Cynicism 'Can Damage Democracy's Health'

Cynicism 'Can Damage Democracy's Health'

www.guardian.co.uk

Cynicism may now represent one of the greatest threats to democracy, according to a research project at the London School of Economics.

Findings indicate that people are more cynical about politics than anything else, and that cynicism is a more important factor than distrust when it comes to whether people vote. Those who think politicians are liars will probably continue to vote, whereas those who are contemptuous of them are less likely to do so.

But what if politicians could measure the impact that their buzz words were having on the cynicism levels of different groups? The Syntony Research Team at the LSE is trying to develop a 'Cyndex' - a cynicism index. It would measure the emotional responses of cynics according to their age, race, religion, gender and socio-economic backgrounds - from mild frustration to violent anger.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Oh Boy...

I will leave it to the reader to form their own opinion of this, but from what I gather, this looks like more "behavioral coding" and setting the stage for "folks to keep an eye on" and "thought crime" offenders.

I find it funny how folks who are just flat out FED UP with being screwed over endlessly and lied to by their governing institutions are now "cynics" for no longer wanting to participate in these institutions farcical dog and pony shows of lies...And now the "hints" of their "cynicism" is being honed into a "threat" to democracy! LOL!

Does anyone besides me see where such "research" may be leading to?

Samson said the indications were that this was because politicians have a public face, making them more prone to criticism than faceless businessmen. The consequences of such cynicism are vast, the team believes. It can result in people disengaging from politics, turning away from major media, or boycotting products. It could also prompt people to join pressure groups or, in more extreme cases, to resort to direct action or violence. 'This has wide implications in the cohesiveness of society,' said Liasides.

www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 14-9-2008 by DimensionalDetective]

The realist will become the terrorist.

Being politically cynical after 8 years of the Bush administration is an illness with only one cure.

I for one have been a consciencious non-voter ever since the one and only time I ever did vote. I still might vote in local politics sometime though.

And I think the OP's opinion is quite valid. Maybe Diddy's "Vote or Die" wasn't so far off.

More bull# along the line of the "conspiracy theorist lol" meme. Behavioral conditioning with pavlovian inspiration. Get the population to repress themselves with buzzwords and mockery, instead of a dog cowering in fear of a buzzer and electroshock.

WAKE UP PEOPLE.

In the world we are making, being a genocidal sociopath will be looked up to (hell, it is already) and love will be the ultimate crime. Is this really a world anyone wants to live in?

It is my experience that "cynical" people are more apt to be open to the truth, than "patriotic" individuals. They don't want you to be cynical, because once you get over the "us versus them" attitude in politics, you begin to see it for what it is: A false dichotomy, the hegelian dialect, problem-reaction-solution.

reply to post by Zepherian

...and love will be the ultimate crime.

Heh, this jumped to mind when I read that...

www.abovetopsecret.com...'

Gotta start somewhere I suppose. :shk:

Now the elite literatti wants to create a metric to quantify discontent.

If it's quantifiable, it can be plugged into a spreadsheet for their actuarial tables, thus reducing that portion of the human condition to a variable for their amusement.

It will be factored and impressed into their formula, and a counter balance will be theorized to nullify it.

I need another drink.

Originally posted by jackinthebox
reply to post by Zepherian

 

...and love will be the ultimate crime.

Heh, this jumped to mind when I read that...

www.abovetopsecret.com...'

Gotta start somewhere I suppose. :shk:

Dubleyou tee eff.

Maybe the coma didn't make a diference? Some relationships are that one sided.

I have a hard time qualifying that as love though. At most it seems like a love aftershock, if you get what I mean. Poor guy.

Originally posted by depth om
The realist will become the terrorist.

Excellent way to put it. Say it like it is, and your locked up in an institution. Emperor has no clothes and all that.

Thought crimes are just stupid, as 80-90% of all our thoughts mean nothing, so it would be pointless for people to know peoples thoughts.

[edit on 9/15/2008 by andy1033]

I've always thought it ironic that often people who are fed up with, saddened by, or outraged by policies with which they disagree because of their own idealism and belief that we can do better (read: the opposite of cynicism) are called cynical. I think there should be a distinction made between the two (the frustrated idealist and the cynic,) but all too often, there isn't.

