It seems incredible to me that when President Clinton left office there was a $23 billion budget surplus, and that it took Robotic Lord Cheney and his unregulated ilk only eight years to completely destroy the U.S. economy. The coming worldwide financial apocalypse has made me fretful, so I’ve been reading a lot more news lately. One thing I see the liberal writers saying over and over is, “Americans aren’t stupid.” I can’t believe that the pointy-heads who say that have ever been to America because, if they had, they’d realize that lots of Americans are, indeed, stupid. Deeply stupid. Not only are they stupid, but they are personally offended by anyone who’s smart. The teacher asks a question. You answer the question correctly. “You think you’re so smart!” hisses the stupid American kid sitting next to you in class. If you’re really smart, you’ll soon realize the only way to get along is to play dumb. If only 10% of Americans are stupid, that’s still millions and millions of people, or “voters” as our politicians like to call them.
This reminds me of Senator Roman Hruska, “the Noblest Roman,” Republican Senator-for-Life from Nebraska. I met Senator Hruska once when I was a girl. He was portly and polite, and seemed like a nice old farmer in his short-sleeved plaid farmer shirt. Afterwards my friend who’d introduced us told me a secret: The shirt was made of pure silk, a fabric especially woven to Senator Hruska’s specifications, in Italy. Senator Hruska knew who his constituents were.
Senator Hruska may be best remembered—if he’s remembered at all— for something he said during the Senate confirmation hearings for G. Harrold Carswell, nominated for the U. S. Supreme Court by President Nixon although absolutely nobody thought Carswell was a particularly good judge. "Even if he is mediocre," Senator Hruska said, "there are a lot of mediocre judges and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they, and a little chance? We can't have all Brandeises, Cardozos, and Frankfurters, and stuff like that there.”
Now we are faced with another candidate of the people. Perhaps you think I mean Miss Teen South Carolina:
Q. “Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?"
A. "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some ... people out there in our nation don't have maps and uh, I believe that our, ah, education like such as in South Africa, and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., or should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for."
No, I do not. I mean Miss Alaska, First Runner-Up:
Q. “ You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?”
A: “That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. …Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia-- … We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his ugly head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.”
But do not the many millions of stupid Americans deserve representation, too?
The Wikipedia page for the Diomede Islands, from where you can see Russia, has a link to a nice Quicktime VR, from the U.S.-owned island. Take a look! Now *you* can run for VP too!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diomede_Islands
http://www.bssd.org/download/dio_standing_place.mov
Posted by: Tommy | September 30, 2008 at 09:54 PM
You can thank "John Dewey", the father of progressive education in our public schools and colleges for our "stupid Americans" today. He did not believe in absolutes! What he taught was " situation ethics". No right or wrong answers, whatever fits your fancy would do for a passing grade. As a result, generations of students and teachers are now the merchants of misinformation. it's no wonder why our country is like a ship without a rudder. The storm is coming and we are drifting into dangerous waters!
Do you have your "government supplied" life preserver on?
Posted by: Rich | September 30, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Why do you put words in Comrade Sarah's mouth? She did not say that my head is ugly.
Моё судно на воздушной подушке полно угрей!
Posted by: Listener Vladimir Putin | October 01, 2008 at 01:15 AM
The idiots have had at least 8, if not 16, years of representation. And their representation will carry on in the Congress. For the White House, perhaps the time has come for something a little different (though voting for the FISA bill and a demanding a $700 billion dollar bailout do not exactly qualify as "different").
Posted by: Rufus J Squirrel | October 01, 2008 at 01:19 AM
idiots? make it 40 years.
Count the Clinton years too.
Deregulation of the financial industry, under Bill CLinton and Rick Rubin? nice move!
Militarizing the Mexican border?
Welfare 'reform' ??
Posted by: anonyous | October 01, 2008 at 03:18 AM
Now. Please. Just HOPE, that they will get this solved.
And, if you can hope and think at the same time, I admire you greatly and PLEASE tell the world how to do that.
