I don't think they are incapable (most of them). They just aren't any good at it and have an inborn need to have simple ready answers. My personal belief is that the concept of "I don't know for sure" scares them and the human mind will erect all kinds of bizarre structures to protect itself from fear. From what I can see that runs the gamut from what happens after we die, to how to structure a society's economy, to Stockholm Syndrome.
The reason why I posted Jordan's supporters in his district are incapable of critical thinking is because they haven't thought through what Jordan is actively trying to do and what the likely end result would be if he succeeded. If you asked his constituents in the district what Jordan has done to make their lives better, the likely answer would be along the lines of "he fights dem libruls". The dopamine hit these people experience when Jordan goes on Fox or steamrolls through a committee hearing is not the same thing a tangible legislative accomplishment. His constituents want to feel a certain way instead of looking at what Jordan has actually accomplished, which is fuck-all. Do you think any of these people consider what life would look like under an autocrat? Do you think that any of these people can actually articulate a coherent view of what the role of the government should be?
I bring up Tom Nichols a lot, and his view is these people neither appreciate nor understand how good they have it compared to other people in less affluent countries. As a result, they don't understand that the nihilism that Jordan and others of his ilk indulge in has a deleterious effect on our civic health. It's like watching WWE or some mindless shit like that. So that's what I mean by they're incapable of critical thinking. They're not looking rationally at the consequences of Jordan being successful at unravelling our democracy. They're not asking the right questions. It's all about how they feel at any given moment.
And maybe at some point too much available information is the same as not enough. I assume that a large percentage of us commenting here are retired, with time enough to explore the news details beyond macro. When I was younger and very busy, this tsunami of news options didnтАЩt exist. So now people almost have to choose a news lane, otherwise known as a тАЬbubbleтАЭ. Maybe less was actually more, back in the day.
Not related, but your comment reminds me of something George Harrison used to say, when asked for the whatever-thousandth time what it was like to be a Beatle. He responded with, "What's it like not to be a Beatle?". Takeaway: those who live inside a bubble don't know how it is to be normal on the outside. The difference being that, in the case of MAGA, they also don't care and wouldn't change that, and their placement, for anything.
I wonder what it's like to be totally incapable of critical thinking like those voters are.
That's the problem with a majority of people.
I don't think they are incapable (most of them). They just aren't any good at it and have an inborn need to have simple ready answers. My personal belief is that the concept of "I don't know for sure" scares them and the human mind will erect all kinds of bizarre structures to protect itself from fear. From what I can see that runs the gamut from what happens after we die, to how to structure a society's economy, to Stockholm Syndrome.
You may be right.
The reason why I posted Jordan's supporters in his district are incapable of critical thinking is because they haven't thought through what Jordan is actively trying to do and what the likely end result would be if he succeeded. If you asked his constituents in the district what Jordan has done to make their lives better, the likely answer would be along the lines of "he fights dem libruls". The dopamine hit these people experience when Jordan goes on Fox or steamrolls through a committee hearing is not the same thing a tangible legislative accomplishment. His constituents want to feel a certain way instead of looking at what Jordan has actually accomplished, which is fuck-all. Do you think any of these people consider what life would look like under an autocrat? Do you think that any of these people can actually articulate a coherent view of what the role of the government should be?
I bring up Tom Nichols a lot, and his view is these people neither appreciate nor understand how good they have it compared to other people in less affluent countries. As a result, they don't understand that the nihilism that Jordan and others of his ilk indulge in has a deleterious effect on our civic health. It's like watching WWE or some mindless shit like that. So that's what I mean by they're incapable of critical thinking. They're not looking rationally at the consequences of Jordan being successful at unravelling our democracy. They're not asking the right questions. It's all about how they feel at any given moment.
And maybe at some point too much available information is the same as not enough. I assume that a large percentage of us commenting here are retired, with time enough to explore the news details beyond macro. When I was younger and very busy, this tsunami of news options didnтАЩt exist. So now people almost have to choose a news lane, otherwise known as a тАЬbubbleтАЭ. Maybe less was actually more, back in the day.
Not related, but your comment reminds me of something George Harrison used to say, when asked for the whatever-thousandth time what it was like to be a Beatle. He responded with, "What's it like not to be a Beatle?". Takeaway: those who live inside a bubble don't know how it is to be normal on the outside. The difference being that, in the case of MAGA, they also don't care and wouldn't change that, and their placement, for anything.