Dumb Society vs Super Society

Two weeks ago Delta Alter brought us an interesting theory. Propaganda and the power of 'The Simpsons' ... Personally I didn't bite, but an interesting theory nonetheless. To the question why the government (or Fox network?) would want to program or even want a "dumb, self-absorbed and dysfunctional" society, the answer was: "It's called Social Engineering. The masses are so much easier to control/brainwash/exploit if they are dumb, self-absorbed and obsessed with the trivialities in life. "

Interesting. The theory would have it that the government wants a degenerate, "dumb", sheep-like society because it's easier to control them. The theory also states that it would be "acceptable" for society if a person is dumb, lazy, dysfunctional or not "up to standard".

Then we have the other side: We've got beauty magazines showing you have to be thin to be beautiful - woman with beautiful bodies that are "not human", pages filled with weight loss medicine and 1-2-3 diets, people are "brainwashed" to spent their hard-earned money on designer outfits, state of the art appliances and huge German motorcars. In other words you have to be pretty, thin and rich to be "accepted" in society.

So we've got two different poles here. One theory saying that the government wants you to be ugly, fat and stupid, so they can control you easier, and the other saying that you are being brainwashed to be pretty and rich and have all kinds of expensive possessions. Either way round, we are being brainwashed.

But wouldn't that be a shot in the foot for any government? To have a herd of mindless sheeple to bow to their every command?

Look at it from a different viewpoint. Hitler's viewpoint. Eugenics. Controlled human breeding based on notions of desirable and undesirable genotypes. And if you think only Hitler (the Third Reich) thought Eugenics were a good idea. Francis Galton was more or less the father of Eugenics. He was a cousin of Darwin. A young Winston Churcill AND the Catholic Church (see 1914 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia) also liked the idea.

The idea is basically to "breed out bad genes" - or as Hitler would've liked it: A super nation, than is not only attractive, but also strong, and highly intelligent. Wouldn't that benefit the government more? A healthy, fit, attractive and intelligent nation, vs. a dumb, fat and unattractive nation?

I don't get it. If the government (or whatever force you believe it to be) wants to control the nation, why drive society into the ground? If we were to enter another World War and you're stuck with a bunch of lazy, fat and less intelligent people to fight the war for you, wouldn't you be at the loosing end?

I fail to see the logic in the theory that the government would create a degenerate society. Sure, they'll be easy to control, but there's only so much you can do with a bunch of sheep(le). Wouldn't it be better if you were in control of a super-healthy, super-rich, super-strong and super-intelligent society?

It makes you think: Who is in control here? The Government or McDonalds?


Edit:
I see Mr_Peel touched the same subject here

[edit on 17-7-2006 by Gemwolf]

Wouldn't it be better if you were in control of a super-healthy, super-rich, super-strong and super-intelligent society?

1. You can't control those.
2. What's the point of control if we are all super?

Gem, I really don't understand your post at all. Why are you blaming the government for this? They aren't controlling what we watch or how we look. Society is dumbing itself down...the government is not attempting to do that for them. We do it ourselves. It's all about personal choices in my opinion.

Edited mispelling

[edit on 21-7-2006 by zenlover28]