People can be idiots. (And, no, you, whoever you are, I do
not mean that these folks are
literally idiots,
i.e.,
with an I.Q. below 20...you idiot...) (Interestingly, an “imbecile”
used to be classified as someone with an I.Q. 20 to 49; a “moron” was
someone with I.Q. 50 to 69. See
here.)
I mean, some people are so deliberately obtuse, so blind to facts, so
self-deceptive, so sanctimonious in their blatant ignorance, so
arrogant in their overweening assertion that they have the right to
dictate how others should live that they deserve to be branded
“idiots.” Indeed, I have contemplated running a counterpart to my
“Gold Standard Defenders of Freedom” list and starting an “Idiots Hall of Infamy” list.
Maybe later...
Here I want to contemplate the evils of Ronald McDonald and how he has
singlehandedly destroyed the future of American children. (Oh, we do it
all
“For the Children.”
Blech. Patooie.) Recently, all the media idiots are making a big
frickin’ deal over the fact that ignorant little kids rate food or
drink more highly when placed in McDonald’s containers or wrappers
rather than in plain wrappers. (Though
why the uninformed opinions of kids should trump the judgments of adults and
dictate how we should live our lives is beyond my ken. Idiots.)
The
Today Show recently had a discussion (if you will) between Donny Deutsch, an advertising executive (see
here),
and Susan Linn, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, “moderated”
by host Meredith Vieira. Deutsch has his own ad company while Linn is
“co-founder of the...Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood” (see
here)
(Her site — “Consuming Kids” — about says it all: she believes that
“All aspects of children's lives — their health, education, creativity,
and values — are at risk of being compromised by their status in the
marketplace.” Poor, helpless tykes... Better take away their checkbooks
and credit and debit cards before they are “exploited” and robbed of
their youthful innocence. Oh, wait a minute...
What checks and cards???)
Linn is not merely concerned with “branding” and how it “trumps sensory
input,” that is, “how children taste things,” she wants much more. She
says that “of course, parents have responsibility”....BUT...she still
blames
advertising for its evil influences. It is
advertising she wants to control...even though she
says
that the responsibility is the parents; in other words, the
responsibility is one that...includes no responsibility! It’s
“corporate responsibility” that is the culprit that “undermine[s]
parental authority...bypass[es] parents and target[s] children
directly.”
As Donny says, the obesity issue is irrelevant in regard to advertising: it’s “up to the parents!” “It
is
the parents’ responsibility.” Linn’s position “is insane!” (YES!)
Corporations who are not responsible to their customers would soon “be
out of business.” (Of course!) He’s tired of “disempowering adults.”
(Indeed!) The answer to fattening foods? “Don’t buy them!” (Wow! What a
novel concept.”)
Linn, of course,
claims that “we are not talking about
disempowering adults.” (Bullshit she is not.) Why do we “allow”
corporations to (she repeats) “undermine...and...bypass” and “to make
it that much harder to be a parent.” (Ah! Poor put-upon parents...)
“Aren’t children important to all of us?” (Ah, yes. Your children are
mine. We
all have a “stake” in them. Wonderful collectivism.)
After all, children are the “infrastructure of this country.” (Oh,
yeah. Children the equivalent of bridges and roads and water pipes.
“Resources” to be
used by others as statist leaders such as Linn
decide they should be used.)
What should be done? We should “let” (yes, we will “let” you exist)
corporations “make money” but (BUT...) “let them do it within a set of
laws that actually protect children.” Donny asks, “Who will decide?”
Linn didn’t get a chance to answer, but one need not be a psychic to
divine her response: who will decide? People like Linn want to use the
coercive power of the State to
force others to behave as
she and her ilk
want them to act.
That is who will decide. Corporations and parents can act
only with
permission and in accordance with the decisions of
others
who have no financial stake in the matter nor any right to intrude on
what other peaceful adults want to do. How to respond to advertising
designed to attract children will
not be left to
parents’ responsibility but will fall under the purview of the State. Ultimately, Linn wants to ban/outlaw
any children-centered advertising.
The First Amendment? Screw it. Parental responsibility? Can’t be trusted to protect their own children.
Too-faced, hypocritical, lying bwitch.
No, no. Let me tell you what I
really think about such statist/collectivist idiots...
(from
Don't Get Me Started!, 8-10-07)
