Case in point, I have been trying to explain extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction and how that relates to Article VI of the US Constitution to someone (Fatheaded White Moron). He says I wasted my time in law school if I believe these things exist. Well, sorry, Fatheaded White Moron, but they do exist: especially in the era of the internet where you aren't just dealing with a person around the corner, but you are broadcasting to the entire world (e.g., my current IP address places me in North London, but I could be anywhere in the world).
The thing is that I don't really want to persuade anyone of anything. While I don't mind being informative: I can't teach the unteachable. It's a waste of time trying to explain the concept of jurisdiction to a moron.
But, I shouldn't be surprised. When I was young and into short wave, we heard the Voice of America "special English" program (one with limited vocabulary for people learning English) and it sounded like US mainstream news. I've also noticed that the Beeb dumbs down its news programmes for the US audience. In fact, BBC America was an extreme disappointment when I saw it in all manners (commercials, programming, etc.).
Of course, I am not alone in noticing that the citizens of the United States dislike and distrust intellectuals. There are books by Chris Hedges, Charles F. Pierce, Farhad Manjoo, Michael Specter, and Richard Hofstadter to name just a few. Hofstadter is the most insigtful of the lot. His book The Paranoid Style in American Politics goes a long way to explain some of the thinking we see in the blogosphere and the tea party movement.
People who think are a threat to society. Hence people like Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin, George Bush (either one), and so on become the leaders. There is a reason that Bill Clinton became US president and it wasn't that he was a great mind. Obama has always been more smoke and mirrors than anything else, which is why I am not disappointed in his performance as president. He was annointed to be president the moment he took the podium at the 2004 democratic convention. Oprah Winfrey, another media creation, helped catapult him to become the first black celebrity president.
I have been curious as to why people don't want to limit electioneering rather than term limits (other than term limits is one of those concepts that is easy for small minds to grasp and accept). The US election process isn't set up to be democratic as the Ron Paul and Howard Dean campaigns show, but is meant to be run by people with money. It costs money to run for office in the States. This is where we have the golden rule: "Those with the Gold: Rule".
So whether it is a right wing idiot like Sarah Palin or a left wing idiot like Brack Obama, the puppet is elected. The weapons of mass distraction media (thank you, il principe) can confuse the small minded. Or worse, the NPR listening fools who think because it is "public" radio it is any less controlled by commercial interests. As I said before, underwriting is just a slightly less obnoxious commercial.
Of course, where this is all going is that there is a world out there which means that you don't need to be limited to the weapons of mass distraction media in the states. You have the BBC, Radio Nederland, Al Jazeera and a host of other sources out there for alternative viewpoints. Although, that comment is superfluous since most of the closed minds don't want to listen to alternative viewpoints. If they do it will be in a derisory manner, as did Fatheaded White Moron when I tried to explain the concept of jurisdiction.
So after that rambling rant, I long for intellectual discourse, but find it difficult to have. the internet does provide one with others who can be good company, but it is also filled with those who are not as stimulating. I find the less intelligent and closed minded people to be quite tiresome.
