceptions with the fine-tipped sword of satire. Lies melt away in the face of mockery.' ---Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor The Nation excerpts from:


      abstinence-only sex education n. Ignorance-only sex education.

      alternative energy sources n. New locations to drill for gas and oil.

      bankruptcy n. A punishable crime when committed by poor people but not corporations.

      "burning bush" n. A biblical allusion to the response of the President of the United States when asked a question by a journalist who has not been paid to inquire.

      Cheney, Dick n. The greater of two evils.

      China n. See Wal-Mart.

      class warfare n. Any attempt to raise the minimum wage.

      climate change n. The blessed day when the blue states are swallowed by the oceans.

      compassionate conservatism n. Poignant concern for the very wealthy.

      creationism n. Pseudoscience that claims George W. Bush's resemblance to a chimpanzee is totally coincidental.

      DeLay, Tom n. 1. Past tense of De Lie. 2. Patronage saint.

      democracy n. A product so extensively exported that the domestic supply is depleted.

      dittohead n. An Oxy(contin)moron.

      energy independence n. The caribou witness relocation program.

      extraordinary rendition n. Outsourcing torture.

      faith n. The stubborn belief that God approves of Republican moral values despite the preponderance of textual evidence to the contrary.

      Fox News fict. Faux news.

      free markets n. Halliburton no-bid contracts at taxpayer expense.

      girly men n. Males who do not grope women inappropriately.

      God n. Senior presidential adviser.

      growth n. 1. The justification for tax cuts for the rich. 2. What happens to the national debt when Republicans cut taxes on the rich.

      habeas corpus n. Archaic. (Lat.) Legal term no longer in use (See Patriot Act).

      healthy forest n. No tree left behind.

      homelandism n. A neologism for love of the Homeland Security State, as in "My Homeland, 'tis of thee, sweet security state of liberty..." .

      honesty n. Lies told in simple declarative sentences--e.g., "Freedom is on the march".

      House of Representatives n. Exclusive club; entry fee $1 million to $5 million (See Senate).

      laziness n. When the poor are not working .

      leisure time n. When the wealthy are not working.

      liberal(s) n. Followers of the Antichrist.

      Miller, Zell n. The man who shot and killed Alexander Hamilton after a particularly tough interview on Hardball.

      neoconservatives n. Nerds with Napoleonic complexes.

      9/11 n. Tragedy used to justify any administrative policy, especially if unrelated (See Deficit, Iraq War).

      No Child Left Behind riff. 1. v. There are always jobs in the military. 2. n. The rapture.

      ownership society n. A civilization where 1 percent of the population controls 90 percent of the wealth.

      Patriot Act n. 1. The pre-emptive strike on American freedoms to prevent the terrorists from destroying them first. 2. The elimination of one of the reasons why they hate us.

      pro-life adj. Valuing human life up until birth.

      Senate
      n. Exclusive club; entry fee $10 million to $30 million.

      simplify v. To cut the taxes of Republican donors.

      staying the course interj. Slang. Saying and doing the same stupid thing over and over, regardless of the result.

      stuff happens interj. Slang. Donald Rumsfeld as master historian.

      voter fraud n. A significant minority turnout.

      Wal-Mart n. The nation-state, future tense.

      water n. Arsenic storage device.

      woman n. 1. Person who can be trusted to bear a child but can't be trusted to decide whether or not she wishes to have thechild. 2. Person who must have all decisions regarding herreproductive functions made by men with whom she wouldn't want to have sex in the first place. .... .....

      * the left, as in Dom Helder Camara's:
      "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint.
      When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
      .
      Last edited by waioli kai; November 23, 2005, 10:40 PM.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: We are a nation of sheep...

        Well, you know I love to post when I've been drinking. BTW, Happy Thanksgiving. First, I might like to say that America is not the land of sheep. We don't just stand by and follow the herd. Just because the current President may or may not be my first choice, and he does things I may or may not disagree with (and have no power to change) doesn't make me a supporter/non-supporter of everything he does. (Not to say that I don't support our President.)

