The recent elections represent a defeat for not only the Democratic Party, but also the American people, particularly the middle and working classes. Here's how it happened...
Like many liberals, I woke this morning wondering how we ended up in this mess. With both houses of Congress in GOP hands, although neither by a wide margin, it looks like the best we can hope for is more stale mate. It's shocking to think back to how much enthusiasm President Obama entered office with, and how many down turns our country has taken politically since then.
There is, of course, a lot of blame to go around. President Obama has not been a strong or effective leader, while the Congressional and Senate Democrats have been useless. Many of the Democratic candidates were lackluster Democrats in Name Only. Nevertheless, it might be good to spare a few minutes to look in the mirror.
Last night's electoral disaster happened because the American people have been defeated by their own success. They have grown complacent thanks to decades of prosperity. They have allowed themselves to be anesthetized by endless marathons of junk TV, as well as the allure of cheap plastic junk.
Nowadays, most people get more excited about the newest iPhone than about political issues or elections. They more readily identify the Kardashians than who's running for office. Much of our entertainment is what Orwell would have described as prolefeed, garbage intended to dull the mind. For lack of a better description, we are a nation of dullards.
This may not be entirely accidental.
In science fiction novels like 1984, dystopias are always portrayed as being reliant on violent repression or torture. However, in reality, the increasing dominance of the rich is rooted in a distracted, complacent populace. If people care more about pseudo-celebrities than political issues, they are unlikely to rebel against a corrupt government.
To be clear, I do not think our modern culture of distraction is rooted in some sort of Alex Jones-esque conspiracy. Much of it is simply a case of entertainment companies pursuing the lowest common denominator. However, I think there have been some deliberate contributions, via poor funding of public education and a news media that focuses more on sound bites than content.