Governor Walker of Wisconsin survived his recall election.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

See, Net, the problem isn't the 1%.  The problem is in fact the 99%, who are DUMB enough to LISTEN to the half-baked gibberish the 1% are pumping.

If people ARE that dumb, well you wouldn't blame mentally retarded people for getting abused by an intelligent sociopaths, would you?

I said "dumb", not "brain damaged".  It's not that they CAN'T think, it's that they WON'T think/

If they never think, despite the capacity, is there any meaningful difference?

It's not hopeless because people don't KNOW, it's hopeless because people KNOW and LIKE IT.

Well which is it? Are they too dumb to see the half-baked gibberish for what it is or competent enough to grasp how they're getting screwed and choosing it?

I have trouble understanding how anyone could fall into the latter category.

It's both.  It's that they have allowed themselves to be conditioned to think that the things that are fucking them are their last hope.  The only evidence of which I need offer is the teabaggers, and the recall election in Wisconsin, in which 300,000 union members voted for Walker.

You have trouble understanding that because you DO think.  It's like a non-smoker not being able to imagine why someone can't quit smoking.

I suppose Mr. Pre-rich Pickle would illustrate that concept quite aptly as well. Or are they being conned by the collective intelligence of very cunning sociopaths and the vast amount of information at their disposal?

When do the conned become complicit in their fleecing?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

When do the conned become complicit in their fleecing?

The moment they decide to have their thinking outsourced.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

See, Net, the problem isn't the 1%.  The problem is in fact the 99%, who are DUMB enough to LISTEN to the half-baked gibberish the 1% are pumping.

If people ARE that dumb, well you wouldn't blame mentally retarded people for getting abused by an intelligent sociopaths, would you?

I said "dumb", not "brain damaged".  It's not that they CAN'T think, it's that they WON'T think/

If they never think, despite the capacity, is there any meaningful difference?

Have you ever argued with a pro-lifer?

"A FETUS IS A HUMAN BEING BECAUSE IT JUST IS. LALALALALA NOT LISTENING".

Same thing.

[trippinprincezz13]

See, Net, the problem isn't the 1%.  The problem is in fact the 99%, who are DUMB enough to LISTEN to the half-baked gibberish the 1% are pumping.  The 99% that want that 401K to grow like a mad bastard, leading to hilarious short-term thinking in the board room, the 99% who believe that when those smudgy people get theirs, that they themselves will be allowed a place at the trough.

And it IS difficult for me to wrap my mind around WHY.

It's not stress. My anxiety is through the roof most of the time, for real or imagined reasons, but I am still able to observe what's going on around, pick it apart and not just swallow every line of bullshit that comes my way. It's not business. Nigel's a single mom, raising three children, going to school and working to make a living, but she's not just handing her brain over to the television to do her thinking for her. It's not just intelligence. Sure, some people make it painfully obvious that there's not much going on upstairs, but still, otherwise reasonably intelligent seeming people will fall back on "I'm sure they have good reason for....", "Obviously something must have happened for them to..." or "Yea, but on TV they said....". But they can tell me the latest sports stats or what's going on in their favorite TV show.

All I can narrow it down to is that it's just EASIER not to think. I may not have the answer to anything, but I at least try to make the effort to see what's going on, analyze it the best I can with what I have and try to form my own opinion on it. Of course, it usually leaves me feeling helpless, since most people just seem so resistent to even thinking about it, that it makes me want to say "why bother". It's like watching a good friend on a downward spiral, they won't take advice from anyone and you just keep hoping "maybe THIS time they'll wake up and straighten themselves out", but it never happens.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

See, Net, the problem isn't the 1%.  The problem is in fact the 99%, who are DUMB enough to LISTEN to the half-baked gibberish the 1% are pumping.  The 99% that want that 401K to grow like a mad bastard, leading to hilarious short-term thinking in the board room, the 99% who believe that when those smudgy people get theirs, that they themselves will be allowed a place at the trough.

And it IS difficult for me to wrap my mind around WHY.

It's not stress. My anxiety is through the roof most of the time, for real or imagined reasons, but I am still able to observe what's going on around, pick it apart and not just swallow every line of bullshit that comes my way. It's not business. Nigel's a single mom, raising three children, going to school and working to make a living, but she's not just handing her brain over to the television to do her thinking for her. It's not just intelligence. Sure, some people make it painfully obvious that there's not much going on upstairs, but still, otherwise reasonably intelligent seeming people will fall back on "I'm sure they have good reason for....", "Obviously something must have happened for them to..." or "Yea, but on TV they said....". But they can tell me the latest sports stats or what's going on in their favorite TV show.

All I can narrow it down to is that it's just EASIER not to think. I may not have the answer to anything, but I at least try to make the effort to see what's going on, analyze it the best I can with what I have and try to form my own opinion on it. Of course, it usually leaves me feeling helpless, since most people just seem so resistent to even thinking about it, that it makes me want to say "why bother". It's like watching a good friend on a downward spiral, they won't take advice from anyone and you just keep hoping "maybe THIS time they'll wake up and straighten themselves out", but it never happens.

The default position for mankind is memetic false consciousness, I think.  You have to WANT to think to get past that, so the vast majority of Americans just believe whatever they are told.

Discordians and Subgenii are different...Or WERE different.  Recently I see a serious strain of passivity and blind acceptance working its way into The Church, which in turn leads me to believe that most people who can beat MFC can only do so for a limited amount of time.

[LMNO]

The book I'm reading, Thinking Fast and Slow has a lot of SCIENCE that backs up the model of MFC.  When I'm done, Cain and I are planning to discuss/analyze/see if it can be applied to us.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The book I'm reading, Thinking Fast and Slow has a lot of SCIENCE that backs up the model of MFC.  When I'm done, Cain and I are planning to discuss/analyze/see if it can be applied to us.

Author?

[LMNO]

Daniel Kahneman.

[Cain]

I think I'm most of the way through on it....it's hard to tell though, because I'm using my Kindle to take notes, and 3/4 through the hardback version of the book is, apparently, only 45% of the way through the Kindle version.

Maybe all the footnotes are in a bigger font on the ebook version, but it does make telling how much further I have to go very difficult.

[Luna]

There are rumors of massive election fraud.  This should be entertaining...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101630961

[LMNO]

Eh.  The article's a lot of "coulda's" and "might haves".  No actual evidence of fraud.

[Luna]

Eh.  The article's a lot of "coulda's" and "might haves".  No actual evidence of fraud.

True... but, let 'em dig.

There's a call to look into those "if you signed the petition, you don't have to vote" calls, as well.  Apparently, calling the number back gets you the Wisconsin Republican Party offices.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

There are rumors of massive election fraud.  This should be entertaining...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101630961

Democratic Underground is about as reliable as Free Republic...Which is to say, they're whining.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Eh.  The article's a lot of "coulda's" and "might haves".  No actual evidence of fraud.

True... but, let 'em dig.

There's a call to look into those "if you signed the petition, you don't have to vote" calls, as well.  Apparently, calling the number back gets you the Wisconsin Republican Party offices.

Not illegal.

[Cain]

The source of the maths on the possibility of fraud is basing his claim on a lot of assumptions, including that Obama/McCain voting patterns are sufficient as a model of party preference and that the polling data is both comprehensive and accurate.

It also seem his commenters, when confronted with these facts, then basically insult the person in question and claim they have no understanding of maths.

It's not impossible there is vote fraud, but I wouldn't bet on a claim this weak.