        If we are talking about sheep, or more appropriately, lemmings, let's talk about the folks who sat and watched as tyrants like Hitler conquered Europe, or ignored the mass murders of Stalin, or ignored the mass murders of Iraqis. Wasn't 9/11 enough of a wake up call to realize that people in the Middle East are being driven by lunatic leaders to despise the USA? i.e. kill the American infidels = 77 virgins in heaven. Wake up!

        Are we in Iraq for oil? Maybe, but I don't know - nor do any of us. What's more important, we are liberating a nation of people in a region of the world that for some sick twisted reason believes that we are the Great Satan. How nice will it be when the dust has settled in Iraq? And the subjugated people around the world (China, Palestine, Sudan, N Korea) realize they too have the ability and the power to live life as they see fit?

        It will be nice.

        I would also like to address some of the "definitions" put forth in the previous post if I may:

        abstinence-only sex education n. Ignorance-only sex education.

        Well golly gee, I can't believe they're teaching that they shouldn't be having sex. Maybe if kids didn't think it was okay to be having sex, they wouldn't be getting pregnant or acquiring STDs.

        alternative energy sources n. New locations to drill for gas and oil.

        Yep. It's all the Republican's fault. Democrats don't survive on gas - or do they? Michigan. Car manufacturers. Not really been that aggressive in developing automobiles that don't require gasoline. Isn't Michigan a "blue" state?

        bankruptcy n. A punishable crime when committed by poor people but not corporations.

        I haven't read the laws regarding new bankruptcies enough to really comment on them, but I'm guessing that they've clamped down on both corporate and personal bankruptcies. I will say that if you've ever looked into historical findings, you will find plenty of serial filers who have abused the system. As well, if you really are poor, you can still file for bankruptcy.

        "burning bush" n. A biblical allusion to the response of the President of the United States when asked a question by a journalist who has not been paid to inquire.

        huh?

        Cheney, Dick n. The greater of two evils.

        I don't really like him either, but he didn't run for President - only Bush or Kerry could be the lesser or greater of two evils. They're both idiots. But does that really make them evil?

        China n. See Wal-Mart.

        God Bless Kissinger. China will become the premier capitalist economy of the 21st century and the "disposal of unnecessary children" will become a thing of the past.

        class warfare n. Any attempt to raise the minimum wage.

        Um, yeah, we're fighting each other. Not.

        climate change n. The blessed day when the blue states are swallowed by the oceans.

        What about Michigan and Illinois? Will the Great Lakes swallow them? No one (sadly) is going to care about environmental effects until they smack them in the face. It's sad, but true. Republican or Democrat, votes aren't cast along Mother Nature's line.

        compassionate conservatism n. Poignant concern for the very wealthy.

        BS. Conservatives want stupid children, everyone to be poor, and the rich to get richer. Are you that blind?

        creationism n. Pseudoscience that claims George W. Bush's resemblance to a chimpanzee is totally coincidental.

        Actually we humans are all pretty damn close to the chimps. But since we're on the subject, shouldn't it be more so Will Farrell's resemblance to GW?

        DeLay, Tom n. 1. Past tense of De Lie. 2. Patronage saint.

        Don't pay close enough attention to DeLay, no comment.

        democracy n. A product so extensively exported that the domestic supply is depleted.

        Cause we're such a colonizing country. And guess what? We have the right to vote - i.e. democracy. If your chosen candidate loses, then what? it's not democracy?

        dittohead n. An Oxy(contin)moron.

        Rush is pretty annoying.

        energy independence n. The caribou witness relocation program.

        Sure would be nice to take some power (money) from people who hate the US.

        extraordinary rendition n. Outsourcing torture.

        heh?

        faith n. The stubborn belief that God approves of Republican moral values despite the preponderance of textual evidence to the contrary.

        Faith is a blind belief in something. God doesn't approve of anyone's particular moral values, they were laid out in the Bible.

