The Idiots

I was recently told by a Greek grad student that the word idiot is Greek in origin, and that it's original meaning is someone that does not know anything about politics. While some would declare "if being an idiot means knowing nothing about politics, then I'm an idiot!"

You need to understand politics because politics is all about manipulation. And that's sad, really, that it's come down to that, because it has.

Maybe some of you don't remember this, but before Gorbachev and the breakup of the Soviet Union, plenty of Americans were anti-Communist. Let's face, they had never read Karl nor Marx, nor cared to. They didn't know socialism from fascism, except they hated them both, and that it was un-American. The Ruskies were the bad guys. We were the good guys.

Among the propaganda we Americans spread was that, despite having high voter turnout in communist countries (over 90%), a communist citizen only had one choice, and so that was no democracy at all. Plus, communists rewrote history books, and had a huge propaganda machine that put the communists in the best light.

Frankly, I don't disagree with any of that. The point to make is that American politicians are doing this as well. Tell me, if a party had a chance to totally discredit the other side, so that effectively, you were just voting for that one party, would that not be the same as the one party election?

Political parties don't want you to make an informed decision. For example, during the recent Presidential elections, gay marriage came on the referendum. It's not as if gay marriage was legal or anything, at least, in the states it came up in. Yet, get-out-the-vote conservatives told church going non-voters that if they did not vote, it would become legal, and they would be contributing to the downfall of all that was good in the U.S.

Politicians have learned that fear-mongering works best. People are generally irrational, idiots, if you will. Bush was trying to figure out something that would make his administation distinct. As bad as 9-11 was, it was great for Bush, because it gave him something to base his administration on. That was fear. If Americans were patriotic, they would have to deal with terrorism, and that this would mean sacrifices, a war against Iraq, and so forth.

Never mind that Europe had a history of local terrorism throughout the 70s, which Americans didn't care anything about. Never mind Israel, who really cares about terrorism. It happened over there, and Americans just didn't care. Only now, after thousands of American deaths, and no end in sight in Iraq are a few Americans starting to decide enough is enough, and yet, there are also those ready to spin things towards the President.

If modern politics suggests anything, it's never to admit you're wrong. Even when you're wrong, accuse the opponents of being unpatriotic, and just keep doing what you're doing. No one can say, as Carter did, that the country is in a malaise. You stay positive, no matter what. And people are willing to listen to such optimism.

In the end, both sides (and why aren't there three or more sides), wants the average citizen to pick sides, and be passionate about one side or the other, until rational thought is handed over to those in charge. We've always celebrated democracy, yet, politicians would have the people listen to a shaded version of the truth.

I believe, especially in politics, that truth is not absolute, that it's a matter of your beliefs, and using your intellect to make sense of what's happening. We, as citizens need to do more thinking, more information gathering, because politicians are out their preying upon our idiocy.