Americans are Alarmingly Gullible don't you agree?

[Philosoraptor]

I'm not immune to being fooled, I've been fooled many times, and will be again, but I like to think that I can see through certain obvious lies and hoaxes.

The gullibility of the Americans is more alarming to me than the neo cons. Without vast herds of people who are easily tricked with words, the neo cons would just be middle management twits.

The neo cons have learned how to tap into that infinite power of gullibility, just put out a statement, or have one of the extremely handsome news personalities read it on the propaganda transmitter and bingo, millions of suckers suck it up.

And it doesn't seem to be letting up, the gullibility, in fact, folks seem to be more gullible every day.

I've always been amazed at the gullibility, but here lately it has become frightening.

[soothsayer]

1. Yes. I always think it's because our country is so young compared

to the rest of the world. We're naive.

[thepurpose]

2. Some of are way to eager to join the latest lynch mob running down the

street. Its not just the neo cons though, you see it with crime, the so called war on drugs or any thing else that requires critical thinking. A lot of us, present company not included, don't or refuse to research shit before we form a half ass opinion and make matters worse.

[Toots]

3. That is why it is essential to dumb down the population

One of the very first goals of the Republican Revolution was to run members for school board, It was a major push by the "Moral Majority" in the seventies and eighties. FOX came along and started with the dumbing down "big time" effort. Cartoon shows became the norm and sports of course. Throw in a little erotica and boo ya......FOX what an apt name....then brought in it's big guns.. FOX News..news is supposed to just tell it like it is but theirs had to be "fair and balanced"..you don't balance news you just tell it...It is going to get worse before it gets better I am afraid... America has no real culture or tradition, I know we have Thanksgiving but a lot of people don't even set a table anymore, just grab a TV tray and watch the game. Anyone remember Erma Bombeck. She used to teach manners and etiquet but no one has time for such things anymore besides the Simpsons is on...:shrug:

[zalinda]

8. I think you mean Emily Post..........

[zalinda]

9. I think you mean Emily Post..........

Erma Bombeck was a columnist and book writer, who was funny. One of her titles is "The Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Tank".

zalinda

[PADemD]

4. P. T. Barnum was right

[magellan]

5. When people are afraid they become very gullible

They want to latch onto something that offers them a sense of security, and authority figures are a natural. BushCo know that, and have been abusing the people's trust since 9-11 afforded them the opportunity to do so.

[ikojo]

7. Watch Bowling for Columbine...white America has

always feared those considered to be other.

[Fountain79]

22. Are you talking about that factually incorrect cartoon..

that is in the movie?

[bumblebee1]

18. Unfortunately,

the sense of security the authority figures offer is an illusion at best.

[ikojo]

6. Yes, and it's not due to how "young" a "democracy"

this country is...it's due to a culture of anti intellectualism that has existed since colonial times. People who read books and think critically have never been cultural heroes. There is a culture of trusting our leaders and so called authority figures.

[Philosoraptor]

10. kik

[warrior1]

11. The murders write the history

so, unless you're open minded and well informed you'll never know the real truth.

[benEzra]

12. Sadly, yes. (n/t)

[Raydawg1234]

13. This is a huge reason why Bush came to power,

and it is one of the major hurdles we have to overcome to rid America of this Neo-con scourge.

[Beelzebud]

14. In all honesty, it's the greatest threat to our democracy.

George Carlin said this once, and I agree with him even more, after seeing the reaction (from the left and the right) to the latest terror threat.

He said: "People are always saying "The American people are smarter than they're given credit for."; I think it's just the opposite. The American people are much DUMBER than they're given credit for."

[petgoat]

36. A lot of people are too busy trying to make ends meet, and too cynical

about the possibilities of change, to try to do anything.

The Republicans consciously feed this cynicism. Talk about
any issue damaging to the Republicans and they'll tell you
the Democrats are just as bad.

They'll say Kennedy started the Vietnam War, they'll say
Kennedy stole the 1960 election, they'll say a few slashed
tires in Minnesota and a few purchased votes in E. St. Louis
in 2004 equals massive Republican vote suppression and
cheating, they'll say the destruction of New Orleans was
because the Governor wouldn't allow Bush to act and on and
on....

A lot of people know what's going on but they're too tired
and hopeless to care.

[TheFriedPiper]

15. It's called targeted marketing

First, identify the most gullible (best place to start is the highly religious)

Then sell them on the idea that they are under attack.

Then sell them on the idea that only you can protect them.



Once someone shows that they will buy into the idea that there is a magic man in the sky
that created everything, controls everything, and yet awaits instructions in the form of prayers, it is really not that hard to sell them on trickle-down economics and the belief that their only protection from terrorists is a former male cheerleader from Connecticut playing dressup as a Texas Cowboy.

[bobbolink]

16. Yup, a really fine job for a psychologist to undertake...

PAH!

Instead of using their training for "good", they use it for manipulation.

I have ZERO respect for that!

They should just forget the psychology, and sell insurance, or something.

[pitohui]

17. well there are a shocking number of stupid people on the internet

i have no reason to believe that only americans are particularly gullible, the british over-reaction has been disgraceful to say the least

jeez louise, how the crap am i supposed to be able to take down an airliner w. my copy of harry potter and the goblet of fire?

or maybe it's my globe magazine, with dish about laura's divorce agreement w. george, that is the big security threat!

