Are the American people Sheep?

[bryant69]

Poll question: Are the American people Sheep?

What's your opinion.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[NoPasaran]

1. Baaa-aaah!

[bryant69]

2. Kick

[pampango]

3. I am glad that the MSM doesn't know that DU exists.

68% (as of now) of us think that Americans are stupid sheep. They could really go to town with that little bit of information.

All along I thought it was the RW that thought the American people were stupid idiots and treated them accordingly. (Maybe there is one thing that DU and the RW agree on.)

[wuushew]

7. Aren't you assuming a universal negative definition?

Xians go around calling themselves sheep all the time and seem happy.

It would foolish to deny that there is not some degree of herd mentality in American politics today.

At what point does something stop being truth and become an insult? What if I said "Most Americans are deficient in knowledge of geography and their antipathy towards learning about the subject disappoints me", would that be a truthful statement or a insult?

[bryant69]

8. Would you trust someone to advise you if they called you a sheep?

Bryant

[wuushew]

11. I would not welcome the welcome the label

But people are free to accept or reject labels given them.



Good animals?

Sharks
Wolves
Lions
Elephants


Bad Animals?

Apes
Insects
snakes
cetaceans
ruminants

[bryant69]

14. Does it make you feel smart to use the word cetacean?

So if I said "Hey Wuushew, you're a sheep, so trust me, I know what would be best for you." that would not be a persuasive arguement to you?

Bryant

[wuushew]

16. Why did you start this poll?

You have been here long enough to observe the numerous other posts on the "sheeple" topic.

Unless you steer the conversation towards unexplored areas of debate this topic will eventually degrade into a flamefest.

Since nothing new is being discussed I suspect this is a attempt to publicly deride a large majority of DU relative to your own more moderate views which you can rightfully show to be shared with a substantial number of people outside Democratic Underground.

Is that a correct assessment?

[bryant69]

19. You are not big on answering questions?

But yes of course you are right. I wouldn't use the word deride as that implies my only purpose is mockery. Rather I want people to rethink their position vis-a-vis the American people; our collective disdain for them hurts our chances to reach them and communicate with them.

I do appreciate how it is a "moderate" position to think well of the American people, particularly since in this case, I assume, "moderate" is code for vaguely conservative.

Bryant

[wuushew]

21. Answers

(A) I am ambivalent towards my choice of that word. It seemed to describe a great number of unique marine species without using an excessive number of words.

(B) No it would not be a persuasive argument to me. However you still have a chance to enhance this topic by discussing the degree and similarity of which by American citizens perceive slights. Why then was my question of the universal meaning of sheep inappropriate in my earlier post? By exploring it we can determine if the notion of sheep is as unappealing to me as it is the general public and if not what is the magnitude of the difference.

[bryant69]

23. hmmm

A - Whatever you say.

B - Maybe the American people are smart enough to figure out what we mean when we call them sheep. I don't think they are necessarily going to assume we are calling them sheep because we find them cuddly or in reference to the 23rd Psalm. When you or anybody at DU says that the American people are sheep or sheeple you mean that they are dim-witted and easily led. Pretending there are other possible meanings is disingenuous; of course there are other meanings, but the one you mean (and others here at DU) is dim-witted and easily led.

I'm reminded of one of the defenses of Ann Coulters indefensible comments recently - apparently on one of the call in shows somebody suggested that maybe Ann Coulter meant that he was a bundle of sticks, and until we know which one she meant we shouldn't jump down her throat.

Bryant

[wuushew]

25. Why did you omit your thesis from the first post?

Here we are 20+ posts into the topic and only now have you revealed that purpose of the poll was to provide a lecturing platform on the views Du'ers should have language and one should or should not use.

You are transparent, I see many things, I see plans with in plans. -Dune

[bryant69]

30. Because you get more discussion if you ask a question

Rather than make a statement.

Bryant

[WinkyDink]

4. No. We are sheople.

[Toucano]

5. Not sheep, lemmings. n/t

[verse18]

6. Not only are they sheep,

They LOVE being sheep. They WANT to be sheep and have someone led them. Consider the sheep/lambs role in Christianity and in the Bible. To be herded from place to place, exploited for their wool. And finally becoming food or a sacrifice. The allegory is very fitting even today.

