I am finally beginning to understand why so many financially strapped poor Americans, especially the white Americans (from the red states) so foolishly think that they would be better off in the hands of the Republicans or worst, rightwing nuts of the Tea Party. This is the same group that is essentially the core base of the Tea Party, and they are the core audience of the Fox News.
Even though, I am disgusted by them for their misguided and moronic support for the rightwing nuts, I am beginning to feel a bit sorry for them, for it isn’t really all their fault for how the think and/or vote. These people are suffering from a disease called Akrasia
"Akrasia: (ancient Greek, "lacking command (over oneself)"), occasionally transliterated as: "...in the state of acting against one's better judgment [against his own interest.]"
Philosophically, just like any other concept or theory, there are a few other interpretations for akrasia, but I am going to stick to Socrates’ original theory and concept.
"In the dialogue Protagoras, Socrates attests that akrasia is an illogical moral concept,’ claiming, ‘no one goes willingly toward the bad’ (358d).’ Socrates further explained: ‘a person never chooses to act poorly or against his better judgment [against his own interest]; actions that go against what is best [for his interest] are only a product of being ignorant of facts or knowledge of what is best or good [for his interest]."
Ignorant of facts or knowledge of what is good for them.
This is exactly what has been ailing the lower and the middle class conservative Americans, in general. Unfortunately, these struggling Americans, especially from the red state who are supporting the rightwing nuts happened to be mostly uneducated or less educated than average Americans, like us. Hence they are unable to properly gather and analyze information and facts to make informed decisions.
To add insult to injury:
Add windbags of the collective rightwing machinery, such as: Beck, Limbaugh, Bachmann, and Palin, who, to begin with, are ill-informed, misinformed, and uneducated (sorry, just having a degree doesn’t qualify one to be called an educated person.)
They constantly and strongly discourage their audiences/constituents from reading or listening to any mainstream responsible media that might provide their supporters with a different point of view, and more importantly, god forbid, provide them with accurate information.
These windbags are taking full advantage of these struggling Americans’ gullibility by using their oratory skills to promote corporate interests by convincing them through their scare tactics that what is good for big corporations (Healthcare/Auto/Oil Industry and Wall Street Firms) is actually good for them – basically pitting them against their own self-interest.
Cases in point;
- Healthcare legislation
- Supporting and increasing education funding
- Federal minimum wage requirement, and extended unemployment benefits.
However, since the wind baggers they listened to told them that the idea of Universal Healthcare, or government spending on social values are anti-American ideas, these would be beneficiaries of such policies are now helping the Tea Party to send morons like Lott and O’Donnell, to the House and the Senate, who are promising to repeal the Healthcare legislation and federally mandated minimum wage law, and to reduce or eliminate education spending.
All of these policies would help lower and middle classes of all Americans, but they are convinced that values/policies can’t be good for them, since these policies are being supported by Obama and the democrats, who are evil-mongering Communists-Nazis.
Clear signs of Akrasia, no?
Gak
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