Stupidism as a political force in the U.S.A. (and other Western countries?)

[Jimmy Higgins]

These people get herded so easily. Pro-Russia? Are you kidding me?! Invade Iraq? A nation not even mentioned in the debates in 2000. The whole Clinton investigation. Either one of them. The only thing that is constant is the propaganda. Economy, good times... bad times... doesn't matter. They follow the narrative that is fed to them.

The Republican asshole running against our local congressman says the Michigan economy has been cratered due to Biden's and Dan Kildee's policies. Michigan has one of the best economies in the country.

I'm in one of the only competitive Congressional Districts in Ohio and have been hammered with ads. Emilia Sykes voted to raise the gas tax in Ohio. OMFG... just like every other fucking person in the Ohio Legislature that voted for the fucking budget! I don't see ads from Republicans shitting on Dewine because he signed that budget.

 

[Tigers!]

"Supidism" is the exploitation of people that have poor comprehension, short attention spans, inability to see long term effects of a thing, engage in poor risk management, demonize education as the "enemy"... etc.. for the purpose of gaining their political support (vote).
About 20% of the population of the United States are just plain stupid, and highly susceptible to Stupidism.

You can't fix stupid.. but we can fix Stupidism by requiring a passing grade on a US Citizenship exam to be able to register to vote, for example.

Be careful or you will be accused of voter suppression.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

No. No! NO! NOOOOO!

These people have been sucking at Limbaugh's tits for 30 years. The rhetoric has grown and become worse as the older stuff became normalized. The effect snowballed. Such to the point that Fox News was being abandoned for more radical "news" sources! This movement existed a while ago. It supported the impeachment of President Clinton when our economy was booming. So this isn't about poor ole people struggling. It is about a partisan cult, which has splintered into this monstrosity.

Very possible that their are multiple causes. Social inequality isn't a non-factor in the U.S., among a number of other things.

Not sure what you mean by social inequality. There is certainly a degree of intellectual inequality that drives the process, as has been illustrated nicely.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I mentioned it once in reference to what nostalgia is being invoked.

You're not wrong to have the nostalgia. Mortgage rates were low for more than a decade; especially last year. What's bizzare is implying you shouldn't criticize the current incompetent government because rates were higher when we used dial-up.

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I think it's on the rise because it's been weaponized by Russia and China.

 

[Oleg]

I mentioned it once in reference to what nostalgia is being invoked.

You're not wrong to have the nostalgia. Mortgage rates were low for more than a decade; especially last year. What's bizzare is implying you shouldn't criticize the current incompetent government because rates were higher when we used dial-up.

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

And combat deaths in Eastern Europe are down 97% since 1944. So what’s all the fuss?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I mentioned it once in reference to what nostalgia is being invoked.

You're not wrong to have the nostalgia. Mortgage rates were low for more than a decade; especially last year. What's bizzare is implying you shouldn't criticize the current incompetent government because rates were higher when we used dial-up.

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

And combat deaths in Eastern Europe are down 97% since 1944. So what’s all the fuss?

You missed the point. Are you claiming something special is reducing combat deaths in Eastern Europe? Because the MAGA crowd is blaming the Democrats for normal gas prices.

 

[Oleg]

I mentioned it once in reference to what nostalgia is being invoked.

You're not wrong to have the nostalgia. Mortgage rates were low for more than a decade; especially last year. What's bizzare is implying you shouldn't criticize the current incompetent government because rates were higher when we used dial-up.

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

And combat deaths in Eastern Europe are down 97% since 1944. So what’s all the fuss?

You missed the point. Are you claiming something special is reducing combat deaths in Eastern Europe? Because the MAGA crowd is blaming the Democrats for normal gas prices.

It just pathetic when our rulers try to excuse their ineptitude by saying it was also bad sometime in the past. And gas was cheaper even before Covid hit.

 

[Swammerdami]

Netanyahu will be P.M. of Israel again? This seems sad, and perhaps evidence of rising nationalist and even fascist sentiment in "the West", but I'm not sure it qualifies as an example of rising stupidism.

(Would it be out of line to suggest that there may be stupidist memes in evidence in this very thread? )

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

And combat deaths in Eastern Europe are down 97% since 1944. So what’s all the fuss?

You missed the point. Are you claiming something special is reducing combat deaths in Eastern Europe? Because the MAGA crowd is blaming the Democrats for normal gas prices.

They don't know what they are saying. Apparently mortgage rates should be stuck at 3%, gas prices at $1.95, and they want someone to do something about the kids on their lawn!

 

[Gun Nut]

I mentioned it once in reference to what nostalgia is being invoked.

You're not wrong to have the nostalgia. Mortgage rates were low for more than a decade; especially last year. What's bizzare is implying you shouldn't criticize the current incompetent government because rates were higher when we used dial-up.

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

And combat deaths in Eastern Europe are down 97% since 1944. So what’s all the fuss?

You missed the point. Are you claiming something special is reducing combat deaths in Eastern Europe? Because the MAGA crowd is blaming the Democrats for normal gas prices.