[edit on 9/15/2008 by AceWombat04]

reply to post by sir_chancealot

Originally posted by sir_chancealot
It is my experience that "cynical" people are more apt to be open to the truth, than "patriotic" individuals. They don't want you to be cynical, because once you get over the "us versus them" attitude in politics, you begin to see it for what it is: A false dichotomy, the hegelian dialect, problem-reaction-solution.

My experience has been the exact opposite. Cynicism promotes the "us vs them" attitude; they are constantly whining about the big bad "they" that is the cause of every problem.

Cynicism discourages civic participation by claming that your voice or your vote mean nothing.

Any attitude that discourages civic participation is anti-American, imo.

Originally posted by AceWombat04
I've always thought it ironic that often people who are fed up with, saddened by, or outraged by policies with which they disagree because of their own idealism and belief that we can do better (read: the opposite of cynicism) are called cynical. I think there should be a distinction made between the two (the frustrated idealist and the cynic,) but all too often, there isn't.

[edit on 9/15/2008 by AceWombat04]

True. There is a big distinction between the two. The frustrated idealist always hopes and strive for better change, while the cynic says "Give up. You cannot win".

reply to post by jsobecky


You are, of course, entitled to that opinion, but I disagree.

Cynicism is an expression of emotion. To equate fatalism with cynicism is truly cynical.

The 'us v. them' mentality is not exclusive of cynics. In fact, it seems prevalent in all schools of thought. Including your own. That doesn't make it cynical. It makes it ironic.

The "problem-reaction-solution" works most everywhere, so what's the problem? What should it be?? Problem - no action or reaction -.... then what?

Cynicism does nothing. It is Democracy, itself, that causes the problems. Democracy at it's root is nothing more than mob rule. No democracy has ever lasted longer than 200 years, and the very idea of "democracy" is the reason. America has been turning from a republic to a democracy for the past 100 years, and it now shows the strains of that burden.

A democracy always turns into many forms of Marxism/Socialism, which is why it doesn't work. A government that robs Peter to pay Paul will always have the support of Paul.

reply to post by Maxmars

Originally posted by Maxmars
reply to post by jsobecky

 

You are, of course, entitled to that opinion, but I disagree.

Cynicism is an expression of emotion.

No. Anger or joy is an expression of emotion. Cynicism is an embedded attitude which colors your thoughts and emotions.

Originally posted by Maxmars
To equate fatalism with cynicism is truly cynical.

Once again, no. It is an observation.

Originally posted by Maxmars
The 'us v. them' mentality is not exclusive of cynics. In fact, it seems prevalent in all schools of thought. Including your own. That doesn't make it cynical. It makes it ironic.

It sounds like you consider yourself a cynic. That's fine; this isn't a personal attack.

'But our most important finding suggested that people who did not vote were more likely to be cynical about the government than distrusting,' said Samson. 'Usually, people focus on distrust, or lack of confidence, as the most important factor when it comes to disengagement. But in fact, it is cynicism.'

Some people really have a nack to confuse the rootcauses with symptomes. This is just another great example. The rootcause for this particular problem is the politicians and not the cynical ones that see through them. The same goes for a miriad of other rootcauses and their symptoms.

Terrorism flourished because of the war against it, cynisism grows when none of the available options are viable and there is no solution in sight or when people get shafted time and time again, as with politics. No matter which party gets the populair vote, it will still go through with the (as it sometimes seems) pre-planned decline of civilization.

[edit on 15-9-2008 by Harman]

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


A PODcast I made a couple years ago, entitled "When did I Become so Cynical?"

www.podtrac.com...

PODthread

Hooray for Cynicism! WOO HOO!

Remember Thomas Jefferson said "Dissension is the greatest form of Patriotism"

If we are not cynical, if we are not mistrusting, if we are not suspicious of our government, then our government will run us over. It is too easy of a task for the government to take away what we don't fight tooth and nail to keep.

Unfortunately all too often we silently let the government take away our rights liberties and freedoms without even so much as a whimper. Why? Why the apathy? Why do they encourage apathy? Why talk down to those that would dissent?

They want you to be apathetic, they manipulate the media outlets in order to ensure apathy on every level.

Hell we let them get away with "Free Speech Zones" a clearly unconstitutional shredding of our rights to peaceably assemble. But we accepted it!

Apathy not Cynicism can and does damage democracy's health!

[edit on 9/15/2008 by whatukno]