My college geography professor had a great saying

[Ardent15]

He was referring to how he slowly increased the difficulty of his classes overtime, instead of starting out the year with difficult classes. That way, his students wouldn't drop his courses if they knew they they would be too difficult at the beginning of the year.

The saying was something like this:

"A frog that is put in a pan that is too hot will jump out, but a frog that is put in a pan in which the temperature is slowly turned up will stay, even though it is being killed."

Doesn't this apply to what has happened in America-and in the world? People don't notice the negative change immediately, and by the time they do notice it, it is too late to stop the momentum of the negative change.

Think about how the war on unions has changed things in the workplace, or how the political pendulum has swung further and further to the right, or how the disparities in income and wealth between the rich and poor has increased, to name just a few examples.

Things don't change for the worse for most people immediately. It is change that is incremental, subtle, and full of distractions.

[Oregone]

1. Well I never took a course in frog torture

But I think that professor should be fired!

[ret5hd]

13. Why?

[Catshrink]

2. Good analysis...

Add to it what's happening with privatization of health care and education.

[State the Obvious]

3. We adapt.....and adapt.....and adapt.....until it's over.....

....and we never know what happened.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Glen Beck used that frog in boiling water story

And I thought that had been debunked right here on DU. :shrug:

[Ardent15]

6. Oh really?

Sorry, my bad.

I don't watch Glenn Beck (obviously) so I don't know what he spouts most of the time.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Here it's on Snopes

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/frogboil.asp

[Ardent15]

10. Thanks

Learn something new everyday.

[anigbrowl]

11. so has Al Gore...it's just a popular and lame cliche

Incidentally the Chinese character for 'crisis' does NOT also mean 'opportunity'. Chinese people make fun of white people for their constant habit of saying this in motivational speeches.

[Bozita]

5. It's a bit different during a crisis. ... See Naomi Klein's "Disaster Capitalism"

[HCE SuiGeneris]

7. I don't know what the hell you are talking about.

Pardon me while I wipe my brow...

[lib2DaBone]

9. I know what you are talking about.. I'm no stranger to the rain...

I have done job re-training 3 'friggin times since Ronnie Raygun in 1980.

Each time I went to school, lost wages, and came back at less money than I wa making before.

Go IT, High Tech! Computers.. RAH RAH RAH... then they sent all the work to India. Or brought in workers on HB1V.

So, yes.. I do understand the Frog analogy. Only I call it BOHICA (bend over here it comes again).

[handmade34]

my college geography/geology prof

was a (reformed) previous employee (geologist) of shell and was frustrated and passionate and he repeatedly told all the younger students how pathetic it was that kids can't think anymore... he was awesome!

[handmade34]

12. my college geography/geology prof

was a (reformed) previous employee (geologist) of shell and was frustrated and passionate and he repeatedly told all the younger students how pathetic it was that kids can't think anymore... he was awesome!