I read something on Facebook about rape culture today that for some reason hit me in a way that has me pretty shaken. It was a letter written by a woman explaining her experiences as a woman and the fear a lifetime of abuse at the hands of men has created in her. The thing that stood out to me most is the sheer volume of incidents she described and I kept telling myself this isn't every woman's experience, and it isn't, but it is way to common for me to pretend it only happens to a few women. I also wanted to tell myself I am not part of this problem, that I treat women better than that. I wish I could say that and not feel the voice inside me whispering that while I may not be a rapist and I can't recall forcing a woman to perform a sexual act for me, I can't claim complete innocence either.
I have allowed my gaze to linger on a woman to long, I have used my intimidating appearance to intimidate women, I have treated women like sex objects, and I have far to often viewed women as weak and helpless needing my male strength and protection to keep them safe from the cruel world. I have done these things and I have to fess up. I have to finally look into that horrible mirror of self reflection and see the monster for what the monster is. I don't feel very good about myself or my actions right now, and i shouldn't!
I shouldn't feel good about the way I have treated so many women. I shouldn't feel like it was okay for me to manipulate and intimidate women into bed with me, I shouldn't feel like it was okay for me to not listen to a no and "work on her" until she said yes. I shouldn't feel good about leering at women, treating women like their only role was to fulfill my sexual needs. All those things are wrong and I need to accept that I am not the heroic champion of women simply because I say things like "women are people too" or "A woman has the same rights as a man." Popping off a couple of hip phrases so I can look good does not in any way excuse my actions. In fact I don't really have any excuse for my actions.
I could make excuses, after all I have been hearing them my whole life. I have heard things like "They like it when a guy takes charge" or "You can't help it, your a guy." or "Men have been designed to be this way through evolution.". Not only have men said these kind of things like this, women have as well, but that still doesn't excuse me from my actions because I have known better for a while now and I still do it!
Every day I ogle women, every day I look at women as sexual objects, every day I expect women to take a subservient role to me for no other reason than I was born with a penis. In short, I promote rape culture every single day while I happily rage against it on facebook and around my friends. Every single day I promote rape culture when I fall into chatting with my friends about "How hot she looked in that short skirt" or "I would like to take that into my bedroom" (notice the "that" like she isn't even human). Sure I don't say "I want to go up and drag her into my room and rape her." I am not a rapist, but rape culture isn't just about the rapist. Rape culture is about how our society treats women and enables rapists and that is the message I never heard.
Not only did I not understand the message, I honestly felt I wasn't part of the problem. I have daughters and I tell them every day they are just as good as any man. I have a wife and I show her respect and love, I surely can't be one of these horrible ass holes promoting something like rape culture. Oh how I love to deceive myself, oh the ways our minds work to keep us from fessing up to a truth that is right in front of us. So here I am fessing up.
I am sure I have more than one person reading this and going "wow what an asshole!" and judging me. However, before you get all self righteous on me and pretend that I haven't seen you do the same stuff I have done. Before you get all sanctimonious and pretend just because your a woman you haven't contributed to the problem, slap yourself and take a much harder look at yourself than you have been. If your angry right now it's not because I am wrong, it's because you know I am right and you absolutely hate to admit that to yourself. I get it, but that doesn't mean you get a free pass here.
I am tired of free passes. I get a lot of those because I am a straight white cis male. I get passes for all kind of things women and minorities are judged for every single damn day of their lives. I can't stop being straight, white, cis, or male, I can't revoke my privilege. However, what I can do is use that privilege to spread the message that we need to end rape culture. We need to quit making excuses for men and their bad behavior. We need to quit pretending we are not part of the problem simply because "I am not a rapist!". Again rape culture isn't just about the rapist, it's about a culture that enables a rapist to begin with.
I don't know the best way to go about this and I know I am going to make mistakes. However, as with any problem the first thing you have to do is admit you have one. So there you have it, I have fessed up my part in rape culture. I have decided I will try to make myself a better person. I just hope that other people do the same thing.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Thursday, October 29, 2015
The CNBC Republican Debate (or Don't Ask Me that Question it's Biased!)
While I know it may not be trendy to give the other side serious consideration in today's political landscape, I watched the Republican debate and have to say it was informative. It was refreshing to see the Republican candidates talk about issues and policy instead of mudslinging on each other. One thing I did notice was a tendency to go after the tried and true screams of "Liberal Media Bias!" whenever a tough question was asked and while I know this reflects well for the base, once they get out beyond the primaries they are going to have to come up with a better answer.
While I could probably go on forever about each candidate, I only have so much space and time to write so I figured the best way to give a review of last night would be to rank the candidates on how I thought they did. I am not ranking them according to any poll, I am ranking them based on how I feel they did.. Starting with last going to first let the rankings begin!
Mike Huckabee - I am not a huge fan of Huckabee because quite honestly I just don't trust zealots in government. However, one thing I do like about this guy is he is honest and willing to say what he believes instead of what you want to hear. While I won't ever see eye to eye with him, I do respect him I just don't know if I want him near the White House.
When it comes to the debate last night I can't really say he made much of an impression on me. While he had a few moments and I even cheered him on when he defended Social Security, he really wasn't in the mix enough to do much for his chances of getting noticed. Huckabee needed to really show up last night but other than a few moments you could easily forget he was even on stage.