It just pathetic when our rulers try to excuse their ineptitude by saying it was also bad sometime in the past. And gas was cheaper even before Covid hit.

what is pathetic is calling it THEIR ineptitude when its not something that is even bad. That gas prices fluctuate such that it was both more and less expensive in the past is as transparently pathetic as chasing tornadoes and calling it gods will when it destroys something you don't like, and then be suspiciously silent when they destroy something you do like.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

It just pathetic when our rulers try to excuse their ineptitude by saying it was also bad sometime in the past. And gas was cheaper even before Covid hit.

what is pathetic is calling it THEIR ineptitude when its not something that is even bad. That gas prices fluctuate such that it was both more and less expensive in the past is as transparently pathetic as chasing tornadoes and calling it gods will when it destroys something you don't like, and then be suspiciously silent when they destroy something you do like.

Exactly. Gas prices went up. Why? Was it the Dems nationalizing the oil/gas industries? Did the Dems order oil/gas production to cease? Did Oil/gas production in the US even decrease? No, no, and fucking no!

Mortgage rates are going up... the same people complaining about inflation are complaining about rates going up. WTF is wrong with these people?

 

[ZiprHead]

I mentioned it once in reference to what nostalgia is being invoked.

You're not wrong to have the nostalgia. Mortgage rates were low for more than a decade; especially last year. What's bizzare is implying you shouldn't criticize the current incompetent government because rates were higher when we used dial-up.

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

And combat deaths in Eastern Europe are down 97% since 1944. So what’s all the fuss?

You missed the point. Are you claiming something special is reducing combat deaths in Eastern Europe? Because the MAGA crowd is blaming the Democrats for normal gas prices.

It just pathetic when our rulers try to excuse their ineptitude by saying it was also bad sometime in the past. And gas was cheaper even before Covid hit.

In what ways are our rulers inept concerning our present financial situation?

 

[Swammerdami]

Mortgage rates are going up... the same people complaining about inflation are complaining about rates going up. WTF is wrong with these people?

What's the name of this thread?

 

[TSwizzle]

Indeed, how dare the stupid plebs criticize or question government. They should just shut the fuck up.

 

[Gun Nut]

I mentioned it once in reference to what nostalgia is being invoked.

You're not wrong to have the nostalgia. Mortgage rates were low for more than a decade; especially last year. What's bizzare is implying you shouldn't criticize the current incompetent government because rates were higher when we used dial-up.

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

And combat deaths in Eastern Europe are down 97% since 1944. So what’s all the fuss?

You missed the point. Are you claiming something special is reducing combat deaths in Eastern Europe? Because the MAGA crowd is blaming the Democrats for normal gas prices.

It just pathetic when our rulers try to excuse their ineptitude by saying it was also bad sometime in the past. And gas was cheaper even before Covid hit.

In what ways are our rulers inept concerning our present financial situation?

Today's anti-democratic and anti-American Republicans think no more than repeating 3-word memes... so asking "how so?" will only get you another 3-word meme.
"rulers are inept"
"who did what that had a negative impact on this thing we are talking about?"
"Lock them up"
"Lock who up for what crime? where is the evidence?"
"Stop the steal"
"What got stolen and how was it stolen.. what are you talking about??"
"Read the report!"
"I did read it and there seems to be a lot of evidence against your claims. Did YOU read it?"
...... "rulers are inept"

 

[Gun Nut]

Indeed, how dare the stupid plebs criticize or question government. They should just shut the fuck up.

Ask good questions and get good answers. Ask stupid questions and be called out for being stupid.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Indeed, how dare the stupid plebs criticize or question government. They should just shut the fuck up.

Puhlease!

 

[bilby]

Indeed, how dare the stupid plebs criticize or question government. They should just shut the fuck up.

Not at all.

They should learn the bare minimum about what government is and does, so that they can be useful contributors to the discussion.

Until they have done so, they should shut the fuck up, and listen when people who know what they're on about are talking.

(That you cannot or will not discriminate between these two desires for people to shut the fuck up, tells us very clearly which side of the "learn the bare minimum" divide you currently occupy).

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I mentioned it once in reference to what nostalgia is being invoked.

You're not wrong to have the nostalgia. Mortgage rates were low for more than a decade; especially last year. What's bizzare is implying you shouldn't criticize the current incompetent government because rates were higher when we used dial-up.

The point is we had an abnormally long run of low interest rates, that doesn't make a return to more normal values signs of things going horribly wrong.

It's like the harping about gas prices--they are about where they have been in constant dollars. It's just the MAGA crowd is comparing them to pandemic-depressed prices rather than regular prices.

And combat deaths in Eastern Europe are down 97% since 1944. So what’s all the fuss?

You missed the point. Are you claiming something special is reducing combat deaths in Eastern Europe? Because the MAGA crowd is blaming the Democrats for normal gas prices.

It just pathetic when our rulers try to excuse their ineptitude by saying it was also bad sometime in the past. And gas was cheaper even before Covid hit.

Gas price inflation, 1935→2022

This calculator uses the official Consumer Price Index for Gas from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gas costing $3.88 in 1935 would cost $105.62 in 2022.

www.in2013dollars.com

Look at the table halfway down the page that goes back to 1976. Gas is the cheapest it's ever been.

You should be thanking Biden, not blaming him!