Television bombards us with a starkly brutal version of reality. There is an alarming focus on deviant behavior and the acts of the mentally deranged minority of society. So powerful an slick are the dramatic portrayals of the most revolting human biographies that society is methodically being transformed by example into a working model for losers.
A bit over the top, that was taken from a pretty mediocre mid-80’s self-help book I picked up in a used book store. It was written prior to the advent of “Fox News,” “Sean Hannity,” “Real Housewives,” and the most revolting TV ever produced, MTV’s “Teen Mom.” These are the shows that inform the Teabag world view that the country is going to hell.
When Republicans spent the convention railing against unions, gays, women and Mexicans, they were simply following a programmed response to being manipulated into a high state of outrage. They can vote for Mitt Romney (who now says that Obama is going to remove “God” from our currency) to vent a bit of their carefully cultivated anger or they can do something that would have much more impact.
Turn off the TV.