There is a great illness infecting America today. This plague has the name: Ineptum Inesse Privatio (I.I.P.), and it is not only robbing our society of purpose, of intelligence and of the quality of Nationalism that once held this country together during its greatest trials and tribulation, it is undermining the very fabric of this once Great Nation. The main symptoms of this illness are ignorance, delusions of righteousness and a tendency toward anger when approached by a person possessing the all important and increasingly difficult to cultivate Cure: Proven Fact.
Many of you have witnessed the outbreak. People you once had meaningful conversations with have seemed to have turned into intellectual zombies, regurgitating the information they assimilated the night before from some politically opinionated show without any understanding of what they are saying or any concern for whether it is actually true. The affected expound maniacally about the righteousness of the recorded stance as if reality has itself been abandoned as the measure of reason. The illness seeps in slowly but as sure as the sun rises each day, its roots take hold and the fervent spread of its blinding tentacles take over the higher mental functions of the victim rendering them helpless to the ravaging parasite.
In some cases, this illness has advanced to such a degree that the cure is rejected by the mental defenses. When confronted with facts that undermine the illness' intrusive nature, the victim becomes agitated and begins to defend their stance with more ill gotten information from the same source. When this occurs and they appear too far gone to be revived from the web of the plague, the patient is often abandoned, left to their own means and all one can do as a friend, a family member or concerned colleague is to hope that nature will take its course and the mind's reason defenses will kick in to cure the ill.
My concern as a parent and as a conscientious citizen is how I can ensure that this great danger to the mental health and cohesiveness of our nation will be controlled before it infects my family and my close friends. To combat the illness and its negative affects, I recommend the following (6) homeopathic treatments:
1. Insist that each night more than one news channel is watched/listened to on the television or radio.
After watching one station, turn to a different one, preferably one of known counter opinion to balance the mind. When confronted with the counter opinion, the illness is prevented from taking hold on the psyche of your Family. This method works like a factual vaccine. It is important to do this every day as a preventative measure against the infection.
2. When "facts" are stated in any form of media, research to confirm the claims by using Wikipedia, factcheck.org or a history book.
The virus that causes I.I.P. will feed off misinformation like a petri dish in the mind. The catalyst to its progression is found in out-of-context statements from popular media. When you observe a loved one or close friend quoting such statements, the best measure is to research the topic in full and present the patient with the full context. It may take some time and additional doses of information may be required for full effectiveness.
3. Allow only (1) hour of political news media each night.
The best prevention is moderation. I.I.P. spreads rampantly when individuals are left to watch news media without interruption. Psychologists have recorded that repeated information is most easily remembered so when only one program is watched, consistently repeating the same misinformation, the viewer is at an increased risk of contracting the illness. For this hour of viewing, it is important to follow tip #1 and spend the hour watching at least two opposing views.
4. Educate your family on the political premises of our governmental system's party structure and their modus operandi.
This is the freedom step. When an individual understands the rules of the political game, they will be better able to take their own preventative steps to avoid infection. It is important when in the social or political sphere to understand the M.O. of the media and the reality that opinions being stated are biased toward those particular party goals. When well-armed with information of this kind, any person with intelligence will be better able to ascertain whether the story line they are following is real or whether further research is required to confirm it. By taking this step, an individual can operate freely with the ability to self-regulate thereby diminishing the chance of radical infection.
5. Avoid any political based assemblies.
There is nothing more damaging than a thousand voices shouting the same mantras when it comes to keeping your family safe within the center sphere. All one has to do is look at the rage of mob rule to understand that opinion and intellect are quickly negated and the purpose of the gathering easily replaced with misplaced anger. Lynch mobs are made of this stuff and if any progress toward protecting your family is to be made, this is crucial as a practice to be observed. When in doubt, pull out of the situation.
6. Create a standing rule in your home and if possible, your workplace that simply states "If you are going to debate politics, come armed with confirmed knowledge."
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