Forum Post: Aliterate Electorate: Three-quarters of Americans have either heard “a little” (36 percent) or “nothing at all”
Posted 11 years ago on Aug. 23, 2012, 5:05 p.m. EST by gsw
(3410)
from Woodbridge Township, NJ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
http://www.politico.com//blogs/burns-haberman/2012/08/the-unknown-super-pacs-130868.html
The unknown super PACs
By EMILY SCHULTHEIS | 8/2/12 7:38 AM EDT
We've seen plenty of attacks on super PACs and outside spending this year: from Obama and the Democrats as the general election has gotten underway, and from GOP candidates like Newt Gingrich back during the primaries.
But those attacks may have little resonance with an American public that knows little about super PACs, per new data out this morning. Via the Fix, a new Pew Research poll shows just how unknown the concept of the new campaign finance rules really are:
Three-quarters of Americans have either heard “a little” (36 percent) or “nothing at all” (39 percent) about “increased spending in this year’s presidential election by outside groups not associated with the candidates or campaigns.”
Aliteracy (sometimes spelled alliteracy) is the state of being able to read but being uninterested in doing so. This phenomenon has been reported on as a problem occurring separately from illiteracy, which is more common in the developing world, while aliteracy is primarily a problem in the developed world.[1] In 2002, John Ramsey defined aliteracy as a loss of a reading habit usually since reading is slow and frustrating for the reader...Wikipedia
Aliteracy - I believe is a very serious problem - reading keeps the mind sharp and gives it much needed exercise. Reading allows one to take time to think about the material at hand - to examine at leisure - to contemplate. Information thrown at people today be it TV or Radio or Internet is often at a pace that speeds by the cognitive process. You end up with having seen highlights and missed much of any depth - if there was any depth presented.
I have heard that illiteracy was also the inability to understand historical and literature references. But I like the new coined word. Though I would have to add that the hours needed to work in order to sustain a family is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to alituracy.
Yes: Working to support the family, take care of kids, homework, cooking, cleaning washing, shuttling kids to activities, medical, maintain cars and yard, school activities, sports, etc; trying to get to gym, pets, etc all take time and energy.
We are so overworked, many are aliterate. Hence Jay Leno's J-Walking, where people are illiterate politically and historically, partially caused from aliteracy.
People could choose to be literate politically, but it is simpler to be politically aliterate -- leave the governing to the experts.
Problem is, we are supposed to have an educated, empowered population to conduct a proper democratic-republic.
I want to read the new Chris Hedges book, Days of Destruction Days of Revolt, a graphic novel, but it is incompatible with my ipad kindle app. I find the text easier on the eyes with the kindle. I think it has to do with the lighting.
Recently I have found quite interesting " A People's History of the United States".
It was sad how the newcomers made the Caribbean native population provide gold each few months, or be executed. the natives welcomed the newcomers, had no notion of possessions, and would give away everything if one asked. The people had no value to the newcomers, just to be used as slave labor, or exterminated.
Seeing all the people who get info from Faux News, or support Chick Fillet, or the mad wings of the political parties.
People have had to work hard these last years, since Clinton, just to get by, and keep the little they had worked for. Then they were shocked and awed, when their property values crashed, and the bank bunch walked away as the economic saviors, rewarded for saving the economy with bonuses supplied by the taxpayers. And they were given false hope for a quick fix, but the politicians didn't do enough for the common person, or claimed the deficit was exploding and obama blew it up, and he was a foreigner.
But they have been programed to look to their political party to bring prosperity. A system which now is sort of broken, and the big players, like the bankers, like it that way, cause they can be rewarded, by an aliterate populace, elected in a constitutional manner, fleece the people, and gain personal wealth.
The politicians don't want to change the system, the 1 percent don't want to change it, the aliterate are happy riding around in pickups with gun racks and bibles, looking for spooks in the closet, the skapegoats, the gays, the terrorists, and foreigners and the other party, who is making their lives unbearable.
You almost need to get through to them with cartoons, or comic movies with super heroes.
Wow, I loved every word even the commercial you snuck in there. I'll have to see if they sell Kindals second hand.
The "People's History..." is a good book so was "Disaster Capitalism..."
Right now I'm kind of seeing this through the eyes of Upton Sinclair's "Oil." It breaks my heart to believe that this is the best the human ego can cumulatively create. I don't find either party evil. Our only mistake is that we demonize those who don't toe the line. But, hey, that is ego.
The true 1st failing was the people not getting involved and then staying involved to help guide government.
someone should do an ows grapic novel
or comic book type text with pictures, to break it down for an aliterate electorate
Hell - get the kids to explain it all to their parents.
sure, but break it down so the common joe can see what has happened.
how the congress is bought, the oil lobbyists who spend 1 dollar and get a 30 dollar return from congress $270,000 an hour goes to big oil.
how both parties do a dance, a laurel and hardy side show, and the puppet masters of the PACs ensure tax breaks for millionaires.
how the middle class has shrank, and earned less money
Do some realistic characters, some people who have lost everything, maybe ended up in the streets. wind up at ows, and get ruffed up, and have their hopes dashed once again.
one character could be a news person
main character might be a kid, or family who was bankrupt from medical expenses.
this could be a popular book.
yes, it could even be a kid's book: maybe the kid has cancer and lives in Texas.
even better...a movie version.
Sounds like a real life Hunger Games
Could be a popular series of graphic novels. Could bounce through history to tie relevant issues together - cause effect remedies mistakes lessons etc
during American revolution, they used pamphlets with comic graphics to get their points accross. I don't know if the people were any more literate back then
here's another media option....I'm a romney girl in a romney world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v4PWW301JM
something silly but accessible to the masses, as seen on on Chris Mathews 8-24
That's why the pictures were so popular - cause even the slow to read could get a lot of information from the pictures.
Ybasically, our government has been stolen by lobbyists, our republic has been hijacked by the rich and international corporatists, so Jefferson would of course understand, and deem it their duty, for the people to become active, to restore the power to the people.
I was watching something, the Ed show, I believe. 8-23-12
Saudi Arabia collects 80 percent royalties from oil corps. Iran 80 percent royalities from oil. USA collect just 12 percent royalties from land oil and 20 percent royalties from sea oil.
Think of all that wasted money. When we have the technology to be basically energy independent - each and every country. Independent and CLEAN. Independent and low cost. Independent and lots of employment. Independent and peaceful.
This is possible - Right Now.
Aliturasy, good stuff. What you got worth reading Emily? Election pamflets? Pew studies? The common peeps don't know enuf about the issues? You maybe workin for the leag of wymn voters? We've had about enuf of bein ruled by edjicated snobs and we not be lisnen.