John Kasich - While Kasich is the most realistic candidate on either side, he doesn't do much to earn points among the Republican base. I think he would make a good president but he is running a campaign that appeals to moderate conservatives and that is going to hurt him in the long run. This is sad because out of all the candidates on either side, I really think he would offer the country the best chance at actually getting anything done.
When it comes to his debate performance last night I was excited to see him coming out of the gate swinging but aside form that he didn't show much of a spark. I think the big problem is that right now the base of his party has zero interest in compromise and given the fact he is a moderate, I just don't see how long he can stay in the race.
Ted Cruz - I have a hard time listening to Cruz say anything and not feel like he is trying to sell me a used car for a new car price. I don't know if it is his hair cut or what but he has always made me feel like I am watching a con man at work. I wish I could say last night made me feel differently, but it didn't. While I like the surface of his tax plan I felt he spent a lot of his time last night talking about how he "also had that idea".
I think overall Cruz had a fairly solid debate, but he didn't show me anything special. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets his turn as a front runner sooner or later, but until he finds a way to loose that used car salesman vibe I don't know how far he will actually get.
Jeb Bush - For a guy who was supposed to be the establishment choice, Bush seems to have a hard time actually being seen. I am writing this the night after and I almost forgot he was even on stage. Some of this is because the guy is understated, but some of it is that he represents the establishment a bit to much right now, and the Republican base is about done with the establishment at this point.
I think out of everyone he did the least to advance himself. In fact out of all the candidates he was really the only one to get blown out of the water by another candidate. Instead of attacking Rubio he should have kept is mouth shut. In the end Jeb may actually be one of the better qualified people running but he has to do something to be less invisible or he won't last much longer.
Rand Paul - I have never been shy about my admiration for Rand Paul. In a career that is filled with liars and crooks he is one of the few that has managed to maintain his integrity. Out of all the Republicans he is the only one that actually means limited government when he talks about small government. Out of all the Republicans he is the only one that means hands out of everyone pocket when he talks tax breaks and tax plans. If I didn't disagree with him on a few major issues I would likely be campaigning for the guy.
With that said, I have to admit he didn't really show me much in last nights debate. There were a lot of times he kind of sat there on the edge of the stage not really saying or doing much of anything. While I admire his actions as a gentleman, if he is going to get his message out he is going to have to get out there and take some of the light for himself.
Carly Fiorina - Caly Fiorina would probably be a front runner if she were a male when you realize that compared to everyone else on that stage, she actually had the most substance to her issues and policies. While I personally don't like her involvement with the Big Corps and am skeptical on how much her version of "deregulation" would actually benefit the middle class, she at least has a plan.
I think she did well in the debate last night, but she didn't do enough to get people to really take notice. Unfortunately it's a fact that unless you are She who has been Anointed, if you are a woman, you have to balance sounding strong with not coming across as a shrew. Sad, because honestly I think if she could take off the gloves, she would show the boys club she has just as much vim and vigor as they do.
Chris Christie - I really believe if Christie had been in the picture in '08 he would have had a real shot at the White House. Unfortunately I think he is a bit late and has to much of a record of compromise to win the Republican nod today. I like his energy and fire but his views on security leave me a bit worried about a police state.
As far as his debate performance, I think he had one of the best moments in the entire debate when he went after the moderators about talking about fantasy football instead of real issues. While I dig Christie a lot, in the end I just don't think he did enough to separate himself from the pack.
Marco Rubio - I tell you something, if we were back in '08 I think Rubio would have been the best thing the Republican party could have thrown against Obama. This guy has some serious charisma and what he has to say really resonates with a lot of Americans. I love the guys rhetoric but sadly, he doesn't have as much substance as I would like. Give this guy a few more years though and I bet he makes a real run for the White House.
Out of the ten candidates on stage last night I think Rubio did the most to help himself. He started out with using Jeb Bush to mop the floor then stood in there and went blow for blow against the moderators. While I don't think he is going to be the last man standing this election cycle, I do think he is going to be around a bit longer than most. Hell, if he does manage to grab the nomination I might just vote for the guy.
Ben Carson -I actually like Carson as a person even if some of his views are a bit out there. As a presidential candidate though not so sure I would be getting behind him. One of the things that kind of bugs me about him is he is all kinds of anti government hand out, yet he got to where he is by using government hand outs. This kind of thing always bugs me for some reason.
As far as the debate goes, I think he did a great job. The only thing I didn't like was him avoiding the question about manatech. He said he didn't have any involvement with them when he actually did. Not only that but he then hid behind the "liberal bias!" shield Republicans like to use any time the facts go against what they said. I think Dr. Carson would have been much better served had he said "I was involved with them to a limited extent, I use their product, can we get back to something that matters please".
Donald Trump - If there is a candidate that has ever caused me more confusion than Trump I am unable to remember them. On one hand this guy says some of the stupidest things on the planet, he really does. On the other his record as a businessman, philanthropist, and hard worker can't be denied. There is a lot I agree with the Donald on but at the same time, I can't quite over past some of the horrible things he said when he first entered the race.
As far as last night goes.. While I don't know if there was a "winner" I do think Trump did well and sounded a lot more sane and a lot more like the Trump I like and admire than he has before. I don't know if he is going to stay on the top of the pile for the whole ride, but he does make the pile more interesting.
While I could probably go on forever about each candidate, I only have so much space and time to write so I figured the best way to give a review of last night would be to rank the candidates on how I thought they did. I am not ranking them according to any poll, I am ranking them based on how I feel they did.. Starting with last going to first let the rankings begin!
