Thursday, March 29, 2007

Alternative reality

When spin replaces analysis, the result is a distorted world view. The alternative reality conveyed by the Republican media -- Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and their ilk -- has created a Republican activist base that is genuinely not reality-based, and from which the current generation of Republican politicians is disproportionately drawn. The message from these sources has been designed to serve the moment's political needs of the White House.

I know a couple of people who learn all they know about current events from Fox and conservative talk radio. The relentless drumbeat of political spin with no alternative has left them intellectually isolated. They simply cannot imagine anything other than the party spin.

You can hear the same thoughts repeated by the conservative echo machine of Fox, talk radio and politicians. You can even hear the same exact words and even the same tone of voice. Its truly creepy. These are people who seem to have lost the ability for independent thinking.

The people I know who are such clones are sincere. They truly believe the White House spin, regardless of how ridiculous. Their reality is divorced from objective reality. I wonder if there is a medical diagnosis for this.

I wonder what the treatment would be.

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