Marcus Carey’s On the Marc: No wonder you are a dolt — somebody made you that way

I recall one day in high school when the bell rang and class let out that as I was leaving the classroom I jumped up and did a chin up on the metal door frame. Of course the teacher promptly directed me to go to the principal’s office for punishment. I’ll never forget my conversation with the principal that day before he took down his long college fraternity paddle with the holes in it and swatted my behind.
 

“There are rules you know”, he said to me, “and punishement if you break the rules. Why did you do what you did?” My response was very simple “Because I wanted to.” He then said, “Well, you can’t just go through life doing what you want to do, now can you?” And I replied, “Of course you can, as long as you are willing to accept the consequences.” “Well,” he replied as he reached for the paddle, “I’d like to have this conversation with you in 20 years to see if you still feel the same way. I’m sure you will come to see the light.”
 

Now let’s not forget that by the time he bent me over his desk for some behavioral modification I had been playing in the woods in all kinds of weather my whole life. I’d fallen from trees, slid down icy rocks, been tackled without equipment in Saturday football games and had defended myself in a few fist fights. A couple of loud stinging whacks on my butt neither hurt my pride nor my body. I was right, he was wrong and 40 plus years later I feel the exact same way. We are indeed free to do whatever we want, as long as we are prepared to accept the consequences.
 

But along the way my social and political experience has taught me that not everybody sees the world as I do. In fact, more in my political experience than anything else, I’ve come to realize that my way of thinking is very much more roguish than many people find palatable. I’m not sure I understood why, until today.
 

This morning I read an article about how Americans have had their thought processes manipulated over the years. I highly encourage you to click this link and read it for yourself. I think what you will find might open your eyes a bit.
 

But before you think that this article is the beginning and end of the discussion, please remember that the Soviets announced plans to control us by way of psycho-politics way back in the fifties. You can learn more about that plot in the book, The Rewriting Of America’s History by Catherine Millard.
 

I do admit that over the years I have been frustrated that more people did not internalize the principles of America’s founders. Oh I know that in today’s culture a number of people can quote, out of context for the most part, any number of sayings, phrases and philosophies attributed to the founders. Many of these folks have gravitated to the TEA party.
 

But few have made a lifelong study of such things and more often than not have been manipulated by others in a whole new way as they attempt to climb the ladder of political success by feeding people what they want to hear.
 

As I learned soon after I helped one man get elected to office, support for his agenda was as phony as a cartoon. In one county after another as I spoke at dinners, luncheons and meetings I came to see that all those folks who had supported a man who’s plan was to change the way things were done in Frankfort, couldn’t wait for the patronage to be re-directed to them. Many were insincere about their support of him. They didn’t want to change the way things were done in Frankfort, they only wanted to change the people who were in charge of handing out the goodies.
 

People have become manipulated by a system, conditioned to respond and have for the most part, lost their independent thinking, lost sight of the real history of the nation and refuse to accept the real deal when it comes along, preferring to support the one they think will give them a shot at being on the inside for a change.
 

Read the article. Pick up the book. Open your minds and be prepared to be humiliated when you realize how easy you are, how gullible you are and how you have been played.
 

But then again, I suspect that some of you will not even grasp what I’m talking about here or what is being said in the article linked above. If so, no wonder you are such a dolt. Somebody intentionally made you that way.
 

Marcus Carey is a Northern Kentucky lawyer with 32 years experience. He is also a farmer, talk radio host and public speaker who loves history and politics. He is a prolific and accomplished writer whose blog, BluegrassBulletin.com, is “dedicated to honest and respectful comment on the political and cultural issues of our time.” He writes a regular commentary for KyForward.