Mike Huckabee - I am not a huge fan of Huckabee because quite honestly I just don't trust zealots in government. However, one thing I do like about this guy is he is honest and willing to say what he believes instead of what you want to hear. While I won't ever see eye to eye with him, I do respect him I just don't know if I want him near the White House.
When it comes to the debate last night I can't really say he made much of an impression on me. While he had a few moments and I even cheered him on when he defended Social Security, he really wasn't in the mix enough to do much for his chances of getting noticed. Huckabee needed to really show up last night but other than a few moments you could easily forget he was even on stage.
John Kasich - While Kasich is the most realistic candidate on either side, he doesn't do much to earn points among the Republican base. I think he would make a good president but he is running a campaign that appeals to moderate conservatives and that is going to hurt him in the long run. This is sad because out of all the candidates on either side, I really think he would offer the country the best chance at actually getting anything done.
When it comes to his debate performance last night I was excited to see him coming out of the gate swinging but aside form that he didn't show much of a spark. I think the big problem is that right now the base of his party has zero interest in compromise and given the fact he is a moderate, I just don't see how long he can stay in the race.
Ted Cruz - I have a hard time listening to Cruz say anything and not feel like he is trying to sell me a used car for a new car price. I don't know if it is his hair cut or what but he has always made me feel like I am watching a con man at work. I wish I could say last night made me feel differently, but it didn't. While I like the surface of his tax plan I felt he spent a lot of his time last night talking about how he "also had that idea".
I think overall Cruz had a fairly solid debate, but he didn't show me anything special. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets his turn as a front runner sooner or later, but until he finds a way to loose that used car salesman vibe I don't know how far he will actually get.
Jeb Bush - For a guy who was supposed to be the establishment choice, Bush seems to have a hard time actually being seen. I am writing this the night after and I almost forgot he was even on stage. Some of this is because the guy is understated, but some of it is that he represents the establishment a bit to much right now, and the Republican base is about done with the establishment at this point.
I think out of everyone he did the least to advance himself. In fact out of all the candidates he was really the only one to get blown out of the water by another candidate. Instead of attacking Rubio he should have kept is mouth shut. In the end Jeb may actually be one of the better qualified people running but he has to do something to be less invisible or he won't last much longer.
Rand Paul - I have never been shy about my admiration for Rand Paul. In a career that is filled with liars and crooks he is one of the few that has managed to maintain his integrity. Out of all the Republicans he is the only one that actually means limited government when he talks about small government. Out of all the Republicans he is the only one that means hands out of everyone pocket when he talks tax breaks and tax plans. If I didn't disagree with him on a few major issues I would likely be campaigning for the guy.
With that said, I have to admit he didn't really show me much in last nights debate. There were a lot of times he kind of sat there on the edge of the stage not really saying or doing much of anything. While I admire his actions as a gentleman, if he is going to get his message out he is going to have to get out there and take some of the light for himself.
Carly Fiorina - Caly Fiorina would probably be a front runner if she were a male when you realize that compared to everyone else on that stage, she actually had the most substance to her issues and policies. While I personally don't like her involvement with the Big Corps and am skeptical on how much her version of "deregulation" would actually benefit the middle class, she at least has a plan.
I think she did well in the debate last night, but she didn't do enough to get people to really take notice. Unfortunately it's a fact that unless you are She who has been Anointed, if you are a woman, you have to balance sounding strong with not coming across as a shrew. Sad, because honestly I think if she could take off the gloves, she would show the boys club she has just as much vim and vigor as they do.
Chris Christie - I really believe if Christie had been in the picture in '08 he would have had a real shot at the White House. Unfortunately I think he is a bit late and has to much of a record of compromise to win the Republican nod today. I like his energy and fire but his views on security leave me a bit worried about a police state.
As far as his debate performance, I think he had one of the best moments in the entire debate when he went after the moderators about talking about fantasy football instead of real issues. While I dig Christie a lot, in the end I just don't think he did enough to separate himself from the pack.
Marco Rubio - I tell you something, if we were back in '08 I think Rubio would have been the best thing the Republican party could have thrown against Obama. This guy has some serious charisma and what he has to say really resonates with a lot of Americans. I love the guys rhetoric but sadly, he doesn't have as much substance as I would like. Give this guy a few more years though and I bet he makes a real run for the White House.
Out of the ten candidates on stage last night I think Rubio did the most to help himself. He started out with using Jeb Bush to mop the floor then stood in there and went blow for blow against the moderators. While I don't think he is going to be the last man standing this election cycle, I do think he is going to be around a bit longer than most. Hell, if he does manage to grab the nomination I might just vote for the guy.
Ben Carson -I actually like Carson as a person even if some of his views are a bit out there. As a presidential candidate though not so sure I would be getting behind him. One of the things that kind of bugs me about him is he is all kinds of anti government hand out, yet he got to where he is by using government hand outs. This kind of thing always bugs me for some reason.
As far as the debate goes, I think he did a great job. The only thing I didn't like was him avoiding the question about manatech. He said he didn't have any involvement with them when he actually did. Not only that but he then hid behind the "liberal bias!" shield Republicans like to use any time the facts go against what they said. I think Dr. Carson would have been much better served had he said "I was involved with them to a limited extent, I use their product, can we get back to something that matters please".
