A new CNN article. Now we learn that Americans prefer "Merry Christmas" in greater numbers than last year. This is the scariest thing about our new political landscape, to me: the ease with which our view of reality can be manipulated.
I wish they had asked about (or, reported) how closely respondents had been following the chrismahol issue in the media. It would be nice to know whether attitudes have changed more among those who have been watching the assault (I won't say "debate"). I would expect a very strong relationship.
According to Steven Lukes, true power is the ability to convince people that they want what you want, even when what you want will actually leave them penniless, endangered, and spiritually bereft. They pick up your banner, and you sit back and watch your battles fought for you. Conservatives have been masters of this in recent years--and they add an ingenious twist. They manage to do it while portraying themselves as powerless and oppressed; not only disinterested parties, a la Lukes, but cowering and helpless innocents. So "Happy Holidays" is an attack, the fact that students must learn science is a manifestation of tyranny.
Even the thoughtful and intelligent among us aren't immune to the crafting of our reality. I just hope some rational voices start chiming in again soon!
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