Fux News has brainwashed my mother-in-law...

[Ilsa]

thank god she doesn't vote.

But her cable company picked up Faux news about six months ago, and she likes watching the square-jawed white men of European descent blame every problem in the world on poor people, people of color, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, etc. Naturally, she's never had a handout or been pulled up from poverty by any govt help. :sarcasm:

And you can't talk to her about Bush's shortcomings because they don't discuss the propsed budget cuts in science, medicine, food programs, etc on Fux news. So they don't exist. IT's liberal clap-trap my husband is making up according to her.

I won't be able to stand being around her. I'll be staying away from her as long as possible.

Thank god she's never voted in her life.

[Maat]

1. I watched a total transformation (an unpleasant one).

My in-laws moved back to the Midwest about four years ago, and became zealous Southern Baptists. And Papa used to be an aerospace/mechanical engineer, and a big fan of science, needless to say. And now Papa is talking about how 'intelligent design' should be taught in every school.

My hubby (his son) burst out laughing when he said this, and Papa hung up the phone rather quickly after that.

So, I know of a similar transformation shall we say.

I believe they watch Faux News, although I would have to verify that.

[Ilsa]

4. Interesting. She also just joined (or rejoined) the Lutheran church.

I wonder how much of a connection there might be.

[Maat]

8. A big one if the church belongs to the "Missouri Synod."

That's the ultra-conservative branch, per my research (my kid had a teacher whose church was part of that administrative body, and who filled me in about it).

[Ilsa]

9. I looked them up, and yes, it is a LC-MS church. Yuck.

I bet she is clueless as to what they really believe in. I love my MIL, but she doesn't think critically about anything. She generalizes about everything based on her limited personal experience. The sad part is that she loves to argue, and then she gets offended when the fallacies are her arguments are become apparent. I won't argue with her because she has a way of turning vicious, so my husband argues with her. He is taking the kids over there today. I'm staying home because I don't feel like keeping mute around her stupid commentaries.

[Maat]

12. I completely empathize.

Last time I saw them, we met in Las Vegas. I just let Hubby, Beloved Daughter, and the Grandparents go on a drive to the mining/wild-burro town in Arizona. I stayed behind in the hotel, studying (that's another story).

Everything went well, for I only had to see them at mealtimes, and a couple of their friends had also come along (to shield them from me, no doubt); I just talked to those friends.

[tenshi816]

10. FOX and the Southern Baptist Church

turned my family into fanatical Bushbots. Because I only get to see them every year or two, the transformation was shocking to me. They went from being completely non-political to working for Junior's 2004 campaign, and they don't see through his facade.

My stepmother has always had the potential for being a wild-eyed winger, and FOX and her minister just hurried the process along. My dad has seen the error of his ways somewhat, but as far as I'm concerned FOX and RW religious nutjobs have a lot to answer for. I dread visiting my family now.

[Maat]

13. I empathize - because, as stated above, I went through ..

the same experience!

[screembloodymurder]

2. They're brainwashing millions.

Americans can't think for themselves.

[tenshi816]

11. Brainwashing, that's right.

My dad thinks I exaggerate when I use that word, but then he would because he's one of the brainwashed. I still have hope that he'll come into the light one day though. If he continues to be screwed around getting his heart meds, it may be sooner than I think.

[tsuki]

3. Please tell her that Al-Falafel News is owned in large part by

the Saudis (Prince Alwaleed) who can pick up the phone and direct Rupert to change headlines on Al-Falafel News anytime he wants. Those are square-jawed white men of European descent who take their VERY LARGE paycheck pimping propaganda for the Saudis. It usually works for me, and if the person is a bit hesitant, I throw in that 14 of the 19 911 high-jackers were identified as Saudis.

[Ilsa]

5. Thanks. I was unaware of the ownership. I'll need to look for

some proof to back it up because she only trusts in God and Faux news, and not in that order.

On edit: I just pronted off reports from two sources. Very interesting. Thanks again.

[tsuki]

7. Here's some.

http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2005/09/prince_alwaleed.html

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Saudi_prince_increases_stake_in_Murdoch_0906.html

http://www.gnn.tv/forum/thread.php?id=10891

http://www.newscorp.com/news/news_079.html

[Cosmocat]

6. God love my mother ...

My mom is a lifelong democrat, even was marginally involved in the party in our county years ago ...

She has always been a little loopy, and at 69 is a lot closer to Alzheimers than not ...

She hates every single cell of Bushco ... BUT, has increasingly started to vent about how the democratic party has let her down ... She has absolutely NO respect for Howard Dean ...

I try to tell her that he is one of the good guys, that he speaks from the heart, and truth to power, and we need that more now than ever ... BUT, she says he is a raging lunatic, and that it is just so unproffessional how he always just "goes off" ...

BTW ... After being a rabid CNN watcher during the 90s, she flipped over to Fox News four years ago ...

THIS is why the whole Fox thing is a problem ... As long as they are able to tag themselves as a "news" channel, they will pull the weak minded toward the right in a large margin ...

My mom won't ever vote republican, but they have driven a wedge into her and her party ... THAT is just as harmful ...

[wildeyed]

14. Come to find out, my in-laws having been watching Fox, too.

Literally made my husband cry. He had a heart-to-heart with them before the election. Told them he loved them and he thought the policies of BushCo ran counter to the values they had taught him as a child. You know, stuff like honesty and fiscal responsibility. They just rolled their eyes. Turns out they have been watching Fox exclusively, so they probably don't know any better. My FIL now listens to Rush, too.

As an outsider, my feeling is these are two fearful, amazingly un-curious and somewhat lazy people. Fox reinforces their prejudices. That is more important to them than the truth or their grand children's future. Sad.

[Ilsa]

15. My Father in law watches, but is apolitical.

He's a retired, former Special Forces guy that took 3 tours to Vietnam. As he says, "Foc tells you exactly what you want to hear." I assume he means that they tell people W is taking care of them and protecting them and he's such a good X-tian man that God would never take out his anger upon us. People want to hear that their govt is good and not dishonest and that everything is okay.