Reply #44: Illusion

[Astarho]

I think Illusion is the key to it. The concept that Indians call Maya

• How has the GOP been able to sustain the myth of the American Dream in light of these developments?

Many people can maintain the "illusion of affluence". They have a nice house (renting), two cars (used), a DVD player and other nice things, and live in a nice part of town. Of course they are one paycheck away from not making next month's rent, then having to sell all those things like the DVD player, but they want to believe that they are in that "top 1%"

• Why has the class warfare argument been so successful?

Because peoiple are afraid to fight it. How many times have we seen a pundit on TV say something to an interviewee like "you're not suggesting class warfare are you?" or "That sounds like class warfare to me" and watch the interviewee stammer, stumble and backtrack to try to disavow it. Plus class warfare can easily be equated with Communism, which Americans are programmed from birth to hate and fear.

• How can we best shatter people's illusions with the truth?

In the Matrix, Morpheus says to Neo most people are not ready to be unplugged, he was more right then you know. People will fight for their Illusion, no matter how bad they are, since the alternative is the complete destruction of their worldview, and to an extant, their identity. When they miss that rent check, and lose the nice house and all the stuff and have to live in one of those used cars, then they'll realize that they are not in the "top 1%"

• Can true democracy thrive in such an economic climate?

Of course not, but it is one of the Illusions mentioned above, one of which is that Democracy is real and their vote does count (and is counted) even though those with the money have already lobbied to have laws written to benefit them.

• What steps can Democrats take to reverse these trends?

I have yet to see any evidence that any Democrats (outside of a few brave loners like Kucinich, who they call "unelectable" anyway) have the desire to reverse these trends.

• Is it really necessary to have a more egalitarian society or is social Darwinism acceptable?

For most people, a little Social Darwinism is acceptable until they are on the recieving end. People are not used to having an egalitarian society, and while many will point out that no society can be truely egalitarian, we can make things a little better for the poor people. But it comes back to illusions, people think "if you work hard you can achieve" but while they're working for the moneyed interests, those same moneyed interests are making it harder for anyone to break out of poverty.

One of the greatest weapons of the gods was to promise people whatever they would ask for and then give them the illusion they have it already.