I have to wonder how could so many be so duped? I was discussing things with a few regular customers at my cafe this morning and started to talk about the issues of homeland security, drones, 1.6 billion rounds of ammo and the order they made for over 2,700 light armored vehicles.

He (this one particular customer) was stating we need these things, so to try and break him out of it I brought up the NDAA act. He said he thinks its great, that we need to take criminals down with it and felt the Government should use it as they see fit. So I thought "well he must not understand exactly what it meant". I went over issue of due process and that this is not what America is all about. He disagreed and tried to make it out that due process has very little to due with the ideology of the USA! By the time we were done I was aghast.

How has this all happened? Feels like I somehow slipped into another darker dimension back in about 2001.

What say you?

It's called Stockholm Syndrome.

The American Citizens "Slaves/Captives" see that their Government "Captor" can do no wrong, even though they are enslaved by a system that see's them as cattle. People have strong emotional ties to the government because that's all they know.

People's brains cannot physically handle truth of such degree, so they go along with whatever the "norm" is, or whatever propaganda is out there.

'Hotel California'. I feel the same as you in a lot of aspects of my life. If you find a way out, let me know.

I have the same problem at work. I live in a very conservative southern state and while I do love the people, the sense of community and the family-oriented lifestyle, it's difficult at times to communicate in a way that most can understand. I try to point out that most of what the current POTUS does is just a continuation of what the previous did before him. They don't seem to be able to see the same things I do, and at times it can be frustrating. I have a difficult time when one of my associates is watching some garbage television like Jersey Shore, and when I ask if we can watch something more real world they agree and turn it straight to Fox News. There are times when I just get up and walk out. They think because I don't support their conservative ideals that I must support the liberal agenda, and when I try to explain that I don't support either party or their ideologies they simply cannot wrap their head around it. To them you are either one or the other, it's a very with us or against us mentality. The sheep fight the sheep while the wolves circle the herd, it's very frustrating and I completely empathize with the OP.

Throughout the years I have found a simple tactic that seems to at least make most conservatives pause, though I'm not entirely sure it would work the same on ultra-liberals. You have to find a frame of reference for them, so I often leave my conservative colleagues with these words before walking away. "I know you believe that the country is divided down the middle, but one of the first rules of war is divide and conquer."