        Fox News fict. Faux news.

        Oh no Mr. Bill! It'sONE news station that leans slightly to the right. What are we to do?

        free markets n. Halliburton no-bid contracts at taxpayer expense.

        How many contracts (government or private sector) do you thing are done deals before bids come in? Lots.

        girly men n. Males who do not grope women inappropriately.

        Lamest definition ever. Arnold Schwarzenwhatever grabbed a lady's ass once or twice upon a time, so now all Republicans should do it right?

        God n. Senior presidential adviser.

        You need to have a serious talk with God.

        growth n. 1. The justification for tax cuts for the rich. 2. What happens to the national debt when Republicans cut taxes on the rich.

        It's all a numbers game that none of us will ever understand. Be it a Democrat or a Republican, it's very easy to make numbers look how ever you'd like them to look.

        habeas corpus n. Archaic. (Lat.) Legal term no longer in use (See Patriot Act).

        I highly doubt the government is holding numerous (I"m sure there are a few) innocents without just cause.

        healthy forest n. No tree left behind.

        Get real.

        homelandism n. A neologism for love of the Homeland Security State, as in "My Homeland, 'tis of thee, sweet security state of liberty..." .

        We're so restricted aren't we?

        honesty n. Lies told in simple declarative sentences--e.g., "Freedom is on the march".

        heh

        House of Representatives n. Exclusive club; entry fee $1 million to $5 million (See Senate).

        Gotta get elected by the people. You can complain all you want that more people disagree with you that agree with you.

        laziness n. When the poor are not working .

        When anyone who is able is not working.

        leisure time n. When the wealthy are not working.

        Saturday and Sunday

        liberal(s) n. Followers of the Antichrist.

        heh?

        Miller, Zell n. The man who shot and killed Alexander Hamilton after a particularly tough interview on Hardball.

        Don't quit your day job.

        neoconservatives n. Nerds with Napoleonic complexes.

        Really close to neoliberals. Except they both have their heads so far up they're arses they don't realize it.

        9/11 n. Tragedy used to justify any administrative policy, especially if unrelated (See Deficit, Iraq War).

        The senseless murder of thousands of people on American soil. An alarm clock telling America to wake up and smell the coffee.

        No Child Left Behind riff. 1. v. There are always jobs in the military. 2. n. The rapture.

        Politicians throw money at a problem. One Republican is trying to make it stick. Do you hate the military? You should really thank them for your freedom.

        ownership society n. A civilization where 1 percent of the population controls 90 percent of the wealth.

        It's actually 5% of the population. And most of the wealth is sitting in a bank account. And the interest drawn on that account is being doled out to charitable organizations.

        Patriot Act n. 1. The pre-emptive strike on American freedoms to prevent the terrorists from destroying them first. 2. The elimination of one of the reasons why they hate us.

        Why wouldn't you just say McCarthyism?

        pro-life adj. Valuing human life up until birth.

        Valuing human life from the moment of conception.

        Senate n. Exclusive club; entry fee $10 million to $30 million.

        See House.

        simplify v. To cut the taxes of Republican donors.

        You really are clueless aren't you?! Look at the list of political donors. You'll find that they dole out on both sides of the aisle.

        staying the course interj. Slang. Saying and doing the same stupid thing over and over, regardless of the result.

        Finishing a job you started.

        stuff happens interj. Slang. Donald Rumsfeld as master historian.

        Actually it's shit.

        voter fraud n. A significant minority turnout.

        That's always a great translation . . . . . for the losing side.

        Wal-Mart n. The nation-state, future tense.

        Free market economics. If it didn't work (and people didn't believe in it) they wouldn't exist.

        water n. Arsenic storage device.

        The fruit of all life

        woman n. 1. Person who can be trusted to bear a child but can't be trusted to decide whether or not she wishes to have thechild. 2. Person who must have all decisions regarding herreproductive functions made by men with whom she wouldn't want to have sex in the first place.

        I believe that life is sacred - be it that of an unborn child or horrible murderer. We are given a gift of life - it's not our place to take it away.

