You see, I'm terribly nosy. I like House Hunters and reality shows where they pretend they're filming people's actual lives, so Facebook is like a constant gossip drip. Except it's gossip about people I actually know, or have known, in real life. Sure, no one I know posts crap about cheating on their spouses (unfortunately) but I can see what it's like to live in Europe or Hawaii or a studio apartment.
But I also have to look at people's political thoughts. Most of the time, I am amused. Possibly because most of the people I am friends with seem to agree with me politically, or what they post is obviously a joke.
Then there are the frightful posts. The ones that make me want to message the posters and ask them if they've joined militias. You want to bitch about tax policy? Fine. You think President Obama is secretly Kenyan? Or comparable to Josef Stalin? You are a fucking idiot. A SCARY fucking idiot.
In fact, most of the people who seem to post these have no idea what Obama's tax policy is. They don't understand what "Obamacare" is. They say nothing about gay marriage, abortion, birth control, rape, worker's rights or actual gun laws. They just make these sweeping statements that have no actual meaning.
When George W. Bush was re-elected, I was heartbroken. I totally get what it feels like when the guy you think is terrible is re-elected. But it never occurred to me to compare W to Hitler, Stalin or Pol Pot - all of whom I've seen Obama compared to on good old Facebook. (Though no one in the thread seemed to know who Pol Pot was) In reality, neither W or Obama is anything like those genocidal assholes, you know?
(Ann Coulter I'm not so sure about)
Sometimes, when I comment on these posts - not with insults but with facts, I promise - the person just deletes it. Other times they ignore me.
It actually depresses the hell out of me. It tells me that they are too stupid (delusional?) to have a debate and that they don't even understand what they are endorsing. It's so different from when I get into debates with an actual conservatives. I got into one about gun control recently and it turned out that we agreed on like 80% of the issue. If we were in Congress together, I bet we could work shit out.
Of course, we'd use things like "facts" and "compromise". Stuff Stalin - and all the people who accuse Obama of being Stalin - don't like.
5 comments:
stupidity cannot be cured. #fact. I don't even try. My mom? Swears Obama is a Muslim. My response? "And? So what if he is?" which makes the problem worse, so we just avoid discussing the political. Which is part of why I am not on the book of face. Too much stupidity and drivel.
You are so wise. I should probably just hide certain people, but I always believe that I can change people's minds. Which is its own kind of stupidity.
You are my political twin. I hate the FB, in large part because of just such things. I defriended one person before I learned to hide those people. It's kind of a bummer to miss out on other aspects of their lives, but the lowered blood pressure is totes worth it.
Most of my extended family fall into the scary fucking idiot category. I won't unfriend them - they're family. But I've taken them out of my feed, so I don't have to look at what they post. My head would explode if I didn't.
It's frightening what people post without being aware. Someone I know on facebook recently posted a video and the question maybe? about the Sandy Hook shooting and I felt my brain bleed just a little.
And then I ate more vodka soaked gummi bears to make the pain go away.
Post a Comment