US Is A Mentally Convoluted Nation. We Have Entered A Quantum Reality.

[TheMastersNemesis]

Every issue. Every debate. All Logic et al has become so convoluted anymore. It is nearly impossible to address any issue without entering a mental jungle where nothing is recognizable. We do not need the terrorists to take us down. We are doing it to ourselves. Decisions are made with the most demented of reasons. Apathy seems to be rampant if you look at the last election. And we seem to have an electoral anarchy where up is down.

No matter how bad the GOP gets or how badly it operates the damage it does is progress or growth. If the health of our republic depends on short message phases down to the level of an amoeba we are very sick. And we will never be able to solve our problems. Of course there are bright spots, but can they overcome what is going on.

Walker and Bush are being seen as the most viable GOP candidates. We could very well see a Bush/Walker ticket where the worst of two evils are a choice. What is worse with all the money, vote rigging, suppression et al they could win. It is still too early to see what November 2016 arrives. And it will arrive sooner than we think.

[tech3149]

1. The most salient point you make

We will not be destroyed by an external force but from within.
Some days I tend to agree with Malloy, just let the idiots take charge and bring the whole thing down.
I'm not generally a fan of "creative destruction" philosophy but how much worse can we do? It's either a progressive rebirth or total fascism.

[Brigid]

4. We may not get to choose.

*Something* is going to give. We can't go on this way.

[KansDem]

2. A friend of mine recently renounced his American citizenship.

Last November. He had been living in Switzerland since 1979, first visiting as a street musician. He was befriended by a Swiss family who took him in while he "acclimated" to Swiss language and culture (he was living just outside Zurich and knew the German language).

He attended hochschule and earned certificates. He now teaches music and ESL.

During the last few years, he and his girlfriend attempted to buy a house. Apparently, the IRS caught wind of this and demanded that "back taxes" be paid. It seems when an American enters into such a contract, the IRS is notified and since the US is the only country that taxes its citizens living and working in another country, it demanded its cut for all those years. He was able to pay his taxes with what he called a "pre-inheritance"--his parents gave him the money he would have received after they had passed on.

He spent the last few years pursuing Swiss citizenship--it's not easy, but he was able to denounce his American citizenship at the American Embassy in Bern. He wrote me about his "new birthday"--he wanted this to happen for a long time. He also told me we Americans would have to run GitMo without his financial assistance.

But you're right--we are a "mentally-convoluted nation." When Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin, and their ilk become "newsworthy;" when the Supreme Court becomes partisan and declares corporations as "people;" when the XL pipeline and TPP are even considered by Congress; when Bundy terrorists are permitted to train automatic weapons on federal agents without consequences; when "privatization" is encroaching on public services; when failed "trickle down" is still touted as the answer to our nation's economic woes; when 97 percent of the world's scientists warn of climate change and are ignored; when Wall Street bankers and brokers get away with criminal scams and are even rewarded; when Vietnam vets are allowed to freeze to death due to unpaid gas bills; when our votes are counted by secret corporate-own voting machines; when Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rice are permitted to lie us into war while committing war crimes without accountability; we are definitely suffering from "mental convolution." I just don't know what we can do about it.

I envy my friend. The last time I talked to him, he seemed genuinely happy. There are times when I wish I could join him.

[Brigid]

3. If this country were a person . . .

It would be declared mentally ill and institutionalized as a danger to itself and others.

[bigtree]

5. this is deliberate

...much of it's inherent in our own faults, flaws. But, a lot of the disassociation and deflection is part of deliberate campaigns by pols, media, and others to exploit our inner doubts and fears and turn us against each other, ourselves even. The solution is to trust our own instincts and stay true to our principles and beliefs. Most importantly, reject despairing. It's a worthless emotion.

[woo me with science]

6. We are fed corporate propaganda 24/7 that is deliberately incoherent but emotionally fervent.

Sibelian nailed it here:

Here's how I can tell when people are wasting my time on discussion boards...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026216883

Dearest DU: An excellent way to occupy the attention of otherwise productive people
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026216800

[daredtowork]

7. Don't forget Dems may only be able to mount a non-Dem opponent

The reason running Hillary is likely to set off a vast apathy bomb under the Democratic party is that the "center" was "triangulated" repeatedly to the right ever since the first Clinton. Now what used to be moderate Democrats have to defend themselves from accusations of wild-eyed socialism. If Democrats run Hillary, they will be running a GOP candidate from their side. They resent being cornered into it, but once Hillary is The Candidate that Big Money bought then we have to all stfu and put our conscience and reasonable part of our brain on hold for the sake of winning.

Now that requires some mental twisty acrobatics and/or Xanax. Bizzaro World. Orwellian double-think. Whatever dystopian scenario you want to invoke, it is already here when people join a party on the left but are maneuvered into giving their allegiance to a rightwing candidate because MONEY.