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Monday, September 15, 2008

Bread and Circuses

Why is OJ Simpson the headline story on CNN.com when we have breaking news on a financial crisis in the U.S.?

Is it that they think we are stupid, or are we really stupid?

"Oh noes, they have tape of an angry OJ on the phone! Let's all listen!"

12 comments:

  1. "Is it that they think we are stupid, or are we really stupid?"

    Ooh, I vote the latter.

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  2. As the Latins said, panem et circenses.

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  3. Pretty much.

    Like anyone REALLY cares what happens to OJ at this point?

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  4. It's the same type of tactic that magicians use to make you look somewhere else while they take the elephant out of their sleeves. Not too surprising in an election year.

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  5. They don't think we are stupid, it's that the news folks are lazy. You don't really have to explain the O.J. situation, i.e.: held people in a room, took stuff not belonging to him.

    to explain the financial mess you have to start explaining financial terms and putting stuff into historical context. whew. imagine how tiring the latter story would be for the press.

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  6. Anonymous3:33 PM

    Sarah Palin is our possible vice-president. We are considered that stupid.

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  7. The news stopped being about news as soon as ratings got involved. This used to be the stuff of tabloids. Now it's considered front page worthy.

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  8. You know what would shake things up?

    If we figured out a way to get everyone who doesn't vote "because voting doesn't make a difference" to vote.

    Apathy is actually factored in by campaign strategists. That ought to make us angry.

    If We the People stopped being so predictable and stopped being such a willing audience to the smoke and mirrors (nod to lordshazam's comment), who knows what might happen...

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  9. I want bread, but I want circuses more.

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  10. well, that link isn't the homepage...

    Currently, at 7PM, the main story IS the Dow Jones plunge. (Anyone else see parallels between the current real estate crisis and the Savings and Loan scandals?)

    God... I wish the OJ trial was the biggest news of the day!

    Oh, and remember the Curse of Jefferson: "People get the government they deserve."

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  11. "Is it that they think we are stupid, or are we really stupid?"

    Is that a trick question?

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  12. "If we figured out a way to get everyone who doesn't vote "because voting doesn't make a difference" to vote."

    So which candidate are you going to vote for that's going to actually do something meaningful about the ongoing financial implosion.

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