There are two types of people in the world. The first are those who realize they have a brain capable of critical thinking, and use it by questioning everything, including the government and its intentions. These people are critical thinkers: great minds who help mold society into a better place—scientists, philosophers, intellectuals, artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs.
The second are those who merely float through life without a thought or care in the world, who never question what they are told and accept everything they hear as truth. These people are non-thinkers: people who rarely amount to anything other than to become fodder for tyrants, dictators, and demagogues.
The following is a list of beliefs often held by the modern American non-thinker. If you do not hold any of these beliefs, then you are a critical thinker capable of asking questions and thinking for yourself. If you hold more than one of these beliefs, then you are a non-thinker, and should seriously examine what you believe and why you believe it. Asking questions is the first step towards critical thought.
Feel free to share this with family, friends, and colleagues. The more people realize whether or not they are non-thinkers, the closer we all get to making the world a better place.
You might be a non-thinker if you believe the following:
• Everything the government does is in the best interest of the American people.
• America is a democracy.
• Democrats are the party of social justice.
• Republicans are the party of limited government.
• Democrats and Republicans are the only options we have, and voting third party is a waste of time.
• Islamic terrorists hate us for our freedom.
• We need to fight the terrorists over there so we don’t fight them over here.
• All Muslims are terrorists.
• Islam is a religion of peace.
• Most mosques, including the Ground Zero mosque, are training grounds for Islamic radicals and terrorists.
• Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
• The Iraq War was fought for oil.
• The PATRIOT ACT has kept America safe from future terrorist attacks.
• Enhanced interrogation techniques such as waterboarding helped retrieve information which led to the capture of Osama Bin Laden.
• The current economic crisis was cause by deregulation.
• The rich do not pay their fair share in taxes.
• Tax cuts only benefit the rich.
• Under capitalism, the rich become richer and the poor become poorer.
• The middle class is shrinking, and the gap between rich and poor is expanding.
• Poverty causes crime.
• Corporations are evil; unions are good.
• Corporatism and capitalism are the exact same thing.
• America has a free market.
• The market cannot regulate itself.
• Higher minimum wage helps workers.
• Men receive higher wages than women.
• Man-made global warming is a scientific fact.
• Recycling reduces waste.
• Animals have the same rights as human beings.
• The War on Terror has helped prevent terrorist attacks.
• The War on Poverty has helped the poor and needy.
• The War on Drugs has helped reduce drug distribution and abuse.
• Gun control reduces gun violence.
• Capital punishment deters murder rates.
• Violent video games promote violence among children.
• Harry Potter promotes witchcraft among young children.
• Pornography promotes sexual assault and violence against women.
• Marriage has always been between one man and one woman.
• Homosexuality is a choice.
• Repealing Roe vs. Wade will prevent women from having abortions.
• Abstinence programs prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDS.
• America is a Christian Nation founded by fundamentalist Christians.
• The FDA is required to protect against poisoned meat and tainted drugs.
• The EPA is required to protect the environment.
• The NEA is required to promote and fund the arts.
• The Board of Education is required to regulate education.
• Public education would be improved by increased spending.
• Social Security, Medicare, and other social programs are required to help the poor and needy.
• Socialized healthcare provides quality healthcare for all.
• The United Nations has helped promote world peace and human rights.
• The Israelis stole the land from the Arabs.
• Journalism is objective.
• The liberal media is a corporate myth.
• Fox News is fair and balanced.
• CNN and MSNBC are unbiased and objective.
• People only hate Obama because of his skin color.
• Illegal immigrants are no different than immigrants.
• Illegal immigration is only opposed by racists and white supremacists.
• Immigrants have a right to retain their culture.
• Insisting immigrants learn English is racist.
• Requiring Hispanic immigrants to show their green cards to law enforcement is the same as Jews being required to show their papers to Nazis.
• Arizona SB 1070 promotes racial profiling.
Don't like my opinion? Don't blame me. Blame the 1st!
Nuggets of Wisdom
That's odd. I was expecting a whole lot of well argued facts. After all, you claim my article was just fluffy opinion (yet failed to point out a single fallacy) so obviously yours must be all meat and potatoes. Not so much.
ReplyDeleteWell THAT was a waste of 5 minutes of my time! Ciao.
I came here from "The Best Thing about being a Liberal" article. Your blog is interesting though you have some very dubious "facts" up there. I agree with a great deal of them, and being a Liberal, I know I have nearly zero representation in our government. But here are my issues:
ReplyDelete1)Deregulation did not cause the Recession. I disagree, it used to be that strenuous parameters had to be met to issue a loan and get insurance on it. And getting insurance on a loan period is a horrid result of deregulation.
2)Markets can regulate themselves. No, they can't. Simple reason, a business can use any means to secure market share they wish, and when a certain size is reached, it will be impossible to compete, the barriers to entry will go sky high and monopolies are formed, this is the entire reason for Anti trust legislation.
3) The Liberal Media. As a Liberal I hear this all the time and it drives me nuts. You could argue MSNBC is as far left as FOX is right, but other than that, the rest of the media is solely sensationalist. They cover and push whatever story is likely to get ratings. If the media were liberal, it would mean the majority of citizens are. And that's just not true.
Two other of your points I merely have reflection. No we did not invade Iraq for Oil, that was just a "leaked" reason to try to persuade the public. The Iraq war was revenge pure and simple. Most of Bush II's cabinet was Bush I's team of hawks and they were so pissed that Saddam didn't do as told after they armed him to the teeth the got him good in the Gulf War. But they didn't get to kill him for it, and 9/11 was the god-send excuse they were waiting for.
I would like you to expand on Obama. It is hard for me to think all this hatred of him is from race, and if it were a recent phenomenon, I would say, well they don't like the ACA (why they call it Socialist is beyond me, it's Fascist maybe) or they are pissed the economy hasn't bounced back as fast as they wanted or something like that. But the majority of conservatives and ALL of the conservative pundits, hated him before he took office. Why? Only President in my lifetime not even given a single day of benefit of the doubt. He won a large majority of votes, and from day one was a Kenyan born Muslim Socialist (I know the irony of those two alone are priceless) hell bent on destroying our country and financial system. Even though all he has done is extend a tax break for everyone, cut taxes on small business, bailed out the corrupt banking institutions, kept the horrid FED around, and passed an insurance law that is nothing but a give away to insurance companies (I hate that law by the way, but for very different reasons than conservatives). Obama isn't Liberal, he isn't populist, and he is a shitty negotiator. But they knew none of this going in. So why was he so despised by the right from day one?