foxes; not so bright

October 02, 2003
A new study based on a series of seven US polls conducted from January through September of this year reveals that before and after the Iraq war, a majority of Americans have had significant misperceptions and these are highly related to support for the war in Iraq.
The polling, conducted by the Program on International Policy (PIPA) at the University of Maryland and Knowledge Networks, also reveals that the frequency of these misperceptions varies significantly according to individuals’ primary source of news. Those who primarily watch Fox News are significantly more likely to have misperceptions, while those who primarily listen to NPR or watch PBS are significantly less likely.

this study is 2.5 years old but it is still relevant.

how does that old saying go? if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. i can hear malcolm x saying it again today, were he still alive.

if you don't stand for truth in journalism, you'll fall for anything.
if you don't stand for honesty and integrity, you'll fall.
if you don't stand for taking the individual responsibility of being a good citizen and doing at least enough homework to understand what is going on in the political process that affects your friends, family and countrymen, then you'll fall for any old despot that comes along.
if you don't stand for ethical behavior, you'll fall for unethical behavior.

so many have fallen. in fact, based on the last election, it seems a majority of americans have fallen. they've fallen for a fox news network that has cozened them into believing their point of view is viable. and it isn't. just because they say it with a straight face and take themselves seriously does not mean i do, should or would.

it is not that i merely disagree with bill o'reilly or rush limbaugh, as they would have you believe about those opposed to them. it's that i do not take them seriously. i do not consider their perspectives in any way shape or form serious, learned or insightful. instead they are obnoxious, derisive and self-serving.

so how did these guys get on tv or radio? how did chris mathews become the hardball guy? i mean, it's hardball right? we're supposed to take him and his show seriously. it's top echelon political fodder. but, it isn't. i don't watch or listen to the shows of these guys i've mentioned often but when i have, it is not difficult to spot the moments when lies are presented as logic or the truth is relegated to rumor.

i know a lot of people who think the fox news is a viable outlet to get their news, if not "fair and balanced." i can't say that these people are idiots, (though occasionally that impulse may strike me.) rather, they've been lulled into an odd and sinister sense of security. from what i can tell, they tend to think most things are okay in the world around them. from that sense, they have become complacent and shed any sense of personal responsibility for their government. they may bitch and moan about it but by and large, they do not study the facts, (in fact, they may avoid them to avoid confrontation.) they don't try to stay informed nor up to date. critical thinking is a college course, nothing practical.

and this is how we got here. click on the title of this entry above and read the story about the study. deny it if you will. infer some bias if you need to avoid the confrontation w/ yourself. assume the university of maryland or the world public opinion is not to be trusted or part of some out of touch, liberal academia as o'reilly might characterize it in order to dismiss the substance of the message. or, just admit that you haven't necessarily lived up to all of your responsibilities as a citizen of this free country we live in and make some changes in a positive direction so that in the future you will be better informed, you will care a bit more and not choose the path of least resistence as a matter of course, and men of dick cheney's character do not end up in high office.