One of the christians favorite verses begins "The Lord is my shepard."

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want;
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the
Lord forever.

Psalm 23

If sheep could pray, this would be it.

[MN ChimpH8R]

41. Roger Waters' take is a little more enlightened

;) ;)

The second verse seems to be a particularly accurate prediction of what Chimpolini's America has come to.

From Pink Floyd's Animals

Sheep (Waters)

Harmlessly passing your time in the grassland away;
Only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air.
You better watch out,
There may be dogs about
I've looked over Jordan, and I have seen
Things are not what they seem.

What do you get for pretending the danger's not real.
Meek and obedient you follow the leader
Down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel.
What a surprise!
A look of terminal shock in your eyes.
Now things are really what they seem.
No, this is no bad dream.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me down to lie
Through pastures green He leadeth me the silent waters by.
With bright knives He releaseth my soul.
He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places.
He converteth me to lamb cutlets,
For lo, He hath great power, and great hunger.
When cometh the day we lowly ones,
Through quiet reflection, and great dedication
Master the art of karate,
Lo, we shall rise up,
And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water.

Bleating and babbling I fell on his neck with a scream.
Wave upon wave of demented avengers
March cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream.

Have you heard the news?
The dogs are dead!
You better stay home
And do as you're told.
Get out of the road if you want to grow old.

[gollygee]

9. A certain percentage, around 30% it seems, believe whatever they are told

and follow Bush et al around no matter what happens, no matter what they do or say.

Those people could accurately be described as sheep.

[bryant69]

10. And a certain number of Leftists believe that Marxism would really work

If we just tried it one more time. Those people could accurately be described as sheep.

Bryant

[gollygee]

12. If they follow a Marxist around no matter what he says

and believe everything he says no matter how obvious it is that he's lying, then yes.

[Toucano]

29. Accurately be described as sheep? That simply doesn't make sense.

If I read "The Communist Manifesto" and "The Wealth of Nations" and conclude that Adam Smith is wrong how is that being herded like a sheep?

Rejecting the assumptions of the majority is not the action of a sheep.

[BoneDaddy]

13. I think most people

(not just American people) are sheep and give up freedom to be told what to do. We see it everywhere from the streets of Belfast to mosques in the middle east to the butchers in Darfur. People are more than willing to give up responsibility to be told what to do.

[PhilipShore]

15. They are mostly sheep

[TahitiNut]

17. Not "they." "WE"!

We The Sheeple.

It's a point of personal integrity and principle that I never exclude myself from opinions regarding groups of which I am a nominal member, such as "human beings" and "we the people." It would, I believe, be irresponsible to do so.

[robcon]

18. I am disgusted by DU in this case.

Our fellow citizens are not sheep. They act in their own perceived interest, IMO, and those who call them sheep forfeit any right to speak for, or to, the mass of Americans.

(I wish I could think of a more extreme word to describe those who think our nation is full of sheep. But disgusted will have to do.)

[Toucano]

27. I forfeit nothing! It's a free county and I calls 'em like I sees 'em.

"They act in their own perceived interest..."

And this is unlike sheep because...?

Their "perceived interest" is the same as being led by a shepherd or herded by a dog.

"Little lamb, little lamb! Look this way! See the shiny blade? The shiny blade is your FRIEND. It's in your interest to lay your neck across it."

I think your indignation masks your refusal to open your eyes.

[robcon]

31. So is your "perceived interest," Toucano.

Shall I call you a sheep because you perceive your interest different from others?

[kiteinthewind]

37. FYI!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2770527&mesg_id=2770572
:rofl:

[kiteinthewind]

34. You speak from a position of authority? Know any sheep? nt

:rofl:

[TahitiNut]

43. "The Lord is my Shepherd..."

:shrug:

[camero]

20. Sheep, yes. But not necessarily to the gov't.

We all bitch and moan about the gov't on one issue or another. Call it our internal debate on what gov't should be. The way we are sheep is to the corporations and the almighty dollar. Rant all you want, but if it were not true we would have already shut down the country and got what we needed in no time flat vis-a vis Poland by way of the Solidarity movement. The regular military Joes would refuse to serve in wars of conquest en masse thus negating even the thought of empire. As people, we generally follow the path of least resistance even though the path of least resistance is in acting in concert for real change.

