“Never underestimate the power of human stupidity;” said professor Robert Heinlein. Today I witnessed some powerful stupidity that strangely could, in the final analysis, actually benefit the progressive cause.
Today at lunch I overheard one of the most politically ignorant, wing-nut, blow-hards ever in my 64 years. He was holding court with two of his co-workers in a Pizza buffet. The things he had to say were so jaw-droppingly, mind bogglingly stupid; I could not stop listening. Follow me past the orange squiggles for the payoff.
I am retired and my wife works part time most week days, so I have many lunches by myself. Today I stopped in one of my favorite Louisville east-end Pizza places for the week-day lunch buffet. Two empty tables away from my booth were three apparent co-workers; identified by the polo shirts with company logos (which I won’t reveal.)
The three at the table were (1) the ‘big blow hard” who was in his 50’s, had a deep booming voice and didn’t mind sharing his “intelligent” observations with not only his co-workers but with sufficient volume not to be ignored by the entire room, (2) his smaller, skinnier, younger sycophant who at least nodded in agreement with BBH and sometimes offered comments and (3) a small, quiet guy between the ages of the first two who said nothing. (I suspect he is a democrat who knows better than to challenge his aggressively stupid companions.)
If BBH was not a tea bagger he certainly was a sympathizer. He expressed great disdain for liberals and democrats. He subscribes to the myth of left-wing control of all media but it was not his opinions that were so startlingly stupid. He had command of a litany of “facts” that would be to the far right of Faux news on one of Roger Ailes’s most reactionary days
Highlights:
• Obama’s re-election will result in the nationalization of all small businesses starting January 1, 2013.
• This will coincide with the start of firearm confiscation
• Obamacare already provides free health care to anyone who is too lazy to work or whose employer is too cheap to provide coverage
However, the above actually came on the heels of the first statement I overheard soon after my first trip to the buffet line. It was all I could do to keep from spitting out a bite of salad when I heard what he was saying.
This is the mother of all right-wing conspiracy theories. The thought even crossed my mind that this guy was pulling the legs of coworkers he knew to be less informed. However, from watching his face; I have to say, if so, he is one hell of an actor.
I can’t reconstruct the exact quotes but the gist is that:
• Obama has contracted for all the votes in the November general election to be counted only by computers.
• The computers doing the counting will be located outside the US so as to be out of the jurisdiction of any lawmaker or official who might wish to challenge the outcome.
• The arrangements have been made with a company in Spain.
• There will be no paper trail.
• The results of the count are not subject to change or challenge.
• Both parties in the House and the Senate are both in on the scam
BBH contends that due to the above and that because food stamp, Obamacare and/or welfare recipients greatly outnumber working people like themselves; THERE WILL BE AN OBAMA LANDSLIDE VICTORY IN THE FALL.
The payoff?
This guy has CT’ed himself into a belief set wherein voting for a Rethug is meaningless. In his mind the fix is in. I heard him repeat variation of the rhetorical “what are you gonna do?” “What can one person do?” or “What’s the use?” at least 10 times.
While I could hope that many on the right would come to decide an Obama win is inevitable (for whatever reason); the penchant for many on the right for “2nd amendment” solutions is a sobering thought.
I would be interested to hear if others have picked up on similar lunacy; especially using the Spanish to apparently bypass the electoral college process or the nationalization of small businesses on 1/1/2013. I mean, we all know gun confiscation starts then, right?
6:14 PM PT: Rec list for the first time. Thank you readers.