Political Ranting

I don't do politics very well. Most of the time, folks are pretty ingrained in their beliefs and I don't have much desire to try to change their minds. People are going to believe different things, and that's fine.

What drives me slightly nuts is the notion that some of these beliefs are "informed" when in fact, they are repetitions of whatever the talking heads are saying at the moment. But I have no control over whether people - including myself - think for themselves or decide its easier to just agree with whatever they are hearing at the moment, with disregard for the facts. It gets even more interesting when some facts - such as the transcript of what a talking head actually said on his show - disappear. But I digress.

What really drives me crazy, though, is the idea that the METHOD used by these talking heads is somehow the right method of discussion, regardless of the topic. I'm not really talking about the mainstream news or the shows that actually talk about issues. I'm talking about the "entertainment" folks who spout off what they "know" with outrage and disbelief - the Rush Limbaughs, and whoever his equivalent is on the left. I avoid talking heads - they drive me nuts, so I have no idea who it is on the left, but I'm sure there are a few.

I've been told that people know these folks are more for entertainment, and we don't take them seriously, so we should ignore what they say. And that is probably true. They generally are talking out of their ass, and if they aren't, its too hard and takes too much of my time to separate the truth from the outrage.

But how is the method they are using appropriate for any kind of discussion? How does the typical cycle of, "express outrage and disbelief, attack other side, and defend ludicrous argument like your life depends on it" ever get you anywhere?

It's not the content. It's the tone, the manner, the blind following that "we are right, the other side is wrong, and showing up in the middle for a calm, rational discussion based on facts is the stupidest thing I ever heard of."

For entertainment, I get that this works great and reels in the hapless listeners. But when that method, that tone, and that cycle invades real life? Then it crosses the line from entertainment and becomes something a lot more insidious. Guns and murders are one method of violence in the media, but I think there's a pretty good argument that these talking heads are as much a menace to our society as any overt kind of violence, because people forget how to think for themselves, and start to believe that this method of discussion is valid and appropriate, when in fact all it does is create further rifts and a bunch of sheep. And solves nothing.

Stepping off soapbox. For now.