Donald Trump - If there is a candidate that has ever caused me more confusion than Trump I am unable to remember them. On one hand this guy says some of the stupidest things on the planet, he really does. On the other his record as a businessman, philanthropist, and hard worker can't be denied. There is a lot I agree with the Donald on but at the same time, I can't quite over past some of the horrible things he said when he first entered the race.
As far as last night goes.. While I don't know if there was a "winner" I do think Trump did well and sounded a lot more sane and a lot more like the Trump I like and admire than he has before. I don't know if he is going to stay on the top of the pile for the whole ride, but he does make the pile more interesting.
So there you have it, my take on the latest Republican debate. In the end I think that the candidates handled themselves well and was glad to see an issue focused discussion instead of a bunch of name calling and mud slinging. People need to keep in mind that it is very possible one of these ten people will be our next president and knowing what they are saying now will help you decide on your vote in the future.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
A Thought on the War on Terror...
Saw this on Facebook earlier this evening and it got me to thinking a bit about a few things. However, before I get to involved in telling you all about that, I want to make a few things clear. First, I don't like war. I find war is about the biggest waste of life, money, and resources in the history of humanity and seldom gains us anything. Second, I think we could have avoided a lot of the problems we have today if we would have never stuck our noses in where it really didn't belong. Third, I do believe that there are times when war is necessary. Please keep these in mind.
As I said, I don't like war and I seldom think it is the right answer. However, there are times when war is really the only option we have. While I wish I could go back in time and undo the things we did to get involved, I can't, and this means I have to look at what is, not what I wish was. The fact is that right now Isis presents a very real danger. I know there are some that think this danger is only about Iraq, but they would be wrong.
The thing is, that yes, right now Isis is really only active in Iraq. However, if they gain victory there imagine what that will do for the other terrorist organizations that already have taken action against us. Imagine what a group of extremists actually winning that war over in the middle east would do for nations such as Iran. It's not a good thing.
I wish I had a better answer than war but right now I just don't see one. I really think the only way to deal with Isis is to take off the gloves and just let them have it. I don't like the thought of the toll that will raise. I don't like the thought of how many of my country people have to die in the doing. However, what I like less than that is the thought of another 9/11 or an even more aggressive Iran.
War is ugly, war is hell, war sucks but the only way to win war is to completely commit to destroying the enemy completely. If you look at world history you will know the truth in this. I wish the radicals were reasonable people I wish that we had never started messing around over there, but I also wish there was a cure for cancer. None of those things are going to happen right now and this means we have to choose one super ugly option.
Maybe, just maybe, if we do enough damage to them, maybe if we cost ourselves enough money, maybe then we can look at other options. However, until both sides are willing to see reason, the only choice we really have is complete and total devastation of the enemy.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
What is the Proper Role of Government?
Government, there might not be a word that inspires more opinion or passion as this single word. What is it about the concept of government that inspires so much emotion? Why does the idea of government cause so many people to spend so much time and energy trying to understand its place and function in our world?
The answer is pretty self evident when you think about it. We spend so much time trying to understand the role of government because government has a great deal of influence in our lives. While there are some people that would say you can have a world without government, most people seem to want at least some government in their lives. Yet, while many people agree that government is a benefit, there is a great deal of argument over exactly what government should and shouldn't do. Look at the evening news or your face book page and you will see that there are as many views on what the government should look like and what it shouldn't do. While they may not realize it, most people are arguing about one simple question. What is the proper role of government?
Whenever I think about this question, as an American I think about the first three words in the Constitution, we the people. These three words truly do sum up what the role of government should be in the United States. Like Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address our government is of the people, by the people, for the people and it shouldn't be any other way. In other words, the proper role of government is exactly what we the people decide it is, and we decide what it is through the democratic process of voting.
Is a government by the people a perfect thing? No, people are not perfect and their government won't be either. However, I would much rather live in a nation where I have a voice in what my government is and what my government isn't than to live in a nation where laws are made without my say so. Does this mean I always get things the way I want them? No, but it does mean I have a voice either way and that is better than not being allowed a voice.
In the end, I really do believe that the proper role of government is whatever we decide it is. While this doesn't always make people happy, it does hold to the spirit in which our country was founded, and that is to create a country in which the people determine the course of their government.
The answer is pretty self evident when you think about it. We spend so much time trying to understand the role of government because government has a great deal of influence in our lives. While there are some people that would say you can have a world without government, most people seem to want at least some government in their lives. Yet, while many people agree that government is a benefit, there is a great deal of argument over exactly what government should and shouldn't do. Look at the evening news or your face book page and you will see that there are as many views on what the government should look like and what it shouldn't do. While they may not realize it, most people are arguing about one simple question. What is the proper role of government?
Whenever I think about this question, as an American I think about the first three words in the Constitution, we the people. These three words truly do sum up what the role of government should be in the United States. Like Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address our government is of the people, by the people, for the people and it shouldn't be any other way. In other words, the proper role of government is exactly what we the people decide it is, and we decide what it is through the democratic process of voting.
Is a government by the people a perfect thing? No, people are not perfect and their government won't be either. However, I would much rather live in a nation where I have a voice in what my government is and what my government isn't than to live in a nation where laws are made without my say so. Does this mean I always get things the way I want them? No, but it does mean I have a voice either way and that is better than not being allowed a voice.
