My local bookstore's most prominent display consists of eight sections, each three feet wide, featuring new arrivals. Starting at the left, in alphabetical order are seven sections featuring fiction. The remaining single section features non-fiction.
Looking at that display, I had an epiphany, confirmed by the bookstore owner. They display in proportion to what the public buys. Seven to one in favor of fiction.
The public prefers fiction. The epiphany: This explains the popularity of the right-wing pundits, politicians and presidential hopefuls.
There's a reason for this. Fiction is simplistic, easy to understand, can be shaped to fit any desired result, and by definition has no need for tedious support, such as evidence or facts.
The article here on OpEdNews by Mr. Becker makes a very good point: Needed: A Disruptive Donald On the Left. The pictures of Trump and Palin accompanying the article are of the two most popular, disruptive figures from the right-wing.
They also happen to be the most popular for the right-wing precisely because of their fictionalizing, more accurately called lying. They have a statistical popularity advantage of seven to one, based on the popularity ratio of fiction to non-fiction.
The problem with getting a liberal/progressive figure for the left is that it would be hard if not impossible to find anyone who is willing to lie so enthusiastically, so whole-heartedly, and with such fictional conviction. Whoever it might be would start off with a one to seven disadvantage.
One way to get around this disadvantage without outright lying about things is just to re-phrase the issues. What is liberal and what is conservative is entirely subjective. Your liberal policy can be my conservative policy. It's just a matter of interpretation for each person.
So, here's what we do. We have all the Democrats, all the liberal pundits, politicians and our one and only President and presidential hopeful start referring to conservative issues as liberal and referring to liberal issues as conservative.
Governor Walker's union suppression is a liberal conspiracy. Paul Ryan's attempt to do away with Medicare/Medicaid is a liberal conspiracy. The cuts to programs that help the poor, the sick, the old are all a liberal conspiracy. So are tax cuts for the rich and the corporations.
They're all liberal/progressive programs, abhorred and detested by the right.
Likewise, Social Security is a conservative, right-wing program. So is universal health care and so is it's closest alternative, the public health option and the Affordable Care Act. Reducing taxes for the rich and corporations are both right-wing, conservative issues.
The beautiful thing about this is that the right-wing, the Republicans and the base of their ideology, the Tea Partiers, evaluate everything by the label it carries. If it's labeled right-wing, they'll be for it. If it's labeled left-wing, they'll be against it.
Almost all of the right-wing and the Tea Partiers will buy it because they never read any further than the label. The left-wing, liberal/progressives will not be fooled, because they are literate, can read and write, and will know what's actually in those programs. They'll get it.
I know, sounds hopeless. But, you'd be surprised how effective it would be when the label is changed on those on the right who only go by labels.
The right hears only what it wants to hear, so let's give it to them. Then, we have the seven to one advantage without having to lie about it.
Looking at that display, I had an epiphany, confirmed by the bookstore owner. They display in proportion to what the public buys. Seven to one in favor of fiction.
The public prefers fiction. The epiphany: This explains the popularity of the right-wing pundits, politicians and presidential hopefuls.
There's a reason for this. Fiction is simplistic, easy to understand, can be shaped to fit any desired result, and by definition has no need for tedious support, such as evidence or facts.
They also happen to be the most popular for the right-wing precisely because of their fictionalizing, more accurately called lying. They have a statistical popularity advantage of seven to one, based on the popularity ratio of fiction to non-fiction.
The problem with getting a liberal/progressive figure for the left is that it would be hard if not impossible to find anyone who is willing to lie so enthusiastically, so whole-heartedly, and with such fictional conviction. Whoever it might be would start off with a one to seven disadvantage.
One way to get around this disadvantage without outright lying about things is just to re-phrase the issues. What is liberal and what is conservative is entirely subjective. Your liberal policy can be my conservative policy. It's just a matter of interpretation for each person.
So, here's what we do. We have all the Democrats, all the liberal pundits, politicians and our one and only President and presidential hopeful start referring to conservative issues as liberal and referring to liberal issues as conservative.
Governor Walker's union suppression is a liberal conspiracy. Paul Ryan's attempt to do away with Medicare/Medicaid is a liberal conspiracy. The cuts to programs that help the poor, the sick, the old are all a liberal conspiracy. So are tax cuts for the rich and the corporations.
They're all liberal/progressive programs, abhorred and detested by the right.
Likewise, Social Security is a conservative, right-wing program. So is universal health care and so is it's closest alternative, the public health option and the Affordable Care Act. Reducing taxes for the rich and corporations are both right-wing, conservative issues.
The beautiful thing about this is that the right-wing, the Republicans and the base of their ideology, the Tea Partiers, evaluate everything by the label it carries. If it's labeled right-wing, they'll be for it. If it's labeled left-wing, they'll be against it.
Almost all of the right-wing and the Tea Partiers will buy it because they never read any further than the label. The left-wing, liberal/progressives will not be fooled, because they are literate, can read and write, and will know what's actually in those programs. They'll get it.
I know, sounds hopeless. But, you'd be surprised how effective it would be when the label is changed on those on the right who only go by labels.
The right hears only what it wants to hear, so let's give it to them. Then, we have the seven to one advantage without having to lie about it.
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