Grabar

[joeallonby]

on 9/11/04 12:01 PM, sims at sims at ezpzapps.com wrote:

>> On Fri, 2004-09-10 at 14:19, John M. Krafft wrote:
>>> I happened to catch your message on the list about scoundrels. I'd
>>> say a good
>>> half or more of Americans (voters and otherwise) probably are scoundrels, or
>>> else are pathetically eager to be deceived, but then I'm a cynic. Jonathan
>>> Swift (in A Tale of a Tub) divides people into fools and knaves,
>>> which is even
>>> more cynical.
>> 
>> It's important to say in this regard that the ease with a large
>> proportion of the American electorate (or any electorate) can be
>> manipulated has nothing to do with patriotism or scoundrelism. Has to do
>> with propaganda, lack of attention, and alas in all to many cases
>> ignorance.
> 
> Emotions are what it is all about.
> 
> The manipulation of emotions through fear is how it gets done.
> 
> Ignorant, smart, sophisticated...are mostly irrelevant concepts/terms/words
> when it comes to emotions.
> 
> People who use logic, read the fine print in policy statements,
> understand complex systems,
> and almost any other analytical method and keep their emotions out of
> the equation are in the
> minority...at least that is my take on this. Emotions are like a
> programming "front script"
> which re-channels all activity coming in from the queue.
> 
> Ciao
> sims
> 
You can't separate morality from the electoral process. Morality is
emotional, not logical. Even if, just for example, Dubya's policy statements
made logical sense; I still couldn't vote for him because I have a visceral
reaction to his lack of respect for any human life that has already been
born, his disregard for the effect of his actions on others, and his
manipulation of religiosity. Even if his plans fit with my enlightened
self-interest, I cannot have innocent blood on my hands. That is a purely
emotional decision. He just makes the decision easier for me by being a
lying jackass.