In the end, I really do believe that the proper role of government is whatever we decide it is. While this doesn't always make people happy, it does hold to the spirit in which our country was founded, and that is to create a country in which the people determine the course of their government.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Why Conservatives Hate Liberals and Liberals Hate Conservatives Part 4: Why it's Getting Worse, Facts as Bias
Facts as Bias:
Facts are weird little things. While they infer the idea of truth and are in fact true, they can be used to present information in a bias way. In fact the media on both sides has gotten really good at doing this. Every day I stumble across facts that are used to disguise bias and just like everyone else I fall for them. This does not mean that facts are not useful, they are. What it does mean is that you have to be careful of how facts are being used. Below I will give an example of how this is done.
The above picture shows information on how gerrymandering works. However, while it shows how gerrymandering works it doesn't tell the entire story of gerrymandering in our country. In fact it has a pretty strong bias against conservatives and supports a strong left bias. It does this subtly but the fact is it does and I am going to explain how.
1: Notice the colors?
The people who drew this nifty little chart could have picked any color they wanted. However instead of picking black and white, purple and yellow, or any other combination they choose red and blue. The reason for this is because red and blue are the colors of the Republican and Democrat parties respectively. This turns the article into more than a discussion of how gerrymandering works into a political argument about how red (Republicans) is worse than blue (Democrats) when it comes to gerrymandering.
2: Notice the Title?
The title is "This is the best explanation of gerrymandering you will ever see". What's that tell me as a reader? Why it tells me that the information here will inform me of how gerrymandering works better than any other article so of course I am going to read it. Now, combine that with the subtle bias of the colors used and you can see how again your bias to view Republicans as worse than Democrats is being built.
3: Notice the sub title?
The part below the title says "By simplifying gerrymandering we can see how problematic it really is". Not only have we now inferred that Republicans are worse than Democrats, but we have also said that this article is the best explanation on gerrymandering, and now we are saying that Republicans are the problem! You kind of have to admire just how slick this all works out and I haven't even read the article yet.
Keep in mind that this article does use facts on how gerrymandering works. In fact it is actually a good explanation of how it works and why it is a problem. Yet, while it does succeed there, it also influences a bias quite a bit. If this article had used any other color combination it could have avoided this, but that wouldn't have gotten outraged liberals to look at it now would it?
I know that it can be difficult to see this kind of thing and when we do excuse it as being okay. However the fact is that if we allow our bias to be influenced by media, we can be led astray very easily. I hope you all give this some thought...
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Why Conservatives Hate Liberals and Liberals Hate Conservatives Part 4: Why it is Getting Worse
If you are just plugging in you can start at the beginning here. You can read part 2 here, part 3 here.
I was a bit harsh in my last post because I really believe we all need a bit of a wake up call. I really believe if we don't start challenging our own bias, then the purpose behind this series of posts is a waste of time. I know how much bias and cognitive dissonance effects us and if I can't get people to start challenging that, they won't see the following for what it is. Instead of seeing it as a way to point out bias coming from both extremes, they will instead feel like I am attacking or agreeing with their biased view. I am not doing either.
I am not saying I don't have a bias, I do. In fact it was a realization of just how bad my bias had gotten that led me to start this blog to begin with. The problem is that while I admit I have a bias, a lot of people aren't willing to admit it and that's something that needs to change. Bias may be unavoidable to an extent, but what we can control is how much that bias influences our decision making. I know I am fighting an up hill battle, but I can't sit by and let it happen.
Below I will be posting and discussing memes that I gathered in just a few minutes of browsing various political groups on Facebook. I also collected a few on my feed as part of this project. Before I begin though I want it understood that I am not attacking a particular political stance, I am pointing out bias to the best of my abilities.
Insulting Memes as Bias:
I am going to begin with a bias that I think people tend to notice before most others and that is insulting bias. When you are insulted you automatically get defensive and this leads most people to feeling anger. When we get angry we stop thinking and tend to get reactionary. Guess what? this is exactly what Insulting memes are trying to do. By turning off our brains they work to not only get one side of a debate angry but also work to keep the other side feeling justified in their anger towards differing views. I am going to look at three memes in order to explain how this all works. One meme is kind of neutral, the other two are very partisan.
Us vs. Them Bias:
The picture above is something a lot of people will point to and completely agree with. In fact, it's a good point but I want to point out some flaws in this meme that people may not even be aware of.
1: Which Political Views?
Did you notice while it talks about political views it doesn't actually give any? Instead of focusing on one particular view or a side of views, it simply says "Political Views". Why? Because when something is presented in a general context we automatically assume it's talking about our personal views. For this reason we are going to be inclined to agree with it.
2: Who is Blindly Following?
This meme says "let's blindly follow" but doesn't say who is blindly following. In fact it remains rather obscure in this. Again this works towards the memes favor by working on our individual bias. When I saw this I smiled and said "yeah! that's right people are blind!" without even thinking about who those "blind" people were. I am sure I meant "blind" being anyone who disagreed with me, but do you see my point here?
3: Which Celebrities?
Notice how it says "follow the lead of idiot celebrities". It doesn't say which celebrities but allows us to infer our own "idiot celebrities" Also notice the word idiot. That is an insult, so again the meme is using our emotions simply to get an emotional response. What is interesting is that both the left and right have their list of "idiot celebrities" which are generally people in the media who have a different point of view.
As you can see this meme is full of things that in no way discourage the formation of bias. Not only that but it seems to exist simply to perpetuate itself by people who see it, get emotional to some degree then re-post it. This gives us a neat feeling of how much smarter we are than those "idiot celebrities" and that is basically the entire point of this meme.
