The Not So Intelligentsia, but just enough

Before delving into the meat of the current matter, I will mention that I hid from view my post explaining that I am so lame that I let an absurdly critical, self-proclaimed friend, remove any joy or freedom I find in writing.  I used to enjoy it.

I am trying to once again.   Like I am buying that it is an act of friendship to offer such unsolicited views, and then rudely argue them.  All to help me reach my full potential.  No. That is purely insane and bizarre.

But the real deal is that there are so many charismatic people who possess the ability to speak fluently in a way that makes anything, even nonsense,  at least sound valid and profound.  But they are just short of how intelligent they seem to believe themselves to be.

No use arguing it though.  People are so in love with their conclusions that even smart people run a line of distorted facts in their greed to sell their point. Their greed for your acquiescence.

Most of the smartass political rhetoric out there is flawed, skewed and one sided.  People sucker for the either-or choices pushed on them.  Granted, there can be made the argument that these positions and parties snowballed from what people want and gravitated into two basic warring factions.

I believe that argument would be a case of a little truth being used to sell a lie.  People are wanters.  No argument there.

Civic action, mutual protection and common interests of communities are part of how humans survive.  Then it gets taken over by con men and apparent demons of some kind.  Perhaps mutants or a curse from extra terrestrials.

We do not even blink at friggin' family power dynasties in our government.  Does that set off no red flags?  Probably not.  That is because people can only think so many steps back in the cause-and-effect chain.  Often those things are mislabeled.  Try arguing that point with the belligerent.  No thanks.

People are becoming unreasonably unhinged but still following the track laid out by the meme and talking point factories of their choice.  A guy actually said you are more likely to get hit by a republican drunk driver than killed by gang members or terrorists.   Really?  That was in a back and forth about sanctuary cities and not liking party crashers does not mean you hate all Mexicans.  Stuff that only needs explaining because people are so greedy for power.

The next best thing if you can't have real power, is real anger.  Someone or thing to hate.   Because of that greed, people will ignore the ridiculous rhetoric and behavior as long as it supports the ultimate point.  The conclusion that feels good, that frees them to behave as violently as they want, because it is self defense.  They are fighting for their rights.

Just ask them.  Really, you don't need to because they are rather vocal and self serving.   For some reason, in order to refute a contrary point of view, they need to make up dire statistics and stories, circumventing plain logic and truth.   Sometimes the conclusion can be supported reasonably.   Sometimes not.

Smart enough to fight for a cause and enjoy the freedom of victimhood and anger, but not quite smart enough to actually dissect the issue they support/oppose to be sure it is right.  Plus if it is a bandwagon opportunity, most people jump on.  Makes them feel like they can pretend to think without going to any real effort.  They don't even realize it half the time, is what I think.

That is why it is useless, and even dangerous to push the argument with them.

Recently I skimmed an article bemoaning criticisms of higher education by "conservatives".  It went on to the extreme type of ignoramus who would claim, "If it good 'nuff fer ma daddy then it good nuff fer me".  They cut you off.  The article tries to make you think any criticism of their insane policies, all out propaganda assault on students and community, narrow mindedness, and heavy handedness toward the innocent, means you hate knowledge, are republican, and resist all manner of essential elements vital to the very survival of our species.

Sounds like the Dade County public schools of my youth.  The students that get crushed or fall through the cracks in this system.  It is kind of cruel.  And it isn't what you see promoted.  What is promoted is only vote pandering.  Much is nonsense.

The perpetual victim status of all these divisions which have nothing to do with whether you are worth a damn as a human or not, is now ensured to continue indefinitely as we immerse ourselves in the hatred and contemplation of "privilege".   You cannot have the privilege of which we speak without someone being victimized.  Almost everyone has the opportunity to be a victim.  No need to state the obvious, especially because you get labeled as something you are not if you do.  Got to be a universal oppressor somewhere...

And it is true in some ways.  What people refuse to do is to stick to the truth in their stories and examples, even when truth is there.  That extra bit of exaggeration, the little omission.        
See?  Smart enough to catch a understand a bit, but not stalwart enough to stick to truth and try to look back several steps to see what was going on up to now; to double check their story.

We don't have much info indicating humans were ever at peace.  But I hold that we really don't know.  They keep finding older evidence of the species.

But the ones who actually consider themselves "the masses" (ugly term) can actually be convinced that the African continent was in peaceful bliss, that the Aztecs were at one with nature and a big love  fest of a nation before europeans hit the shore.

I am not saying I am a fan of Inquisition period Spain or any of that.  But that does not justify lying about the rest of the world.   That is what made the philosophy espoused in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in our Constitution so important and cutting edge.   And yet people still look for kings and queens and lords and masters; "Camelot", my ass.