For many years America has been sliding into a dark abyss...
... succumbing to the lowest common-denominator -- spurning intelligence for 'cool.'
As a result all areas of American life have changed, but not for the better. In fact, it is easier to be stupid than it is to become smart. And, unfortunately, America has embraced stupid.
Sarah Palin has somehow emerged at the vortex of this strange struggle -- this negative storm. Perceived by some to be the answer for this country's ills, she is, in fact, one of the causes.
This erosion was happening long before Palin burst onto the scene, but her presence has exposed the negative effects of the direction we've been heading for many years. The Palinization of America!
What exactly is Palinization?
As I define it, it is the culmination of many years of unfortunate decisions regarding child rearing -- ill-conceived self-image programs, rewarding mere participation, the alienization of punishment, and the emergence of political correctness.
It is the failure of the education system; the dumbing down of America.
It's the self-righteousness and vitriol of religious factions.
The loss of civility due, in-part, to an erosion of communication skills.
It's the lies of politicians and corporate executives. The slow decay of integrity and honesty.
it's unreality television.
And, it's an uninformed and ignorant electorate; partially the result of a deficient media.
The lowest common denominators.
This has never been in more evidence than the rise of Sarah Palin. She is neither enlightened nor learned, but that doesn't seem to deter her or those that have followed her example. This lack of intelligence or knowledge is not isolated to Palin. There is a growing number of people who have been elected or threaten to run for office that have little understanding of history, the Constitution, government, or the law. Most are lacking common sense.
Those include Michele Bachmann, Louis Gohmert, Marsha Blackburn, Thaddeaus McCotter, Virginia Foxx, Rick Santorum, the Donald, and many others -- each hysterically and Constitutionally challenged.
This affliction seems to be rooted in the Republican side of politics, and Sarah Palin is the queen. Her answers to even the simplest of questions posed are either absurd or insane; incoherent ramblings void of intelligent content, filled with incongruous and meaningless analogies.
But it is the journalist's failure to challenge her inane statements that offends my intelligence, and should be equally embarrassing to the journalist and to the country.
The mere implication that Palin, Bachmann, Santorum, or Trump might run for President is not only outrageous but weakens the political process.
America is facing a multitude of urgent problems that demand serious, intelligent, common sense solutions in order to put us back on the right track.
That will never occur with the characters currently chosen to lead the nation.
We are in grave need of stronger, more informed voices, but they're being drowned out by the Palins, Bachmanns, and the Tea Party. Until we elect smarter representatives we're destined to continue down this same destructive path.
The rise of the Tea Party is another example of the nation-wide decline. They are an easily agitated disorganized fringe movement driven by weak interpretations and misinformation. A group with no clear message or direction. Their misdirected anger and overblown representation is fading for good reason.
The best thing that could happen to this country would be the media reestablishing its integrity by ignoring Palin, Bachmann, Trump, and Santorum and concentrating on the legitimate candidates and issues. Quit being the Lame Stream Media and return to covering important meaningful issues instead of the Palinized platitudes used by insignificant candidates and the Tea Party. This would help restore the media's integrity and trustworthiness; something that is grossly lacking and eroding this democracy.
The media can then be part of the solution rather than the big part of the problem it has become.
In order to survive as a nation we must vehemently oppose the dumbing down that threatens our place in the world order.
We must aggressively challenge the unfortunate Palinization of America!