An idea

[RichardE]

Me and a friend were talking during lunch between classes today and he asked why do americans seem so indifferent to all the scandals, and spying ect. We battered around a few ideas, and one came up.

Americans seem indifferent to the corruption, the spying, the big brother theme of the current America because they had already suspected the government does the things it does. They had already came to this conclusion through movies, books and conspiracy theories. So when evidence is finally given that these things indeed do happen, Americans have a sense of "oh so it is true" rather than "What a disgracefull thing for our country"

 

[Genx87]

I think it is more through what they have done in the past.

And it probably started with the JFK assasination. You had LBJ getting us involved with Vietnam with no definate goals. Nixon with watergate. Reagan had Iran Contra. Clinton had White Water, Travelgate, and non-stop scandals and Bush has Abramhoff, lack of WMD, and the NSA listening in on phone calls without a warrant.

I think scandals like these probably have happened throughout history but the media has had a tigher leash in the past so we didnt know about them or they were glossed over.

 

[2Xtreme21]

I think the majority of Americans don't care recently because nothing has hit them nearly as close to home as 9/11 did. It's going to take something like that again (or something that will affect their day to day lives-- ridiculous gas prices, etc.) for them to care.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Genx87
I think it is more through what they have done in the past.

I finally agree with you Genx87. Name one significant stretch of government anywhere in the world and anytime in history that didn't have controvercy. Americans tend to feel all politicians are corrupt, so why bother replacing one corrupt politician with another corrupt politician.

But I think the bigger reason is that overall, things are still good. Nothing really bad has happened to America in ~75 years. I don't want to gloss over 9-11, but honestly the loss of life there was quite minor compared to the big problems in history. American's still feel free, they still have jobs, they still have plenty of goods on the shelves of stores, they still bring home plenty of goods. Nothing really, really bad has happened in generations.

 

[1EZduzit]

I think it's because most of them are way to busy trying to survive day to day to have the time to do anything about it and they see it as a waste of their time to try to do anything about it.

 

[Todd33]

Power corrupts, we are all just numb from non-stop scandel. It also doesn't help that we are for the most part fat, lazy and ignorant.

 

[Genx87]

Things like this also add into the fray.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/26/alito/index.html

The guy isnt even doing his job by debating and discussing Alito's appointment before the vote and then tries to get other people to do his dirty work.

At least have the sack to come back and lead the Filibuster yourself instead of whisking yourself away to Switzerland on the tax payers expense.

 

[Todd33]

Originally posted by: Genx87
Things like this also add into the fray.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/26/alito/index.html

The guy isnt even doing his job by debating and discussing Alito's appointment before the vote and then tries to get other people to do his dirty work.

At least have the sack to come back and lead the Filibuster yourself instead of whisking yourself away to Switzerland on the tax payers expense.

Kerry, in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, was marshaling support in phone calls during the day, Henry said.

I suppose he should be in Ireland playing golf with Indian money?

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Todd33

Originally posted by: Genx87
Things like this also add into the fray.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/26/alito/index.html

The guy isnt even doing his job by debating and discussing Alito's appointment before the vote and then tries to get other people to do his dirty work.

At least have the sack to come back and lead the Filibuster yourself instead of whisking yourself away to Switzerland on the tax payers expense.

Kerry, in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, was marshaling support in phone calls during the day, Henry said.

I suppose he should be in Ireland playing golf with Indian money?

How about in the senate doing his job? There is a novel idea!

 

[Zebo]

Americans don't care because we're fat rich and happy. Wait a couple three years when the sh1t hits the fan for years of irresponsibility and graft. If you're a student of american history you'll see the same patterns it's like a roller coaster we are in 1924 again.

 

[Moonbeam]

I think the American people are on average indifferent to scandals and corruption because because they have voted these people in themselves because they are just like them. The sh!t we have in office is a mirror of who we are.

 

[Rainsford]

People are shortsighted. Unless you can offen them a set of immediate consequences for what goes on, nobody gives a damn. All you have to do is look at how much debt the average person has to realize this is true.