Posted by: gerdbrunzema | October 01, 2008 at 04:13 AM
act like a dumbshit, and they'll treat you as an equal.
Posted by: KrOB | October 01, 2008 at 04:48 AM
Thank you thank you thank you for this post!
Posted by: elisabeth | October 01, 2008 at 07:34 AM
The classic book on the subject:
http://tinyurl.com/54ceac
Posted by: Dave M. | October 01, 2008 at 08:05 AM
One must also remember the very popular phrase, "Don't get smart with me!" And employing the rules of etiquette is mainly to put others at ease. Miss Manners usually advises that if one is faced with unutterable stupidity that one should still be polite and not make the other person feel inferior. Bah! The egregious idiot needs to be made aware of their folly.
Posted by: | October 01, 2008 at 08:34 AM
Judging by the number of McCain/Palin yard signs and bumper stickers I'm seeing, yes: Americans are very stupid.
Posted by: Dale Hazelton | October 01, 2008 at 09:27 AM
I just read George Saunder's Palin piece in the New Yorker. I am sure you were lovin' it, too, Bronwyn.
Posted by: calvin | October 01, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Careful with the anti-GOP stuff, you'll offend Irwin!
Posted by: Mr Mannn | October 01, 2008 at 11:09 AM
"There are man's activities that can be contributed to the issues that we're dealing with now with these impacts. I'm not going to blame all of man's activities on changes of climate."
-- Sarah Palin, on global warming
Posted by: K | October 01, 2008 at 11:29 AM
http://www.amazon.com/Stupid-Facing-Truth-About-American/dp/0465077714/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202240322&sr=8-1
Posted by: Elias | October 01, 2008 at 11:33 AM
A quote like: "... as Putin rears his ugly head and comes into the air space of the United States of America" just strengthens Palin's Reputation as an outsider politician. Not a maverick that is from "outside the Beltway" but more of a Shagg. She probably could get her own chapter in "Politics in the Key of Z."
Great post, Bronwyn!
Posted by: michael C | October 01, 2008 at 02:00 PM
HEY WHAT'S THE GRIPE? Sarah Palin may not be smart, but our country NEEDS a VP who's as cute as a doomsday button!
Posted by: Ez-er-a | October 01, 2008 at 04:10 PM
HEY WHAT'S THE GRIPE? Sarah Palin may not be smart, but our country NEEDS a VP who's as cute as a doomsday button!
Posted by: Ez-er-a | October 01, 2008 at 04:12 PM
Just the kind of posting that I expect to see from an eastern media elite type like this Bronwyn C character.
Posted by: A Patriot | October 01, 2008 at 05:55 PM
WOO HOO! Now this blog is on the map, Bronwyn! YOU'VE BEEN TROLLED!
Posted by: Sean Daily | October 01, 2008 at 07:06 PM
Folks who work in academia could tell you story after story about students who don't want to read a single word unless it's "on the test." To too many people college is like some big DMV; it's boring and you write down a bunch of stuff you take a test and they give a document that allows you some privilege. It's sad, there are so many great books out there so much more rewarding than television and more rewarding and in fact cheaper than going to the movies. If I were given a choice between an entire day or even a week to discuss the preface to Hegel's Phenomenology of Mind or a day or week of TV, even good TV (Get Smart, Odd Couple, Barney Miller) I'd choose the former. Mind you, I never got a diploma. I had to drop out and get a job with medical coverage.
Posted by: bartleby | October 01, 2008 at 08:22 PM
I'll take the TV. No offense.
Posted by: Listner Jim | October 01, 2008 at 08:28 PM
Would you believe Cliff Notes on Fichte followed by dissection of an owl pellet?
Posted by: bartleby | October 01, 2008 at 09:46 PM
Would you believe a cross-eyed parakeet reciting fragments from Heraclitus?
Posted by: bartleby | October 01, 2008 at 09:50 PM
How about a chicken McNugget, a packet of duck sauce and a fortune cookie?
Posted by: bartleby | October 01, 2008 at 10:26 PM