One common thread of many people's Facebook posts is the belief that media hype is the “name of the game,” regardless of the philosophical bent of the particular news outlet, and that it is somehow reflective of everyone. Many of them attribute "the inability to think" upon anyone who disagrees with them.
There are several arch conservatives on my Facebook page with whom I profoundly disagree, but who I think are intellectually honest and can "think."
However, what I find astounding is that many are unable to rationally think and understand that most political strategies present drawbacks. They are also unable to objectively view their candidate and current president, and they talk about him (Sir Donald) as if he were some paragon of purity and oracle of truth.
Any rational “thinking" human being (even those who agree with all of his positions and actions) can see that he is a deeply flawed human being, and that he spews out a constant stream of disinformation and contradictory messages. I would call them deliberate lies, at worst, or the product of a deranged mind, at best.
At the very least, "thinking" human beings must recognize this as either a deliberate strategy and acknowledge the lies, or a man who does not know how to communicate effectively. Usually, "thinking" human beings can figure out ways to more effectively communicate.
Moreover, what is legal is not always right; and what can be explained away, once or twice, cannot stand the light of day, when it happens every other day.
No, it isn't that our educational institutions are rife with liberalism and with those who cannot think. The problem lies in that our populace is riddled with those who resemble the gentleman who stood in front of me at a Check-Rite center taking out a quickie loan at 200 percent and praising President Trump’s virtues. These are people who seem to lack enough education to see the irrationality of getting a loan at 200 percent . . . people who seem to lack the wherewithal to recognize that some of the ridiculous things that President Trump does and says are devoid of any verity and lack propriety.
To the contrary, our educational institutions – including the one many Utahns hold dear to their hearts – are populated by those who do think and understand the long-term consequences of certain actions, inactions, and reactions. (For example, we can liken taking out loans at 200 percent to mortgaging our leadership, honesty, and propriety for short-term gains.) America’s big failure is that all political sides have overlooked the necessity to consider valid grievances, and to convey a clearer vision and message to the “other” sides, and to select a messenger who could serve them as their ally.
While President Trump is not the working class' ally, he was seen as such. Ivanka Trump said in her book, “Perception is more important than reality. If someone perceives something to be true, it is more important than if it is, in fact, true. This doesn't mean you should be duplicitous or deceitful, but don't go out of your way to correct a false assumption if it plays to your advantage.”
It's just too bad that the Trumps and their disciples often can't tell the difference between reality and perception. When they can, they don't see it as a virtue to go out of their way to correct the misconceptions they create, and give reality its due.
Loren M. Lambert © May 14, 2017
