The Moose Droppings is going to go out on a limb and say that 99.99999% of Americans live in an echo chamber, and put in zero original thought to anything they do, say or believe. If you are reading this, then yes we mean you. Don’t feel bad, the staff at the Moose Droppings is probably equally as guilty. After all, we all have our biases, and it is human nature to want to believe we are corect.
What do we mean by an echo chamber? We mean that as people we actively search out others who will support our beliefs, values and prejudices, and avoid those who will disagree with us. We want to know that we are smarter than everyone who has a different point of view. Therefore we seek out people and information that cheers us on, and devalues any other point of view and debases anyone who holds those points of view.
The Far-Left naturally seek out CNN, NPR, The New York Times, Rachel Maddow and Bill Maher. The Far-Right live and breathe Fox, Tucker Carlson, The Washington Times, Rush Limbaugh and Dennis Miller. Neither group will listen to anything the other’s pundits will say, unless it comes from a sound bite from their pundits that is used to show what morons the other side is. Psychologists call this confirmation bias, and it wouldn’t be so bad except for the severity of the rhetoric and the level of nastiness being displayed towards our fellow man.
Do you use derogatory terms to alter the names of politicians who disagree with you? You know, Orangeman, The Mocha Messiah, Nazi Pelosi? Bitch McConnell? Then you are guilty of living in the echo chamber, as well as being a disrespectful boor. Ever stated that Obummer or the Drumpf is not your president? Then you have a poor understanding of how a democracy and a republic work, as well as being a sore loser.
The Moose Droppings would like to respectfully request that all of you citizens of this great experiment called America put in some original thought to this election. Wipe your minds clean of your biases, the TV ads and social media sales pitches, and actually do some research on your candidates. See what they stand for, what their party’s stand for, what their voting records have been, and then put some thought into whether or not any of it makes any sense or is actually viable.
When someone promises you the moon, the Garden of Eden, and free anything at no cost to you, fire up your BS detectors and ask how that is remotely possible. Stop having your views and opinions sold to you by the mass media. If Google and Amazon can stick ads for products in front of you based on your browsing history, do you really believe that CNN, Fox, and Youtube aren’t doing the same? For a fun experiment, watch CNN and Fox, side by side, cover a story. If you think only one of those is obviously biased, you need to leave the echo chamber and get some fresh air.
Quit listen to your friends and family. They were sold the same bill of goods that they are now parroting to you. Try voting with logic, instead of emotion and feelings, Quite simply, step out of the echo chamber, and put in some original thought into who you are, and what is important in life. Here’s a little hint, it isn’t free stuff, or the people who promise to give you more free stuff.
Here’s another little hint. Vilifying people for having a different perspective or priorities doesn’t make a person right, it just makes them an intolerant ass. Using or threatening to use force to try and change other’s views doesn’t make for a moral plan for change, it just makes the aggressor an evil bastard. The last western country that seriously ramped up rhetoric, divisiveness, and that had an echo chamber problem was Yugoslavia. Do a little research and see how well that worked out for Slavs. Peace, Out.
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