The first Dallas Institute Salon of the season is upon us, and the topics this time are extremely accessible! I am already forming my points/opinions, but I need your help, as always. Feel free to comment on any and all of the following. Remember there is not a right or a wrong, and each idea is heard, not for debate, but for active consideration in an effort to achieve a better overall understanding. Here we go! :)
Discussion topics for September 7, 2007:
1. What underlies our unease about immigration?
2. Paris, Britney, J-Lo: why are we so fascinated?
3. Is "dumbing down" inevitable in a democracy?
See the rules of salon on the website bulletin board here.
7 comments:
Briefly, here is what I'm working at:
1. Fear/Loss of cultural identity. We are afraid of mass immigration from Mexico in that we may lose our "US" cultural identities; but why? Is it tied to economy? Also, we are terrified of Middle Eastern immigration even in small numbers because of Islamic extremism..(more to say here?)
But the Canadians are cool. Why?
2. They have the 'ideal' in a capitalistic society, but we want them to fail so that we can justify the fact that we work hard for what we have and are happier/more functional than they are..(?)
3. See the movie 'Idiocracy' for what would happen if we did dumb down politics, and also see 'No Child Left Behind.' I want to yell, WE CAN'T LET IT HAPPEN! But then what is "dumbing down"? Are we talking about the evolution of language? Are we talking about making politics accessible to the normal Joe? And if so, hasn't the normal Joe always been left out of things since politics is a gambling game in which only the fortunate or lucky have a voice/can play?
Seriously, get out of my brain. Thief. Or maybe I'm the thief in your brain...
1. I agree it is about cultural identity, but I'll be more inflammatory and say that "cultural identity" is a nice way for some people to express something that is really based on skin color. I think that economic concerns are more than valid and should be the focus of this discussion. My concern is our government/society's position that it is okay to pay some people less than the minimum wage; doing so has a negative ripple effect, most obviously in how it increases poverty. Either we believe that people should have a living wage or we don't. Our law says we do so we should stick by that, helping immigrant-dependent industries, such as agriculture, move toward that goal.
I get concerned and a bit offended when people insinuate that immigrants will harm the American cultural identity. Every one of my ancestors was an immigrant. A number of them didn't speak English or have a lot of money when they arrived. Someone needs to be able to explain this current fear to me in a way that tells me how now is different from then in a way that isn't racist if they want to convince me we will have a problem perpetuating our culture.
2. I have no idea. Maybe you're right and it's the same reason I watch Bridezillas -- I think "at least I'm not that crazy!" and feel better about myself. Jamie believes that this need to feel better than someone else is also the root of racism...
3. Wow. I like this question. Like you, I'd like a definition of "dumbing down." I interpret it to mean, since we're talking specifically about democracy, that we need to dumb down our politics and policies into sound bites so, as you put it, the normal Joe can understand. I actually see it heading in two opposite directions: media presents over-simplified versions of stories and discussions of topics, while at the same time lawyers write up laws that even college educated people can't understand. Jamie and I together every year hit at least one part of the tax forms that we read and reread and just end up guessing on. How is normal Joe supposed to figure it out?
This is a scary trend, though, because it means that the political process is becoming more exclusionary at the same time that the voters are becoming less involved.
I didn't answer the question... I don't think it is inevitable. I think a certain amount of pandering is inevitable, just based on that fact that there are a good number of average IQ folks out there who don't want or need all that detail. But I say that if you dumb it down that way for everyone, you alienate the voters, the root of democracy, and you actually set that democracy up to fail.
1. Fear of the "other" (one of about three basic fears that every complex fear ultimately boils down to).
2. Because celebrities fulfill the same function in American society that Greek Gods filled in Greco-Roman society. They are our gods, and we are bored. That, and we want to see our own failings and weaknesses reflected in our gods.
3. We're Already there. Read John Taylor Gatto's "Dumbing Us Down." I can only say this to fellow teachers because I have been one too, but the institutional education system in the US does exactly what it is supposed to do (and very efficiently, I might add): Produce mediocre-mindless-follower-sheep to feed the capitalist system and not rock the boat.
I didn't read the rules of salon. Did I break any?
1. Speaking of legal immigration, it's the usual fear of cultural impurity. Speaking of illegal immigration, it's illegal. Ask any legal immigrant how they feel about illegal immigration, and you will get very passionate and possibly inflamed answers. Personally, I think it's unfair to grant an illegal immigrant citizenship just because they work for less money than legal citizens do. And this is after forcing so many others wait years before finally letting them into the country legally. And if we can let our immigration laws just collapse like that, what other laws can just fall down? (But truthfully, I only get irritated about immigration because of all the red tape. I have big issues with bureaucracy.)
2. Tragic heroes? They made it to the top, but have gaping flaws that make them look ridiculous. And in the end they have the right to claim "I'm only human" just like the rest of us. And once they admit it, we get to shame, ignore, and then re-embrace them when they go on their respective come-back tours. Or just laugh a lot.
3. I don't think it's inevitable in democracy, so much as inevitable in democracy wrapped around capitalism and rampant consumerism. But, I also don't think that it would last. I don't know how many people are like me, but being a vapid shell of a human being gets really boring after a while. And even if the government dumbs down the nation, I'm not sure it really matters. You don't need the most amazing education in the world to ask questions. But I guess if we're talking about people being too stupid to ask questions, then those who are susceptible to being dumbed down already have been, and the rest of us just have to resist. But people who are going to be stupid have always been stupid, and those who haven't always been dumb are just being lazy. But the moment there's something that raises interest, people start asking questions again, so I really don't worry about a "dumbing down."
As far as the salon topics go, I have a few simple thoughts:
1. Fear. Pure and simple. We feel threatened by a 'reconquista.'
2. Why do we stare at train wrecks and car crashes? Why do people love tv shows like Cops and Cheaters? I think it's because we are fascinated by the misfortune of others. And we up the ante with these beautiful little socialites because we see that these are the people we emulate for their perceived perfection, but each new incident chips away at that image... and then each of us seems OK with our imperfect lives... 'at least I'm not in jail' or 'I'm a better parent than that.'
3. Yeah, probably. I wouldn't like to think so, though. So my official stance will be "no."
#3: Only if that society is not one that reads, a lot...and teaches future generations to read, and therefore, acquire knowledge.
3 - your democracy, like ours will continue to dumb down until it builds a new constitution out of the degenerate remains of a 17th century proto-scientific 'enlightenment'
2 - because we like to be distracted from what's really important, because it scares us?
1 - one rule for us and quite another for them. because it's about borders and rich nations vs poor nations which, deep down we know is deeply wrong. because it's an important, complex and potentially world changing issue that absolutely must be addressed, as a matter of urgency, and that scares us.
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