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2011-12-25 Home Front: Politix

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Posted by 2011-12-25 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top

#1 My 'fast thinking system' immediately assessed the OWS participants as disgruntled Obama supporters who will vote to re-elect him anyway.
The 'fast thinking system' of Obama diehards seems to run along the lines of (1) anything Obama does or advocates is right (2) anything Obama opponents do or advocate is wrong and (3) Obama opponents are racist & [insert whatever pejoratives you like here]. Racial prejudice is a type of 'fast thinking system'.
We have many selves, and probably more than one kind of fast thinking system. In my younger days I had a fast thinking self that got me to do a backwards somersault after I stumbled running backward (as reported by witnesses). Years back I was working on my truck in my driveway & heard a series of small explosions I immediately interpreted as a string of firecrackers going off. Minutes later when half a dozen squad cars screamed by my house a slower thinking system I had in reserve told me I had heard a shoot-out between men with handguns.
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment." This also applies to "Thinking fast & slow".

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-12-25 04:03|| 2011-12-25 04:03|| Front Page Top

#2 AH, the modern Western world of antibiotics, vaccines, and increased longevity - coupled with outcome egalitarianism which is enforced by the welfare state, tax code, and hyperregulatory environment - has removed a lot of the cause/effect aspect from the human experience. In effect, pain and suffering and negative feedback have been removed from the loop. Without that, the ability of a lot of folks to learn and grow in wisdom - to gain the "experience" you mention - no longer exists.

This is compounded by the fact that a great many humans (perhaps a majority) are either genetically or otherwise incapable of distinguishing between visually compelling media and reality. The best example of this is the people who saw an actress who looked like Sarah Palin say she could see Russia from her porch and are absolutely convinced that Palin herself said it.

As many posters at this site and others have pointed out, there are loads of people who completely disconnect from politics for three years, eleven months, and three weeks of their lives and tune in to NPR or PBS or CNN to receive instructions on how to vote for president. They've made the "quick thought" choice that these are reliable places to receive guidance on this issue even though they haven't thought through the actual consequences of doing so, or analyzed the results of the last time they acted that way.

If there are no consequences to doing otherwise a huge chunk of humanity will choose the path of least resistance. If you've managed employees you can't help but have noticed this. Some people, either through nature, nurture, or a bit of both, are programmed to choose the easiest path even if it is blatantly not the best.

Quick thinking but not best thinking.

.

Posted by no mo uro 2011-12-25 07:06|| 2011-12-25 07:06|| Front Page Top

#3 Merry Christmas to all, especially those not at home, and thank you, lotp, for this Christmas present.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2011-12-25 08:14|| 2011-12-25 08:14|| Front Page Top

#4 Which would you say is more probable?

(1) Linda has a live-in boyfriend (who has no intention of ever marrying her).
(2) Linda is a member of "Gays for Palestine".

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2011-12-25 11:41|| 2011-12-25 11:41|| Front Page Top

#5 "Which would you say is more probable?

(1) Linda has a live-in boyfriend (who has no intention of ever marrying her).
(2) Linda is a member of 'Gays for Palestine.'"

No reason it can't be both, grom. :-(

Posted by Barbara 2011-12-25 13:20|| 2011-12-25 13:20|| Front Page Top

#6 No reason it can't be both, grom. :-(

Hah?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2011-12-25 13:42|| 2011-12-25 13:42|| Front Page Top

#7 The two aren't exclusionary.

Posted by Pappy 2011-12-25 13:51|| 2011-12-25 13:51|| Front Page Top

#8 "Linda is ... very bright. She majored in philosophy."

Oxymoron alert.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2011-12-25 14:09|| 2011-12-25 14:09|| Front Page Top

#9 Linda is lying on her C.V./Dating site about having a job (that doesn't involve asking about fries).

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2011-12-25 14:11|| 2011-12-25 14:11|| Front Page Top

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