Jane Smiley pontificates on why Americans hate Democrats.
American politicians ALWAYS operate by a similar sort of flattery, and so Americans are never induced to question themselves. That's what happened to Jimmy Carter—he asked Americans to take responsibility for their profligate ways, and promptly lost to Ronald Reagan, who told them once again that they could do anything they wanted. The history of the last four years shows that red state types, above all, do not want to be told what to do—they prefer to be ignorant. As a result, they are virtually unteachable.Yeah, that's called liberty. I can't imagine why Americans don't like you.
Sheesh! She sounds like some Dutch colonialist explaining to the King why the African rubber quota hadn't been met for that year:
"..do not want to be told what to do—they prefer to be ignorant. As a result, they are virtually unteachable."
Maybe it's just that we don't want to be told what to do by a bunch of "city folk" who can't be bothered to try to understand what life is like away from their snobbish lifestyle and who condescend and patronize everyone else.
Just guessing.
...do not want to be told what to do=prefer to be ignorant=virtually unteachable.
A case of oxymoronic illogical reasoning if I ever saw one!
An annual refresher course in Logic 101 ought to be required of all journalists. Grades to be made available to the public.