Left vs. Right Bias
I saw this beauty and just groaned. While the things that are wrong with this meme should be kind of self explanatory, I am going to point it out anyway.
1: What is the actual purpose?
The first thing I have to ask myself about this meme is what the purpose behind it is. My guess is that the purpose is to a: infer that those on the right wing are dumb and thus b: infer that people on the left are smarter.
2: What is it's effect?
The only thing this meme is going to do is tick of anyone on the right while allowing the left to feel intellectually superior. In fact this is likely to really tick off someone on the right and ignite an emotional response of some kind. I know this because if it said "keep left" instead of "keep right" I would be kinda pissed off myself.
3: What does this accomplish?
The first thing this meme accomplishes is to piss someone off and make them even less willing to see a differing point of view. Once you have someone emotional they get defensive and when we are defensive we refuse to listen to anything outside our bias.
The second thing this meme accomplishes is keeping left wingers "in check" by inferring that if yo agree with the right on anything you are obviously stupid. Think about that for a second. This meme literally encourages you to not only look at the other side as dumb, but to look at letting go of your own left bias as siding with stupid people.
Finally this meme continues to keep partisan bias and thinking alive and well. It does nothing to encourage any kind of real discussion. It does nothing to even state a position beyond "people on the right are stupid." and that isn't a position, that is intolerant and fascist thinking as far as I am concerned. Honestly the person who took the time to make this meme did far more harm to their side than they did to the right and they probably don't even realize it.
Right vs. Left Bias
Here is another good one that I saw today posted in a right wing group on Facebook. Just like the last couple I am going to point out some things.
1: What is the actual purpose?
The first line says everything you really need to know about this memes purpose. It is intended to do exactly like the last meme I spoke about except instead of left wing this meme is right wing. It is designed to A: create an impassioned those who don't like Hillary and garner support for that cause, and B: Make liberals angry.
2: What is it's effect?
Just like the last meme it's effect is getting people to engage in emotional reaction instead of rational thinking. It doesn't state a view, it doesn't give any information on anything more than Hillary supporters will hate it, and that somehow it is related to "stop Hillary in 2016"
3: What does this accomplish?
Just like the last meme it is designed to accomplish making one group of people angry while giving another group a feeling of superiority for their view points. However unlike the last one it doesn't go as far in keeping a particular segment of thought "in line".
However, while it might not go to keeping a particular side "in line" what this meme does is encourage support for one side based off disrespect for the other. In other words, by making a joke that "Hillary supporters will hate" infers that if you oppose Hillary Clinton the best way to show that support is by disrespecting her and thus all those who would support her.
I could go on for quite a while posting insulting memes and discussing how they propagate our bias, but I am pretty sure people get the point by now. I know that I am unlikely to stop these kind of things from appearing, but hopefully anyone reading this will take time to think before re-posting these kind of memes.
I will be discussing other memes in the coming days, but for now I think I have talked long enough. Give some thought to what I had to say and let me know what you think. Feel free to leave a comment here or on Facebook and I will try to respond fairly quickly.
I was a bit harsh in my last post because I really believe we all need a bit of a wake up call. I really believe if we don't start challenging our own bias, then the purpose behind this series of posts is a waste of time. I know how much bias and cognitive dissonance effects us and if I can't get people to start challenging that, they won't see the following for what it is. Instead of seeing it as a way to point out bias coming from both extremes, they will instead feel like I am attacking or agreeing with their biased view. I am not doing either.
I am not saying I don't have a bias, I do. In fact it was a realization of just how bad my bias had gotten that led me to start this blog to begin with. The problem is that while I admit I have a bias, a lot of people aren't willing to admit it and that's something that needs to change. Bias may be unavoidable to an extent, but what we can control is how much that bias influences our decision making. I know I am fighting an up hill battle, but I can't sit by and let it happen.
Below I will be posting and discussing memes that I gathered in just a few minutes of browsing various political groups on Facebook. I also collected a few on my feed as part of this project. Before I begin though I want it understood that I am not attacking a particular political stance, I am pointing out bias to the best of my abilities.
Insulting Memes as Bias:
I am going to begin with a bias that I think people tend to notice before most others and that is insulting bias. When you are insulted you automatically get defensive and this leads most people to feeling anger. When we get angry we stop thinking and tend to get reactionary. Guess what? this is exactly what Insulting memes are trying to do. By turning off our brains they work to not only get one side of a debate angry but also work to keep the other side feeling justified in their anger towards differing views. I am going to look at three memes in order to explain how this all works. One meme is kind of neutral, the other two are very partisan.
Us vs. Them Bias:
The picture above is something a lot of people will point to and completely agree with. In fact, it's a good point but I want to point out some flaws in this meme that people may not even be aware of.
1: Which Political Views?
Did you notice while it talks about political views it doesn't actually give any? Instead of focusing on one particular view or a side of views, it simply says "Political Views". Why? Because when something is presented in a general context we automatically assume it's talking about our personal views. For this reason we are going to be inclined to agree with it.
2: Who is Blindly Following?
This meme says "let's blindly follow" but doesn't say who is blindly following. In fact it remains rather obscure in this. Again this works towards the memes favor by working on our individual bias. When I saw this I smiled and said "yeah! that's right people are blind!" without even thinking about who those "blind" people were. I am sure I meant "blind" being anyone who disagreed with me, but do you see my point here?