[yellowdawgdem]

19. alarmingly gullible

That's kind of what I've been thinking lately as I talk to many intelligent friends who seem to accept this stuff without question. Are there no more questioning minds here except for the few who read blogs? I have to say, though, that probably some people are hyping this "sheep" behavior out of fear, and wanting to think they will be overlooked, or not bothered by anybody.
But in general, I have much less respect for Americans as a whole, that we drink our own bullshit. I know that the Russians don't do that, they are really skeptical people.

[Blue_In_AK]

38. I saw that at the grocery store today...

"Bush divorce details. Laura wins, Condi loses." What was that all about? I wanted to read it, but just couldn't quite bring myself to buy it.

It doesn't matter whether it's true or not - it's just fun to see it out there.

[JohMunich99]

20. So are you alarmingly pessimistic to counter balance them

I know I am!

[The_Casual_Observer]

21. And while you are at it, would you please take your shoes off

before you enter the metal detector? It's for your own good.

[kster]

23. Gullibility,Oh Yes, Three words, SECRET VOTE COUNTING

what people would have allowed SECRET VOTE COUNTING to be put into place? We are the greatest country in the world, and a vast majority of people don't know that their votes are being counted in secret.

ITS SICKENING!!!!!!!!

[petgoat]

37. But why are the Dems silent on the Black Box Voting machines?

Clinton and Boxer sponsored the Senate bill that would have outlawed
them. So they're aware of the danger. Why aren't they screaming
bloody murder about the fact that this bill has been hung up in
comittee for three years?

Why aren't the Democrats pointing out the obvious: There's no reason
to install unverifiable voting machnes unless you intend to cheat.

[Swamp Rat]

24. I'm fed up with 'em.

[Rainscents]

25. YEP... There's few here on DU!

Look closely, you'll spot them. I'm not highly educated, however, I am wise enough to see BS being told to me. Wisdom comes with learning and listening and that is what, I've done.

[SaneInSC]

26. Ignorance

Ignorance is bliss unfortunately. Or at least not so depressing...

[Truthiness Inspector]

27. Everyone is gullible but you

Please. How elitist and insulting. There are dumbasses all across the globe.

These types of posts are getting really annoying, and they are not helping.

[Philosoraptor]

30. In my first sentence I said I'm not immune.

Sorry to annoy you and insult you.

[Justice Is Comin]

28. I agree.

The stupidity is almost mesmerizing.

bush was the guy on duty when the towers fell from 1,350 feet to a pancake. He's on tape just sitting there for seven damn minutes trying to figure out how to get his feet to work.

And THIS is the guy you want carrying around the football?

Then we have 15 different reasons why we're in another Viet Nam. They're trotting em out faster than allergy pills during hayfever season because it's just not going like they planned. Mission--get the oil, get out. Nope.

Then we have American haters popping up everywhere that were confined to reasonably predictable locations before. And the very people these idiots are lauding to reign in the terror are using the terror to say they need to be the ones to stop the terror.

It's like Zorro in reverse. More laughable than a Abbott and Costello routine.

Give me that bat so I can stop hitting you with it....oh no please mistress, may I have one more.

Yes, I marvel at these morons every day.

[CJCRANE]

29. Maybe

but they are up against the most ruthless men in the world with a billion dollar PR budget and compliant mass media.

[Philosoraptor]

31. kik

[salin]

32. Not just gullibility - bushco is very sophisticated in their marketing

read this - written early in the bush administration reign of terror/error:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0204.green.html

Clearly lays out that the bush machine uses polling more than previous admins - but in a much more sinister way. Finding ways to make the public shift their 'support' on issue by very carefully market-testing of phrases in order to deceive the public.

It is an excellent article - I wish that Green would follow-up on this article.

Frankly it has gotten harder and harder for bushco to do this - as their efforts have struck so many at one time or another as absurd, and each time they hit the "absurd" wall - another edge of the rapidly shrinking tapestry of the public that still supports them begins to fall away from the unraveling edges off the tapestry altogether and another part of the tapestry that had been solid moves onto the fraying edge.

[Hugin]

33. What is more alarming to me is how gullible the media is...

"It's not necessary to fool the people, only the media"

[Stevepol]

34. The stolen elections have suggested we're more gullible than we are.

Look at the polls, then look at the results of the elections.

The American people are not nearly as gullible as the results of elections would suggest.

The elecions are counted by and stolen by private corporations affiliated with or allied with the most far right partisans in the country. This tilts our perception far to the right of where people actually are and makes the American people seem gullible when they're not.

The American people voted overwhelmingly for Kerry and against the present war policy in Iraq. The people weren't gullible. Maybe the media were. Certainly when laws are passed like HAVA requiring elections officials to take measures that their own common sense tells them are foolish and dangerous that's not the people being gullible. The officials are just trying to find a least bad course to pursue from the options given them, usually all bad.

If we had fair elections: Gore would have won in 2000, A Democrat and not Hagel might be in Congress (if Hagel won the election in 96 he certainly didn't win by the purported 83% he is said to have won by), Mondale would probably have been in Congress instead of Thornton, Cleland would be in Congress and not Chambliss, Strickland would have been in Congress and not Allard, etc. etc.

So to call the American people gullible is really not accurate. You can only be gullible when you have the options presented to you fairly. Were the Russians gullible when the Communist premiers were running the show and often engaging in questionable actions and policies? I doubt it. Given the information they had access to, they acted in about the only way they could have. The Russian people are now and were then among the most intelligent and understanding in the world.

Once the American people are enfranchised again, it will be seen that they are in fact not all that gullible, at least not any more than the people of any other country.

[Name removed]

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