"an educated, optimistic, well off population is harder to control"

[dixiegrrrrl]

Quote from Sicko.

[defendandprotect]

1. I missed that . . . I'll have to look for it when I watch the movie again . . .

I've read that that was the message the elites got from the 1960's revolutions . . .

too many people had too much money, too much free time, too much security!!!



BTW, Mike is making a new documentary -- on the wonders of capitalism -- !!!

Can't wait!!

[Number23]

2. Yep. Particularly that first adjective

[supernova]

3. Tony Benn is a treasure

Wish He was better known over here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Benn

[enlightenment]

4. He's my hero.

[supernova]

5. :)

:-)

One of mine too.

[jobycom]

6. Wish it were true.

History and recent events convince me that a well-off population is the easiest to scare, and thus the easiest to control. When you got nothin', you got nothin' to lose. When you have something, you'll give up power and freedom to keep it when it's threatened.

[conscious evolution]

9. I agree,to a point.

People fear loosing what they have and the more they have the more they fear losing it.

An educated population is harder to scare,though.However,if you can convince the educated that they are going to lose something you can control them also.

Unfortunately this country does not have well educated people.Smart people yes.WQe have plenty of them.Unfortunately the education system here has huge gaps in what is taught.And because of that we get the GIGO effect.

[upi402]

7. "Intellectuals" - the targets of rightist vitriol

and propaganda for a long long time.

Pol Pot slaughtered folks for wearing glasses because he thought these intellectuals may want a constitution. Like the neocons hate our constitution and propagandize against that as well.

Sickening.

[enlightenment]

18. A new book (set of book review essays) you might enjoy:

George Scialabba's "What Are Intellectuals Good For?"

I ordered my copy from Amazon and it's due to arrive on the 11th, so I can't comment on the individual essays - but I love Schialabba's take on most things, so I'm looking forward to this one.

A short review of the book, here:
http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/scialabba

[Doug.Goodall]

8. That is why the Republicans like religious fundamentalists so much

What are some of the tenet of right wing religions fundamentalists?

Intelligent design

Full trust in a supreme being

"you're all going to die in a pool of fire and brimstone"

The Republicans - party of the rich, party of control, and now the party of NO!

[Echo In Light]

10. George Carlin says the same in this clip: Who really controls America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGyObuH3WTY

"But there's a reason education sucks and will never get better - the real wealthy business interests who own this country... don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking"

[HughBeaumont]

11. The whole quote's here:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/HughBeaumont/44

[Soylent Brice]

14. just read your journal entry.

marvelous piece!

thanks for reposting!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Add my thanks...the full quote is wonderful, and so true.

When you look at all the pieces, it makes a "whole" lot of sense.

dumbing down education- check
removing the middle class wealth-check
Keep the population fearful-check
remove healthy foods-check

And, as you put it so well, Hugh..
"Taking orders and hoping for the best has been nothing but one fat epic FAIL for 95% of America for the past 45 or so years (especially in the last 28)."

So that makes a campaign based on HOPE a wee bit ironic, eh?

[Psychic Consortium]

12. That is why Obama is going to make sure Americans are educated and healthy.

Clean air, food, water, access to health care and education.
Many generations of children will thank him.

And they will be much less susceptible to manipulation by sociopathic leaders like Bush et al.

[Soylent Brice]

13. that one echoes in my brain all day long.

i keep that little nugget at the forefront of my brain every time i read the news. it helps to understand why those in power do what they do.

thank you for posting.

[The2ndWheel]

16. So that's why the wealthy get away with everything

It's tougher to bring them under the regulations of government, because they know the loopholes, they know they can get through the loopholes, and they have money and time to burn trying to get through the loopholes.

If more people were well educated, optimistic, and well off, how would government be able to function? If an increasing amount of people were more difficult to control, the government would be running around chasing more people all the time, with less time to actually do anything other than trying to control a more educated, optimistic, and well off population.

I actually think it works any way you slice it. People with more can be controlled easier, or not. People with less can be controlled easier, or not. People with just enough can be controlled easier, or not. It probably depends on the particular person in a particular place and time more than what they have.

[Quantess]

17. It's true.