3: Which Celebrities?
Notice how it says "follow the lead of idiot celebrities". It doesn't say which celebrities but allows us to infer our own "idiot celebrities" Also notice the word idiot. That is an insult, so again the meme is using our emotions simply to get an emotional response. What is interesting is that both the left and right have their list of "idiot celebrities" which are generally people in the media who have a different point of view.
As you can see this meme is full of things that in no way discourage the formation of bias. Not only that but it seems to exist simply to perpetuate itself by people who see it, get emotional to some degree then re-post it. This gives us a neat feeling of how much smarter we are than those "idiot celebrities" and that is basically the entire point of this meme.
Left vs. Right Bias
I saw this beauty and just groaned. While the things that are wrong with this meme should be kind of self explanatory, I am going to point it out anyway.
1: What is the actual purpose?
The first thing I have to ask myself about this meme is what the purpose behind it is. My guess is that the purpose is to a: infer that those on the right wing are dumb and thus b: infer that people on the left are smarter.
2: What is it's effect?
The only thing this meme is going to do is tick of anyone on the right while allowing the left to feel intellectually superior. In fact this is likely to really tick off someone on the right and ignite an emotional response of some kind. I know this because if it said "keep left" instead of "keep right" I would be kinda pissed off myself.
3: What does this accomplish?
The first thing this meme accomplishes is to piss someone off and make them even less willing to see a differing point of view. Once you have someone emotional they get defensive and when we are defensive we refuse to listen to anything outside our bias.
The second thing this meme accomplishes is keeping left wingers "in check" by inferring that if yo agree with the right on anything you are obviously stupid. Think about that for a second. This meme literally encourages you to not only look at the other side as dumb, but to look at letting go of your own left bias as siding with stupid people.
Finally this meme continues to keep partisan bias and thinking alive and well. It does nothing to encourage any kind of real discussion. It does nothing to even state a position beyond "people on the right are stupid." and that isn't a position, that is intolerant and fascist thinking as far as I am concerned. Honestly the person who took the time to make this meme did far more harm to their side than they did to the right and they probably don't even realize it.
Right vs. Left Bias
Here is another good one that I saw today posted in a right wing group on Facebook. Just like the last couple I am going to point out some things.
1: What is the actual purpose?
The first line says everything you really need to know about this memes purpose. It is intended to do exactly like the last meme I spoke about except instead of left wing this meme is right wing. It is designed to A: create an impassioned those who don't like Hillary and garner support for that cause, and B: Make liberals angry.
2: What is it's effect?
Just like the last meme it's effect is getting people to engage in emotional reaction instead of rational thinking. It doesn't state a view, it doesn't give any information on anything more than Hillary supporters will hate it, and that somehow it is related to "stop Hillary in 2016"
3: What does this accomplish?
Just like the last meme it is designed to accomplish making one group of people angry while giving another group a feeling of superiority for their view points. However unlike the last one it doesn't go as far in keeping a particular segment of thought "in line".
However, while it might not go to keeping a particular side "in line" what this meme does is encourage support for one side based off disrespect for the other. In other words, by making a joke that "Hillary supporters will hate" infers that if you oppose Hillary Clinton the best way to show that support is by disrespecting her and thus all those who would support her.
I could go on for quite a while posting insulting memes and discussing how they propagate our bias, but I am pretty sure people get the point by now. I know that I am unlikely to stop these kind of things from appearing, but hopefully anyone reading this will take time to think before re-posting these kind of memes.
I will be discussing other memes in the coming days, but for now I think I have talked long enough. Give some thought to what I had to say and let me know what you think. Feel free to leave a comment here or on Facebook and I will try to respond fairly quickly.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Why Conservatives Hate Liberals and Liberals Hate Conservatives Part 3: It's Only Getting Worse
I have to admit, out of all the things I am writing about on this topic, this post might be the one I am most afraid to put out there. The first two where pretty easy for me, but this one... Well this one I know I am likely to cause people a lot of cognitive dissonance. I am going to challenge the pre-held belief's of almost anyone who reads this blog and that is going to cause some anger. The problem is that I can't just not say the things that need to be said. I do that, and I don't do a damn thing to change the problems that I see.
I hope you bear with me through this. I will try to be as gentle as possible, but I can't promise you won't get angry or that you won't want to quit reading. I hope you stay with it though, because if you do and you actually hear what I am saying, maybe, just maybe we can start moving forward. Right now not only are we not moving forward as a nation, we are in many ways moving backward. This is a direct result of the fights taking place over virtually every part of our existence. It's not just economic policy, it's not just social policy, it's everything and if we don't stop building the fire we will rip ourselves apart. I don't want that to happen, and I hope you don't either.
With that said I guess it's time to dive into the breach.
We are all part of the problem. Not only are we all part of the problem, we are making that problem worse because we have stopped actually thinking about anything. Where at one time political thought was slow to spread and thus people had time to adjust their thinking, information flows at a pace never seen before in the entirety of human history.
We are assaulted by 24 hour news channels, social media, advertisements, neighbors, friends, family members. Everywhere we go, everywhere we look someone is expressing an opinion and trying to sway the way we think. While no one seems to want to admit to it, the fact is this is effecting every single one of us! It's not just "stupid" people who can't think for themselves, it's also "smart" people and rich people and poor people. It doesn't matter your level of education (because guess what that was propaganda too) or how much life experience you have had, the fact is your opinion is being directed by someone else. This someone else isn't a single person, or even a group of people, this someone else is the mob.
