Americans Are Stupid, and Newsweek Intends To Keep It That Way
Once again, Newsweek’s U.S. editors have chosen a stupid cover for Americans while filling all three international editions with interesting, in-depth articles about disturbing topics Americans should know. Last time — just three weeks ago — the international editions’ cover story was “Losing Afghanistan.” The U.S. dummies got a cover story about a lesbian who takes pictures of celebrities.
If the election and reign of Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader represents the triumph of anti-intellectualism in this country, then our collective IQ really has descended into the mid-double digits. The Mainstream Media has recognized this, as evidenced by Newsweek TWICE using lightweight covers in the US over the past month. Newsweeks that Americans generally don’t care what’s happening beyond their borders. No, we’re MUCH more interested in the vicarious thrill and knee-jerk anger produced by the Mark Foley sex scandal. Yes, why should we be expected to ponder what’s happening in Afghanistan when we can be pissed off about something that’s happening right here at home. This is not to say, of course, that Mark Foley and the Congressional Republican leadership hasn’t given Americans much to be angry about, but our sons and daughters are dying in Iraq and Afghanisan. Shouldn’t that occupy our attentions as well?
We’re at a point in this country where it could legitimately be said that we find ourselves at a crossroad. Do we take back our country, do we demand accountability, maturity, and decency from our elected representatives, or do we allow Republicas to continue using fear-mongering and propaganda as a substitute for leadership? The Mainstream Media has willingly participated in Republican propaganda, mostly because most media organizations are owned and/or run by Republicans (WHAT LIBERAL MEDIA??).
Americans have willingly, whether by omission or comission, participated in the dumbing down of public discourse. I truly don’t believe that Americans are stupid, but we are an intellectually lazy lot. We prefer simple concepts, short answers…anything that doesn’t involve a lot of critical thinking. This is how we’ve ended up with a collection of corrupt, immoral Republicans running the show for the past 12 years.
Mainstream media outlets will continue to treat us like intellectual lightweights until we demand better. Americans being what we are, though, not only are we generally OK with being pandered to, we’re not even aware it’s taking place…because that means we’d actually have to exercise a few brain cells. Not gonna happen, is it?