        I can't wait to sober up, cook and eat some turkey and read the responses to this one.

        Ragin in Liliha.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: We are a nation of sheep...

          Um Stephen? How's your head feeling this morning?

          I can succinctly sum up why I believe we are a nation of sheep: We (the majority of the people in this country) blindly accept everything the government tells us without asking questions. And when what we have been led to believe can be proven to be false, we still don't question why our government continues to deny the lies. We don't call to task the lawmakers who are in complicity with the Executive branch of government. We no longer have 2 political parties that have distinct ideologies: with the exception of the far left and far right fringes (which can be found in either party), moderates of both major parties are acting and sounding exactly alike. So anyone who continues to believe that voting the "party line" is the right thing to do (i.e., voting only for Democrats or only Republicans) is doing him/herself and our country a disfavor.

          One thing I learned in Journalism school: don't trust what anyone says is fact until you've been able to corroborate what they've told you, and then decide for yourself whether to accept what they say.

          Miulang
          Last edited by Miulang; November 24, 2005, 09:11 AM.
          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: We are a nation of sheep...

            Originally posted by Miulang
            I can succinctly sum up why I believe we are a nation of sheep: We (the majority of the people in this country) blindly accept everything the government tells us without asking questions.
            Do you? Wow, that's quite an admission. Usually the people accusing others of being "sheeple" conveniently excuse themselves from that designation. Generally I find comments about our being a "nation of sheep" to be insulting in the extreme, because it's always directed at "them," not oneself. As in the fellow who wrote that. I'm sure he doesn't think *he's* a sheep -- just everyone with whom he finds fault (everyone who doesn't vote exactly the way he does).

            I don't for a minute believe we're "sheep," although I think there are a lot of idiots out there, but I'm impressed with your honesty and self-awareness, Miulang. Baaaa!

            Wishing you (and everyone) a happy Thanksgiving!

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: We are a nation of sheep...

              Originally posted by MadAzza
              I don't for a minute believe we're "sheep," although I think there are a lot of idiots out there, but I'm impressed with your honesty and self-awareness, Miulang. Baaaa!

              Wishing you (and everyone) a happy Thanksgiving!
              RFLMAO! I am a "reformed" lamb... I follow no party line and I do question anything our government wants us to believe (regardless the Administration's flavor du jour). It's important that people learn how to be critical thinkers (and yes, maybe even outright skeptics). This is not something widely being taught in school nowadays, which is a pity. An informed population is one that has the ability to transform things; an ignorant one is doomed to repeat its mistakes. It's one thing to agree with policies and laws if you've made your own assessment; it's a whole nother thing to "trust" someone else to make that decision for you.

              Happy T-day to you and yours, too, Maddie.

              Miulang
              "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: We are a nation of sheep...

                Originally posted by Miulang
                Happy T-day to you and yours, too, Maddie.

                Miulang
                Thanks! I'm at work today, but going with Kimo and my mom to the Chart House at 5 p.m. for dinner. (No mutton!)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: We are a nation of sheep...

                  Tell Kimo to stop playing habuteru face and get his okole back insai here! And tell him NOT to leave the table until he's absolutely through with his meal so the buspeople won't cockaroach his turkey.

                  Miulang
                  "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: We are a nation of sheep...

                    But we are a two-party sheep!
                    Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: We are a nation of sheep...

                      Originally posted by MadAzza
                      Thanks! I'm at work today, but going with Kimo and my mom to the Chart House at 5 p.m. for dinner. (No mutton!)
                      Excellent to hear and I hope you guys had a great time. I hate family squabbles, especially when I'm fond of both parties. I hope he appreciates that I thought the friction was stupid and not either of you personally.
                      Last edited by sinjin; November 25, 2005, 02:52 PM.
                      “First we fought the preliminary round for the k***s and now we’re gonna fight the main event for the n*****s."
                      http://hollywoodbitchslap.com/review...=416&printer=1

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X