Christmas Trolling?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Griff

It was the over-all atmosphere of Germany during this period where people are afraid to push back against wrong-headed cultural norms for fear of getting on a list.

Ah, OK, not having seen it I didn't know if the writer's handing of the "Book Thief & compatriots" were as victims, like I would assume, or as some sort of antidisestablishmentarian trouble makers.

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

One thing many people underestimate are the resources behind the motivation of the people in power. To be clear I am not referring to any of the elected or quasi-elected figureheads/ corporate puppets.
Simply put, they have a better PR machine directed at a population fairly incapable of critical thinking.

If I feel stupid and am in the top 5% intelligence, then what chance is there that the rest of the country is going to grok there is no connection between saddam Hussein and WTC or that the one vocal opponent to an Iraq incursion because there were no WMDs, thereby negating billions of dollars in profit to be chyle, Halliburton, et al, also happens conveniently to be found out to be into kiddie porn?

I used to wonder (not because I'm in the 5%) why people couldn't see what was going on. Did they not understand? What I'm finding more and more, is they don't fucking care. As long as walmart is open, and facebook is up, they don't give a shit what happens to them A-Rabs, Af-Ri-Cans, Wet-Backs, or even anyone not in my hood... be it ghetto or gated community.

It's so bad, I'm afraid if 9-11 happened today, the majority response of outrage, grief, and it's duration, would be dictated by hashtags.

In conclusion, the corporate PR machine has successfully conflated
"Support our troops" with "don't criticize the government.

The majority of the men and women in the military are doing a thankless, often dangerous job, for not much money, and doing it the very best they can.
However, as much as I respect them, I don't always agree with the way they are being used, and abused, by the politicians and Pentagon. But like you say, if I object to the mission, I'm attacked as anti-military and un-American.

Here again, it's because people don't care. They only want to disrupt their videogame or ski-trip long enough to wave a made in China flag and repeat carefully crafted slogans like you mentioned.

But, but, thinking is hhhaaarrrddd.