Cargo Cults (continued)

The reason I'm having a hard time getting this train of thought out of the station is that the overarching theme may be a bit multiferous in its sources, pursuits, and ramifications. Perhaps by bulldozing all the exits, I'll finally be able to set the theater ablaze and yell "Fire!"

I'm sure whoever reads my thoughts must think that the overarching theme of my essays is that People are Just So Goddamn Fucking Dumb As All Hell Dip-shitily Moronically Idiotically Stupid. And I can understand how this impression could be arrived at. And I'm sure it all sounds overly negative and generally unhelpful in terms of prescribing soothing balms for the human condition.

But that's really not my intent. I would prefer, hopefully, to make my message "Hey, we are all smarter than this. These problems we have really aren't that hard. We can figure this out". In short, a message of hope, delivered, when necessary, via frying pan upside the head.

Yesterday, I described Cargo Cults, and then proceeded to bash on so-called Critical Thinkers. Specifically, Critical Thinkers with scare quotes around them. Self-proclaimed pundits and experts found on the Internet, in the media, print, radio, TV, etc.  who pretend to be critical thinkers. They may be fooling themselves in the process. But an extensive analysis of their arguments, and the rhetorical posturing and posing surrounding them, will show them to be frauds.

They may have, at one point or another,  been exposed to reasonably intelligent and rational adults, and come across the rules and regulations governing learned discussion, and studied the methods of discourse. And like Cargo Cultists, so think that, if they merely ape these behaviors, if they perform the rituals, the Manna of Intelligence will fall from the skies, and they shall be made smart. In other words, through a version of sympathetic magic, if these sad, stupid sorry dumbasses act as if they were college professors, they will be accepted as degreed professionals, and accorded all the deference and respect they think they deserve. The sadder thing is, quite a few of them are degreed professionals. But as my Old Man once said, on being exposed to a pea-brained pompous braying ass with a legitimate PhD, "Just goes to show you, any asshole can get a degree". 

God's Stinky Old Dentures, I see these assholes all the time. Especially, on the Internet, radio, and TV.

(More later)