Why Americans keep falling for right wing ideas

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Monday October 14, 2013 · 10:16 PM PDT

2013/10/14 · 22:16

The notion that large swaths of low information voters are being duped into a "good versus evil" narrative on just about every vote is missing what’s at the heart of the issue.

Yes, voters want to be happy and will vote to better their interests. And yes, there is an overly simplistic narrative that works well for reflexive, right wing, neo-liberterian ideology. But the reason the masses fall for it isn’t because they just want to be happy, it’s because they don’t know any better.

Education.

The problem is people can’t think critically for themselves. This makes them susceptible to trashy TV news propaganda and ultimately, unable to vote for their own interests. If we want people to vote for progressive ideas, we need to raise standards and fix the eroded education system. And if we don’t develop critical thought process through our education institutions then we can’t expect much in return.

I suppose it’s a chicken and egg argument though since public education expansion will need to be voted in first. But make no mistake, this is the real problem. It’s gotten to a point where creationists are writing text books and people don’t know who won the civil war.

What difference does it make which basic impulse they’re voting with?

Al-Sadr goes back on the offensive

Martin519

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday March 26, 2008 · 7:54 AM PDT

2008/03/26 · 07:54

It seems these past seven months the Bush administration and their GOP cheerleaders (Lieberman notwithstanding) have been enjoying a false sense of security with regards to the Iraq debacle. Troop presence is up and violent incidents are down but there is one key ingredient both the leaders in Washington and the news media have left out.

Where has leading Shi'a cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr been? You know, the guy who commands the largest sectarian army in Iraq?

Well it turns out, he's been holding to a cease fire all this time while the progress netted since September has been improperly attributed to the so-called "surge" strategy. With the recent rocket attacks taking 42 lives in Iraq this week it appears that Muqtada Al-Sadr and his Shi'a militias are back on their dirty game again.

Bad news for the 100 year McCain strategy, but unfortunately worse news for the troops.

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