[mnhtnbb]

22. Sheep are herd animals. There's protection from danger in the herd. Get split off

and you just might be a wolf's dinner.

People who blindly follow the herd are reacting to their fears. Fear of
isolation from community, fear of not knowing the right answer, fear of the unknown. They are insecure, which is why they adhere to the group.
For someone who is insecure, life is easier if you don't have to think about things, make decisions based upon conflicting information, or wonder whether you've made the right decision. Your group tells you what to think, what to do, who and what to approve/disapprove. It's just easier.

You have to feel sorry for these people They're afraid of life.

[Solly Mack]

24. I'm more of a koala

[BluePatriot]

26. I'm starting to come to a slightly modified conclusion

People aren't deliberately ignorant. It's scary, but a lot of people just can't comprehend all of this stuff through no fault of their own. Some people realize this and try to protect the public interest, and some people realize this and then "get" how easy things can be manipulated. It's up to us, the informed, to be good stewards of our country, even though the people around us may not get it or even like it or understand what the hell we care about, because we have to fight against those who manipulate our friends, families, co-workers, and neighbors. It's unrewarding at times but always the right thing to do.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

28. "All politics is local." One boss is like the other boss.

Most people's interest in politics is minimal and based on their own lives and the people they know. Americans are a notoriously incurious lot whose interest in the world stops at the borders. They worry about "government" and "politics" only when the "leaders" frighten them enough to pay attention.

They have even less interest in political philosophy. They are "Democrats" or "Republicans" or "Independents" and consider those labels as definitions of some sort. Many of the them vote in accordance with the labels they have established and that's the extent of their involvement. Many others vote in the elections much the same way they would vote in a beauty contest or dog show. And, of course, many don't bother to vote at all seeing government as, at best, a nuisance and politics as a bore and realize that they have little, if any, power to influence national policies.

Most are blindly "patriotic" and will respond to perceived threats (usually bogus) and flag waving with predictable nationalism.

The two main parties rely on the above to maintain their "base" and seek to "expand the base" by appealing to the other side by offering slightly different versions of the same policies or more "likable" candidates who play to their fears or desires more effectively.

Most people are content to surrender their constitutional freedoms because few ever exercise them. Most people don't demonstrate, protest, write, or challenge the government in any significant way, and if laws were passed forbidding them to do so (in the face of some "national emergency") they would gladly turn in their neighbors who dared break those laws.

We like to live under the illusion that this is a democracy. But, democracy requires the active participation of the people who have little interest in participating.

"Sheeple"? Not really. Just people who'd rather get on with their lives with as little interference and as little effort as possible.

[Labors of Hercules]

33. laziness.

Too many people are not willing to do anything to even find out what's in their OWN best interests, far less do what it takes to secure the best interest of anyone else. He holds his "beliefs" without even knowing why, while she throws out a constant stream of prejudices probably stemming from they way she was "brought up"...

How do you make people think? How to make them ask themselves the right questions...

[mmonk]

32. For the most part or our nation wouldn't be in this situation.

[gravity]

35. Everyone is a sheep but me

:evilgrin:

[Zensea]

36. Believing People are sheep is a right wing anti-democratic position essentially

when it comes right down to it.
Doesn't matter how much individuals try to dress it up as something different.
If people are sheep after all, one certainly wouldn't want them making any decisions about the country's political situation.

[Telly Savalas]

38. Well put.

[bryant69]

49. I would describe it as authoritarian

but not necessarily right wing or left wing; although most DU types don't see themselves as authoritarian.

Bryant

[Jim Sagle]

39. This poll is really a sheep shot.

[BlooInBloo]

40. Da sheep, boss! Da sheep!

[achtung_circus]

42. Sheep

http://www.adultsheepfinder.com/index.html

[mahmoud al_hazen]

44. The Answer...

What are you? Some kind of troublemaker?

[dEMOK]

45. Most of us are NOT sheep...

Most of us would rather lead the followers than follow the leaders.

[qnr]

46. Hmmm, more than 300,000,000 people, all individuals, that's all I'll say. n/t

[krispos42]

47. I don't know. Faux News hasn't told me how to feel about it yet

n/t

[wuushew]

48. kick

:kick: