Stupidity Reacts and the Stupid Respond

Observing the underhanded tactics of the right.

Shirley Sherrod

(WINDSOR, N.H.) - Earlier this week, the highly paid on-air bunglers and hatchet persons of FOX NEWS (Rupert Murdoch’s disinfotainment network widely followed by the highly dumbed-down sheeple of the GOP [Grandiose Obstructionist Poltroons] and their bastard child, Tea Party), covered the illegitimate charge, by cunningly stupid con artist Andrew Breitbart, of racism on the part of Shirley Sherrod (Now former USDA employee). This charge was, as most who follow real news know, based on a selectively edited video of a speech Ms Sherrod made in March of this year in which she recounted her own awakening, years before her employ at USDA, of what poor independent farmers faced in terms of keeping and maintaining the viability of their farms in America and her part in helping these farmers. Her admissions, on tape, were both honest and clearly expressive of her personal realization that this issue was not racial. It was about poverty.

As was the case, last year, with the Breitbart assault on ACORN (another case of selective editing which prompted the rapid de-funding of ACORN by a rabid Congress) a reactionary government body immediately called for severing ties with the intended target of Breitbart and FOX. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, so incensed by what little he actually knew of the Sherrod affair, forced her to pull her car to the side of the road on which she was then traveling and submit her resignation on her Blackberry. To the surprise of some, this reaction by Vilsack was fully supported by President Barack Obama (who actually knew less of the affair than Vilsack). Of further surprise, was immediate support of this reaction from NAACP President & CEO, Ben Jealous (who actually had access to the entire speech of Ms. Sherrod).

Accused, and with no opportunity to defend herself in any legal forum (in fact, Sherrod was not allowed to offer her side, in private, with any of her vilifiers), Shirley Sherrod, a conscientious and enlightened worker, was immediately convicted.

Again, as was the case with Breitbart’s assault on ACORN, alternative media demonstrated Breitbart’s deception. Exposing Breitbart’s deception was, unfortunately for ACORN, not as rapid as with the Sherrod affair. ACORN was penalized both in public vilification and loss of funding to such an extent that it subsequently dissolved. Once exposed, Ms. Sherrod was offered quick apology from the Whitehouse, apology and a job offer from USDA, and apology from NAACP. ACORN, on the other hand, never received an apology and, in spite of a justice’s decision pro, was not re-funded.

The Social Media Reaction: The Twits of Twitter

OK.. Story exposed, recounted, and dissected on the various media “talking head” shows. Rachel Maddow points out the obvious absurdity of the Whitehouse falling for another Breitbart/Fox smear job. Vilsack calls affair a “discomfort” for Sherrod in his apology. Dick Morris calls Sherrod “Reverend Wright in a dress”. Gibbs blathers the obvious “We acted without knowing all the facts”. The FOX on-air asshats, as sociopaths true to their mental disorders, pointed blame at everyone but themselves while protecting their cunning psycho-source, Breitbart. Social media, like Twitter and the million blogs, exploded in assaults against Breitbart and FOX ...and the liberal defenders of everything Democratic Party and Barack Obama began an assault against anyone who dared to hold the President and his administration accountable for his and their reactionary response. I, and many other Twitter key-pounders, have felt (and continue to feel) this wrath. Jeremy Scahill, a young man for whom I have deep respect and admiration for his thoughtful commentary, exceptional research and journalistic integrity, humility and timely humour, twitted best the following: “Apparently I missed this “liberal” Twitter rule: Don’t criticize the Obama Administration even when it is wrong.”

Morality Play

There is a moral obligation of apology from anyone making rash judgments which negatively affect the innocent. In present society, some Psychologists, Counselors, and Sociologists, recognize and comment about an ever increasing sociopathology, particularly amongst the corporate and ruling class and those individuals otherwise lumped into the “Type-A” personality, that while allowing for apology, when caught in an egregious act, such apology is concomitant with deflection, external blaming and internal denial. In other words, a total absence of sincerity. Typically, such “apology” is offered as a means to prevent any perceived or genuine loss of status, brush away any unpleasant media attention, and, subconsciously cover up any defect in personality. In such circumstances, any semblance of atonement and compensation for harms is placed in the hands of underlings whose positions are specifically designed to handle the mechanics of “damage control”. Typically, these are paid “party” followers. Alternately for these sociopaths, there exists a sycophant following which, while they may be initially surprised or even shocked by the behaviours of their “saviors”, fail or refuse to look, sub rosa, at either their acts or motives, blindly accept whatever measure of apology and atonement offered, and religiously defend them. Moralistically, these sycophants can be viewed as unwitting accomplices.

There exists, however, an increasing subset of sociopaths who understand they can continuously present harm absent any realistic expectation, from observers or victims, of either acknowledgment or apology for their egregious acts. For these, there exists a base of supporters who, with sycophantic zeal, are committed to ignoring any real or plausible intentional deception, fraud, or other potentially criminal act. Some work in tandem to promote these intentional harms. These followers, in a moral sense, can be looked upon as witting accomplices.

To be fair, in either group of sycophants there exists a sizable percentage of benignly stupid individuals who simply follow the herd most common to their social strata. These are the individuals who, if told black is now white, repeat the mantra without ever looking at the motives. For them, the message is little more than something they believe will express “their” beliefs if placed on a sign and paraded at rallies. While many leading therapists will suggest that most sociopaths are typically of high intelligence (and there are indicators that this may, in some respects, be true), closer observation reveals that there is, more appropriately, a charismatic appeal that creates an impression of higher intellectual status in comparison only to those margins who are captivated by this charisma.

I will not attempt, here, to detail my sense of why Barack Obama, Tom Vilsack or Benjamin Jealous individually demonstrated their bizarrely irrational reactions to the Breitbart/FOX deception. Nor will I direct further commentary on the sycophant phenomenon or the nature of psychopathic behaviour in relation to this issue. I will, however, suggest that in the case of all three (Obama, Vilsack and Jealous) a miscalculation was not the primary antecedent nor was it that, as Jealous offered “We were snookered by FOX News and Andrew Breitbart.” What, in my opinion, is a more apt observation comes from Forrest Gump.. “Stupid is as stupid does”.

A final observation, and one I sincerely hope more people will consider thoroughly, is how seriously frightening it is to observe people in power reacting in the manner demonstrated through this Sherrod affair.. an affair that, by comparison to the more serious issues presently facing both the US and the world, was barely worth acting upon.

He is the Creator of Thought Addiction programs (Lectures Seminars & Workshops) (Intensive 21 day Addiction Recovery Programs designed for Artists, Actors, Musicians & Industry Leaders) residing in New Hampshire (US). (The Website for M. Dennis Paul, Ph.D. is currently under reconstruction)

Contact: mdp54@gsinet.net 1-603-478-1544 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-603-478-1544 end_of_the_skype_highlighting Twitter: @mdp4202