Chris hedges AND george Monbiot ON THE IGNORANcE - ColdType

THE NUMBERS GAME
Because cover Indiana story / 2
has failed in
its obligation hypocrisy of this
to remove magnitude has
to be respected.
dead-people and
it compares
non-residents
favorably with
from the its motto voteron
rolls, automobile it has license
decided plates to of make the state
of new hampshire
voting more
made by prisoners:
restrictive “live free or die”
for legal, living
residents
8 thereader | November 2008
70 TheREADER | June 2008
frauded form of voting (in-person poll attendance)
and encourages the use of
methods The brief known flirtation to of be some more thinkers easily with and
more communism commonly a long defrauded. time ago has been used
to create an impression in the public mind
But such incompetence, it appears, is
that all intellectuals are communists. Al-
not most unusual every for day the men government like Rush Limbaugh of the
State and of Bill Indiana, O’Reilly about rage against which the the “liberal National
elites” Government destroying America. filed a complaint:
“Indiana The spectre has failed of pointy-headed to conduct a gen- alien
subversives was crucial to the election of
eral program that makes a reasonable ef-
Reagan and Bush. A genuine intellectual
fort elite to identify – like the and neocons remove (some ineligible of them votforersmer from communists) the State’s surrounding registration Bush list; – has has
failed managed to remove to pitch such the political ineligible conflict voters; as a
battle between ordinary Americans and an
and has failed to engage in oversight ac-
over-educated pinko establishment. Any
tions attempt sufficient to challenge to ensure the ideas that of local the rightelectionwing jurisdictions elite has been identify successfully and branded remove as
such elitism. ineligible voters.”
In Obama other words, has a good because deal to Indiana offer Ameri- has
ca, but none of this will come to an end if
failed in its obligation to remove dead-
he wins. Until the great failures of the US
people education and non-residents system are reversed from or its religious voter
http://coldtype.net/pilgerbooks.html
rolls, it has decided to make voting more
restrictive for legal, living residents. This
fundamentalism is looking-glass withers legislation there at will its be best. political
Thanks opportunities to the for Indiana people, government’s
like Bush
and Palin, who flaunt their ignorance. CT
laziness, incompetence, and disregard for
references: the needs of its most vulnerable citizens,
1. the For most a staggering right-wing display Supreme of ignorance Court in
and memory bigotry, has see: been http://uk.youtube.com/
handed the means
watch?v=lPg0VCg4AEQ
render “constitutional” the most restric-
2. You can see this exchange at http://
tive voter ID law in the country, a de
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=px7aRIhUkHY
&feature=related
facto poll tax, thus setting a precedent
3. for All the these rest facts of are the contained country in to Susan follow. CT
Jacoby, 2008. The Age of American Unreason:
dumbing down and the future of de-
Andrew Taylor is the Associate Editor of
mocracy. Old Street Publishing, London.
4. the Susan online Jacoby, literary ibid. magazine Chapter 3. Menda City
5. Review, Susan Jacoby, and a ibid. senior Page contributing 57. editor
6. at Susan Cyrano's Jacoby, Journal. ibid. Page He 25. is the author of
numerous short stories, published both
George Monbiot’s latest book is Bring
online and in print. His political blog is
On The Apocalypse. This essay originally
appeared http://oni-bh.blogspot.com
in the Guardian newspaper
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