No blogging last night, since my wife and I, along with a bunch of other Groton Dems, went to Montville to attend Joe Courtney’s town hall meeting on health care. I can only say I’m glad that I go swimming every morning, because the chlorine in the pool had to be at least partially effective in disinfecting me.
I’ve never experienced sustained exposure to an unreasoning, hostile mob before. These people are impervious to facts, reason, or the lessons any rational person would draw from everyday experience. They firmly believe any internet rumor that strikes their fancy, never thinking to fact check the most outlandish statement. (Example: a person who serves a single term in Congress is entitled to a pension at full pay for the rest of his or her life. The truth is here, among other places). The level of ignorance was exceeded only by the level of hostility, and this one was probably mild in comparison to some of these things. Mindless repetition of meaningless Fox talking points (why is the length of the bill a meaningful criticism? What would one expect of a complex bill?) and refusal to take an answer for an answer. (Joe explained “where the money was coming from”, at least 4 times, even using that dreaded word “taxes”, but they kept insisting he hadn’t answered the question, because they didn’t get the answer they wanted, which isn’t surprising, because their position appears to be that the question is unanswerable.) A mindless herd just waiting for a demagogue. God help us.
In a few minutes I’ll be heading to Drinking Liberally, where I’ll be able to engage in some rational discourse while a beer or two completes the work of all that chlorine.
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