#410 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Friday July 22)
Good morning,
THE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA
There used to be a staple of the old “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno called “Jay-walking.” That segment had a reporter interviewing people on the street and listening to their absurd answers. Maher’s new version shows a new generation of people proving, if not their stupidity, their sheer lack of knowledge.
Among these are “what country is Venice, Italy in?” (the response: I should know; I want to be a teacher) or “who was the first person who landed on the sun” (the answer, extraordinarily, was “Lance Armstrong”), or “what’s the largest city in the world? (answer, Europe). Maher laments that one certainly can debate what we should teach in an ethnic studies curriculum or in understanding our past, but, in addition to these laudable goals, one needs to be able to “know some things.” Our educational system is wanting and, while we debate what to add to the curriculum or delete from the book list (or what to add to the philosophical and political indoctrination of our youth), they still need to learn things like math, literacy, geography, history and critical thinking.
For those who want to see this, here it is, in all its humorous (and depressing) glory. The first part is about the crazy interviews and answers, with the balance focused on political advertising and their shared basic assumption that we must be really gullible: https://www.thewrap.com/bill-maher-thinks-america-might-be-empirically-verifiably-too-f-ing-dumb-to-continue-video/
POLITICAL ADVERTISING
The Maher video above concludes with a great discussion, with examples, of the truly shameful political advertising on television. It is, as one can see, proof that if this stuff sells and we are really stupid as a country. Maher points out that the commercials are transparent in their shameless negative messaging and use of familiar tropes. The most disturbing commonality amongst many of the Republican ads are people talking about guns and shooting things.
Here is an example of what he’s talking about, with the incomparable Marjorie Taylor Greene, she of Q-Anon, conspiracy theories, the lies about the 2020 election being stolen, and dog-whistling racism and antisemitism:
https://www.deseret.com/2021/11/4/22763452/why-republican-candidates-are-blowing-things-up-literally
Guns occupy a prominent role in Republican ads. Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, running for the Senate, had an ad, subsequently removed from social media, with him toting a gun, with scenes of a swat team breaking into a home “hunting” for RINOs (“Republicans in Name Only”). He touts that people should get RINO hunting permits because they’re “always in season” and there’s no limit on tagging them.
As Shannon Watts says, “After former Missouri governor Eric Greitens was charged with violent sexual misconduct, his ex-wife says he bought and hid a gun. He also threatened to shoot himself unless she supported him publicly. Now he’s threatening to kill his political opponents.”
The general election is less than four months away. I fear we’re going to inundated with the lies of the right on election integrity and disinformation regarding January 6th. There will be little talk of accomplishments or plans for solving the myriad problems we face as a nation.
MEANWHILE, FROM THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE
Last night we received further evidence of Donald Trump’s delusion and indifference to the suffering of others on January 6th. Being told repeatedly by any number of aides that the election was over and he lost, Trump nonetheless fueled the fire that day and argued that his election was a “landslide” victory, absent any evidence in support. This is a craven man without empathy or regard for others. Here is Donald Trump’s tweet at 6:01 on the day of the insurrection. It bears careful review:
“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!”
That last part is right. The day will be remembered forever, but for peace loving patriots who believe in democracy, order and the rule of the people, not in the way Mr. Trump intended.
Have a great day,
Glenn
From the archives: