On 12/23/2014 8:10 AM, Cousin Ricky wrote:
> I also believe what she said about Americans having a sense of entitlement
> abroad simply because they are Americans.

This is the case for some others too, not just the US, but.. we have had 
50 years of idiots telling us our shit smells like wild flowers, and 
everything we do is great, even the screw ups. Its bound to have an 
impact, right up until the next generation, who, sadly, seem to be split 
between those that still fall for the Reagan, "Government is the 
problem.", lie, and being fed up with all of the BS.

Note, the former... Read "Merchants of Doubt", to get an understanding 
of how that came about. Its what makes Fox News what it is, and why they 
can claim to be "fair and balanced", when they are nothing of the sort. 
Even when we had a fairness doctrine, there was no requirement that 
"fair" mean "accurate", just that both sides be represented. Like the US 
failure with environmentalism, in which it tried to argue against 
mitigation of everything from acid rain, to the current global warming 
issues, is about bending the evidence, to suggest it costs too much, or 
is not as bad as the "bad guys" in academia say it is (who are, of 
course, all liberals, according to such people, even when they are not). 
Its what led certain idiots to think that SDI was going to work too. 
This is the recipe:

1. Like war, or unrestrained capitalism, etc. For example - believe that 
it is possible to "win" the cold war.

2. Create a special comity, or even bloody think tank, which dedicates 
itself to "correcting" the "bad science" being put out by all those 
people that, in the long run, turned out to be right.

3. Push out endless opinions on what Russia intends to really do, what 
they are planning, technology they don't have, but insist they must 
have, otherwise they would still be working on it (instead of, say, 
writing it off as impossible), and presenting the most favorable 
possible position on the odds of the entire human race being wiped out, 
or starving to death.

4. Suggest that, therefor, the best solution is illegal ABM systems, 
and/or more nukes...

These are the people that have been "winning" by misrepresenting the 
truth to the public, about everything, including how successful the US 
is, compared to the rest of the world, at everything. And, even the 
journalists that should know better, sadly, fall for it, and publish it. 
Fox... is simply, and nothing less, than the end result of this idea. 
That, if you can say anything, to represent the facts, in the best 
light, for your side, even if the truth is not even on the same planet, 
then only "pretend" to present the other side's views, with any level of 
accuracy. It makes money, while.. taking real threats seriously costs 
money. Admitting you are wrong means less trust, while lying your ass 
off leads to loyalty. Etc.

Huh. Actually a video on Fox about this, that popped up today: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P74oHhU5MDk

Its all "Merchants of Doubt". That is where it started, and its a 
winning strategy - as long as the public doesn't know the difference 
between the truth, and facts that are distorted to represents what a 
specific, pro-capitalist, pro-business, anti-liberal, environmentally 
tepid, etc. position *wants* to be true.. And, we have had 50 years of 
people honing the methods of doing this, while telling us we are the 
"best country on the planet". Even people that know its bullshit, but 
especially those that do not, fall for the narrative, on some level.

The other news agencies, after all, at best, don't say anything that 
might upset their own owners, and, at worst, won't be caught dead 
actually telling the public that one side, or the other, is just dead, 
flat, full out, WRONG.

--
Commander Vimes: "You take a bunch of people who don't seem any 
different from you and me, but when you add them all together you get 
this sort of huge raving maniac with national borders and an anthem."

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