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some time ago before there were computerized games or electronic game arcades or plentiful pot, there was the "Three Stooges". They were the favorite escapist fun of kids of all ages, three guys who outwordly looked like grownups but acted like three year olds ...AND GOT AWAY WITH IT, TIME AND TIME AGAIN. Now, this is of course appealing to children who are frustrated by all the things their parents make them do: going to school, going to bed on time, eating your vegetables and so on ad infinitum. Now here were a trio of idiots who did just what they felt like doing - just what every kid would love to be able to do. Never go to school, stay up late, no more eating mashed potatos .. just eat deserts all the time.
Actually, Glenn Beck offers much the same message "I don't have to grow up if I don't want to." The appeal of NOT really confronting and dealing with problems is powerful. It would be nice if we could just stay comfortably dumb and not have to exercise our brains to deal with reality. This is appealing to kids of all ages. And it certainly has been successful for Beck.
Unfortunately, reality has a way of NOT going away. And problems persist and even get worse if we do not make a serious attempt to solve them, rather than pretend they will go away if we just act stupid enough, long enough. This dovetails nicely with one of the tactics of the GOP. Appeal to human beings tendency to wish we didn't have to confront problems and the persistent belief if we ignore problems maybe they will just go away.
To some people the Democrats are bothersome because the Dems keep bringing up things we need to work on to make our lives better and our nation stronger, in the process. But, it sometimes gives one a headache to have to think about this stuff, like health care reform, tax policies, and saving the nation from the Great Depression II - none of which are easy. Couldn't we just forget about these things and hope they will float away. That's the GOP message to people - That the Democrats are meddling in things that should just be left alone. Of course, "leaving things alone" get's you things like the Katrina disaster, the Deregulation Disaster, subverted elections (2000, 2004) and a war based on lies (instead of going after the guys who attaked us on 9-11). Wishing problems would go away get's you an illigitimate puppet and political prosecutions.
No, I don't think Moe, Larry and Curly ... and Glenn provide practical approaches to dealing with reality -- even if you want to believe you can remain a kid all your life. (the people you cede your responsibilies to may not have your best interests in mind once they take over and they usually demand a high price for your bailing on your grown-up responsibilities.)
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