Funny Bill Bennett story...

[KyuzoGator]

So I'm at the public library and I run into an acquaintance of mine. He's getting ready to check out, and he's holding "The Book of Virtues."

I take a look at the cover and say, "Hey, is that the same Bill Bennett who was the Drug Czar?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Yeah, I see him on TV all the time spouting off right-wing talking points. Did you know that he gambled away $8 million in Las Vegas?"

"No...."

"Yeah, and he also said that aborting all black babies would reduce crime!"

"Oh, that's bullshit."

"Nope, look it up if you want. Anyhow, that sure seems like a strange person to be writing books about virtues and morality, doesn't it?"

The guy put the book back on the shelf. Felt good.

[salin]

1. hehe

:thumbsup:

[MountainLaurel]

2. Good job!

:yourock:

When I was volunteering at the public library, there were so many times I wish I could say things like that. "Before you check that parenting book out, did you know that the tactics the author promotes have been known to lead to babies starving and failing to thrive?" "Did you know that the religious figure whose book you're about to check out recommends that fathers show their sons their penises so they'll grow up straight?"

[lisa58]

3. Nicely done

[TexasLawyer]

4. I have a couple copies

of "Virtue". Got them for $.50 each at the resale shop, along with many, many Rush Limbaugh books and a Reagan coffeetable book. They're in my garage in the "burn" pile-- kindling for my new outdoor fireplace.

Much cheaper than firewood. And so much more satisfying.

[Senator]

5. The lesson in the parable >>

There's a lesson to be take from this humorous incident regarding how to deal with the "unreachables." You know, the ones people spend so much time, effort, and emotion here on DU complaining about, marvelling at, and/or just generally being at a loss for how do deal with.

They're the belief people. They can believe anything they're told and can switch to believing the opposite in the blink of an eye. As knowledge people, many of us just don't get them. They can be frustrating to deal with, but this little story includes two methods that can be very effective at getting a useful interaction, one that at least nudges them in the direction of reality.

(Note: We knowledge people have the converse problem of thinking we can always "teach" someone into enlightenment -- that more information is always the solution.)

The first method is the "everybody knows something you don't" statement and attitude. As consumate followers, the belief people are terrified that they might not be a member of the largest group. Contrary to what they often proclaim (very, loudly and repetitively), they are not by nature the lone-wolf, against the tide individualists that they wish they were. It's all just self-deceptive bluster.

Second is personalization factor. Perhaps an artifact of racism, they require a personalized, good or evil judgement of a person as context for their opinions. This is why the bushkid could literally be filmed putting babies on spikes on the WH lawn and they would be able to rationalize it because he's a "good person," or worse yet a "good christian."

The old saying does hold true: "Great minds discuss ideas, mediocre minds discuss events, small minds discuss other people."

And while "small mindedness" does not necessarily make for a bad person, in these days of neofascist propaganda total coverage it too often does.

Keeping these things in mind can make it mush easier, and even fun, to deal with these intransigent types.

--
www.january6th.org

[KyuzoGator]

6. Kick nt

[Catherine Vincent]

7. LOL! You're lying. That can't be true.

Was he embarrassed? LOL!