Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Why Advocacy Groups are Bad for the U.S.? (Part II)

Propaganda and Propensity – Whether we are in agreement or not, we all have been brainwashed to some extent; it is just a matter as to how much. For example, if you watch or read opinion news sources you have been brainwashed. And the more you read and watch opinion news sources the more brainwashed you will become. The key to propaganda is use fear mongering tactics to scare you into their way of thinking and to use repetition to get their message locked into our brains. Corporations use the same tactics with commercials. I believe as a society we are becoming weaker and our overall intellect is dwindling (partly due to reliance on technology and the disappearance of social skills - loners), hence we are more susceptible to be brainwashed. Besides, there is a large populous that would like no other than to have our governing bodies make all their decisions for them largely because they incapable, irresponsible, unaccountable, and lazy. I may side more with the views of Limbaugh or Hannity, but I guarantee you I came to the same conclusions in a vastly different and in a more analytical fashion. In fact, I avoid reading or watching any news items anymore. I merely read titles and devise my point of view from analyzing data. In many cases, the media and government use propaganda techniques to divert attention from one advocacy group to another. For instance, the government and media were successfully able to shift focus from anti-government groups over the IRS scandal to civil rights advocacy groups over the Trayvon Martin trial.

Problem Solving – We have become a nation of problem creators and not problem solvers. To solve a problem you need to be creative and to think outside of the box. And since an advocacy group has an extreme and narrow point of view there is no way to properly solve the problem they are advocating for. For instance, to solve climate change one side wants to punish companies who emit CO2 instead of finding a solution that would be beneficial to all. Their proposal is merely to create a shift in power – not equally dividing the power. In fact, this is how most issues are resolved. Most laws, mandates, rules, and regulations are not enforced equally amongst individuals, localities, states, organizations, and corporations – ObamaCare is a good example. The Senate immigration law is another example. Anytime a law is over 2000 pages long it is because lobbyists and special interest groups have carved out exceptions for their constituents and thereby complicating the law in an unfair manner.

Production and Prosperity – In many cases, the advocacy group is merely pushing an idea. They create nothing tangible like a product that will create jobs to help the economy. Gay marriage and PETA advocacy groups are a perfect example. They are pushing an ideology. The only people getting wealthy from these organizations are lawyers and lobbyists. What a waste of money. Most advocacy groups who employ lawyers are the worst. Lawyers do not create anything, but merely find a way to garner more power at the expense of others.

Proficiency – There is nothing proficient (mastery of a subject) about advocacy group solutions to problems. In education the solution is to test students to meet a minimum set of requirements for a few subjects. Many subjects are ignored and nothing is done to maximize student test results. Unions’ solution to achieve proficiency is to eliminate competition in education and to provide everyone an award for trying – how is that proficient? This is mediocrity at best.

Procrastination – The overabundance of advocacy groups creates tons of local, state, and federal bureaucracy that leads to the procrastination of more important issues such as our economy and jobs.

5 comments:

  1. Don’t forget the role of public schools when it comes to brainwashing and dumbing down the citizenry. I know there are great teachers like your wife out there too but unfortunately the Left’s influence on our education system cannot be undone by them.

    Not to sound like a broken record but so many of the problems we face as a country, including the power grabs of special interest groups, can be solved simply by limiting the power of the federal government to the way it was intended under the Constitution. Then there’d be nothing for them to fight over. But that’s always the rub – how do we get back there?

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    1. As usual, excellent point CW. Schools may be the biggest brainwashing factory in our country.

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  2. I have expended the time, energy, and my mind to pursue "natural law", the rational and logic analysis of what can and cannot make sense of the observable world around us. The result for me is a set of hierarchical truths.

    When I encounter assertions which don't square with those truths, I recheck them. So far, the truths win.

    I actively support and participate in Tea Parties, the Heritage Foundation, Heritage Action, Heritage Sentinels, and Heritage Leaders Club. Each advocates with rare exception positions consistent with my truths.

    I don't think per se "advocacy groups are bad for the U.S."

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    1. I strongly disagree. If you can think for yourself you do not need to join tea party or political party. I find the Heritage Foundation to loaded with a bunch of phonies too. They only want money. They send me surveys all the time but they publish the results of the surveys - it is all about getting a contribution and make you feel like your opinion matters. I have written to them about this and of course they have not responded. I have a low opinion of the Heritage Foundation as well - regardless if I agree with most of their ideas. We can't say liberal think tanks are bad and conservative ones are good - that is hypocrisy.

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    2. Great point, Pat. If you can sing for yourself, no reason to join a choir. Hard to understand why the Lions Club or Rotary ever got started.

      Silly me, I plan to join with likely millions of other like-minded folks on the West Lawn of the Capitol Tuesday September 10 to try to intimidate some in Congress re: the upcoming budget process and the defunding of "Obamacare". I've already thought it through and blogged on it. And I've sold my congressman on my position. So why add my voice to an "advocacy group"?

      As to some think tanks being bad and some good, I don't judge them by their being, but rather on what they do. There is truth and untruth. There is good and evil. There is right and wrong.

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