The mob has taken over any kind of meaningful debate and replaced it with farce and pseudo facts. The mob is forwarding hate for conservatives, forwarding hate for liberals, and we are all buying into it. What really sucks is you and I and everyone else are just helping the mob do it. Whenever you post a half thought out opinion of Facebook, whenever you talk about what the news anchor on MSNBC or FOX had to say about the president, whenever you use terms like "idiot conservative" or "blind liberal" or hundreds of other derogatory terms you are helping the mob continue. I know that's hard to hear. I know you are sitting there thinking "well maybe everyone else is part of the mob, but I think for myself". You don't.
This is not to say you don't have an educated opinion. In fact if you are reading this blog my guess is your opinion is educated. What I am saying though is your education has become faulty. The fact is that even the best of us fall prey to the inflammatory news story on Fox, MSNBC, CNN, etc. The fact is that we as a population have become reliant on Facebook as our primary source of news on current event. The fact is that we have all engaged in confirmation bias on such a high level that I really dont' know if we can stop it from happening now. I hope we can and I am writing this post because I want us to be able to, but I don't know if people can handle the truth about things.
I can, and will in the next post, spend time showing you exactly how this all works. However, before I do any of that. I have to make sure your ready to challenge your own opinions. I have to make sure your going into the information I am about to give you with a truly open mind. I don't mean going in looking to prove your pre-conceptions right. I mean a truly honest open mind that is going to honestly consider what I say even when it makes you uncomfortable. If you can't do that, if you can't accept that idea that maybe just possibly you are not the free thinker you want to think you are... well then this is a waste of time.
The thing Is I don't believe it is. I believe that most people want to have the facts right.I believe most people are willing to let go of their opinion when they are given sufficient proof to do so. However, until we face ourselves and admit "hey maybe I am not near the free thinking educated individual I claim to be" well, this battle is lost. Don't let the mob win, don't let misinformation win. Stick with me just a little bit longer. Just hang with me for a couple more posts and I promise you will see what I mean. DO we have a deal?
I hope you bear with me through this. I will try to be as gentle as possible, but I can't promise you won't get angry or that you won't want to quit reading. I hope you stay with it though, because if you do and you actually hear what I am saying, maybe, just maybe we can start moving forward. Right now not only are we not moving forward as a nation, we are in many ways moving backward. This is a direct result of the fights taking place over virtually every part of our existence. It's not just economic policy, it's not just social policy, it's everything and if we don't stop building the fire we will rip ourselves apart. I don't want that to happen, and I hope you don't either.
With that said I guess it's time to dive into the breach.
We are all part of the problem. Not only are we all part of the problem, we are making that problem worse because we have stopped actually thinking about anything. Where at one time political thought was slow to spread and thus people had time to adjust their thinking, information flows at a pace never seen before in the entirety of human history.
We are assaulted by 24 hour news channels, social media, advertisements, neighbors, friends, family members. Everywhere we go, everywhere we look someone is expressing an opinion and trying to sway the way we think. While no one seems to want to admit to it, the fact is this is effecting every single one of us! It's not just "stupid" people who can't think for themselves, it's also "smart" people and rich people and poor people. It doesn't matter your level of education (because guess what that was propaganda too) or how much life experience you have had, the fact is your opinion is being directed by someone else. This someone else isn't a single person, or even a group of people, this someone else is the mob.
The mob has taken over any kind of meaningful debate and replaced it with farce and pseudo facts. The mob is forwarding hate for conservatives, forwarding hate for liberals, and we are all buying into it. What really sucks is you and I and everyone else are just helping the mob do it. Whenever you post a half thought out opinion of Facebook, whenever you talk about what the news anchor on MSNBC or FOX had to say about the president, whenever you use terms like "idiot conservative" or "blind liberal" or hundreds of other derogatory terms you are helping the mob continue. I know that's hard to hear. I know you are sitting there thinking "well maybe everyone else is part of the mob, but I think for myself". You don't.
This is not to say you don't have an educated opinion. In fact if you are reading this blog my guess is your opinion is educated. What I am saying though is your education has become faulty. The fact is that even the best of us fall prey to the inflammatory news story on Fox, MSNBC, CNN, etc. The fact is that we as a population have become reliant on Facebook as our primary source of news on current event. The fact is that we have all engaged in confirmation bias on such a high level that I really dont' know if we can stop it from happening now. I hope we can and I am writing this post because I want us to be able to, but I don't know if people can handle the truth about things.
I can, and will in the next post, spend time showing you exactly how this all works. However, before I do any of that. I have to make sure your ready to challenge your own opinions. I have to make sure your going into the information I am about to give you with a truly open mind. I don't mean going in looking to prove your pre-conceptions right. I mean a truly honest open mind that is going to honestly consider what I say even when it makes you uncomfortable. If you can't do that, if you can't accept that idea that maybe just possibly you are not the free thinker you want to think you are... well then this is a waste of time.
The thing Is I don't believe it is. I believe that most people want to have the facts right.I believe most people are willing to let go of their opinion when they are given sufficient proof to do so. However, until we face ourselves and admit "hey maybe I am not near the free thinking educated individual I claim to be" well, this battle is lost. Don't let the mob win, don't let misinformation win. Stick with me just a little bit longer. Just hang with me for a couple more posts and I promise you will see what I mean. DO we have a deal?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)