Final Days of American Democracy?

This blog seeks to encourage Americans to rediscover the art of thinking. I am astounded each and every day to hear political discussions that contain very little truth. Specifically, those on the right of the political spectrum regurgitate whatever they've heard Fox "News" broadcast in the past few days while those on the political left pay similar homage to MSNBC's latest propaganda. Our "news" media have failed us on a monumental scale, but more on that at a later time.
Most of the people I know proclaim some level of independence of thought and action. Unfortunately, however, many of them do not exercise that freedom of thought. They think they do, they want to, but the demands of daily life get in the way. A bumper sticker I saw says it all, 'Thinking is Hard.'
Well, this is a call for Americans to begin challenging the accepted wisdom because the evidence is overwhelming that the accepted wisdom isn't very wise. A small list of current affairs illustrates what happens when accepted wisdom isn't intellectually challenged. People tend to believe (with incredible passion, mind you) that:
1. A free market founded on greed alone will somehow serve all Americans rather than just those with enough money to buy political favors via campaign contributions (or direct bribes).
2. This free market doesn't need regulation because it can regulate itself--with greed, America's driving and most treasured principle...apparently.
3. Any sort of government action is "socialism," "communisim," "Naziism," etc. In spite of how much people benefit from common laws, regulations for safety, and infrastructure that we all use daily.
4. America can only be safe through a position of military strength and global adventurism. All who disagree with an imperial America are "traitors" or not "patriots." There is no room for discourse (like our founding Fathers engaged in). "You are either with us or against us," to use a quote that will likely (hopefully) go down in infamy.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. While it sounds initially like an indictment of the Bush/Cheney era, there is plenty of critical thought to go around. The current democratic party controlled government suffers from many of the same problems. In the days ahead, I hope to challenge Americans to start thinking again. My very pointed challenge to all who will accept it is to begin looking for truth behind the story. Ask yourself who has what incentive (sort of a "follow the money" approach). When Anne Coulter claims that she can somehow devine who is or is not a "patriot," ask why that is. (Treason by Anne Coulter. I can't recommend this book to anyone--straight propaganda that flies in the face of all scholarly work.) What if our country has gone terribly astray and everyone is trying desparately to be a "patriot?" Do we give a president cart blanche to go to war with whomever he chooses? (We did.) What if Keith Olberman levels charges that a recently elected Republican Senator is racist, sexist, etc? (He did.) Should we accept that at face value because it came to us through something called a news channel on television?
Of course not. We should think. We must think. Otherwise, our democracy is in its final days.
Suggested reading:
1) What's the Matter with Kansas by Thomas Frank--A must read for anyone who has ever wondered why people vote against their own interests (although they don't seem to think or know that they're voting against their own interests.) The theme of this book really gets at the heart of what this blog is about--how to get our fellow Americans to start thinking with their minds, not their passions.
2) Moral Minority by Brooke Allen--What everyone should know about "Our Skeptical Founding Fathers" (the subtitle of the book). Challenges the dubious claim that this is a "Christian" nation. Rather, our founding fathers had a healthy fear of religion in politics--something I think we need to revisit.
3) Nemesis by Chalmers Johnson--I disagree with the anti-military tone, but a critical evaluation of his evidence is revealing, and alarming.