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applegrove

(118,022 posts)
Tue Jan 5, 2016, 12:00 AM Jan 2016

Political Discourse is Getting Dangerously Anti-Intellectual - Image, Emotion and Lack Of Substance

Political Discourse is Getting Dangerously Anti-Intellectual

by David Niose at Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201512/political-discourse-is-getting-dangerously-anti-intellectual

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The simplistic vilification of foreigners is just one aspect of the Trump candidacy’s anti-intellectualism, a characteristic that also reveals itself through the rejection of civility and maturity—with comments about Carly Fiorina's appearance(link is external), the mocking of a reporter's physical disability(link is external), and a menstrual reference(link is external) while complaining about another reporter, to name just a few examples. It is a cultural and political milestone that voters have bestowed frontrunner status upon the man who declares his adversaries “losers” and “lowlifes.” Though the realm of politics has rarely been a noble profession in America, this kind of behavior by a leading candidate reflects low levels that few would have previously imagined.

But apparently such is the mindset of a huge swath of Americans today, in the Granite State and elsewhere. The unfortunate truth is that the political arena has become little more than another avenue of entertainment, perhaps best described for many as yet another of the endless image-oriented choices that accompany modern living, like our television tastes and our social media profiles. In America today, political choices might have more to do with one's personal image than any hope or expectation of shaping policy. If you're white, angry, and not particularly concerned about anyone who's not white and angry, Trump's your man. And you're not alone.

Not surprisingly, Lehigh reported(link is external) that Trump supporters repeatedly cited Fox News, which has been shown to be the news outlet with viewers who are the least informed(link is external), as their source for news and information. Trying to digest the Trump rally experience, Lehigh described the phenomenon this way: “Here you found yourself thinking that his campaign has been a match made in political heaven: a marriage between a consummate egotist aching to be seen as a hero and a credulous crowd hungry for a savior.”

That statement is poignant, because there can be no question that an anti-intellectual political environment is fertile ground for demagoguery. The simplicity of us-versus-them rhetoric, the cult of personality, the use of fear—it's all textbook(link is external), and it's starting to look familiar.



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Political Discourse is Getting Dangerously Anti-Intellectual - Image, Emotion and Lack Of Substance (Original Post) applegrove Jan 2016 OP
very good share Sniffles72 Jan 2016 #1
K&R! 2naSalit Jan 2016 #2
The Trump Factor world wide wally Jan 2016 #3
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