Unfortunately, like almost everything, it's over-simplified. "Make America Think Again". Sure, as soon as we aren't over-complicating our lives with inconsequential crap like sportsball games and America's Next Top Whatever. As soon as we don't have to worry about our kids being suspended from school for having violated a (counter-productive) Zero Tolerance Policy on violence by pointing a fish stick at someone and saying "bang". As soon as we aren't bombarded with advertisements saying we aren't good enough unless we spend more money ("How do you know if your car is ugly? It's paid off" said a billboard I drove past). As soon as we aren't facing cultural pressure to make our lives as complicated as possible. "Important people have complicated lives, therefore I must complicate my life in order to be important" seems to be the philosophy. This complication prevents the average member of the "Silent Majority" (somewhere around half of the country's eligible voters) from having the time and/or energy to "think".
The "Silent Majority" gets out of bed without enough sleep, has to feed the dog and their 2.8 children (or whatever the current statistic is), get the kids off to school while getting themselves off to work. At work they can't be proactive or constructive because they're too concerned with getting in trouble for violating an obscure regulation, so their day consists of CYA activities and worrying about their reputation. Then they get home to raucous children who have to be fed, cleaned, pushed to do too much homework that doesn't make sense anymore, while the nominal "adult" has to get the burdensome taxes done, pay an ever-growing stack of bills, and pray to their personal version of God that they have enough coffee to make it through till the weekend. And we're supposed to THINK through this?
Think about what, exactly? About economics on the national level? About what the U.S. should do to reduce violence in the Middle East? And what about an exceptionally small minority of the population that's making headlines with violence, giving the impression that there's a volcanic eruption of brutality between law enforcement officials and (insert ethnicity here). Where is the average American going to get the time to put energy into national-level policies? Joe Beerdrinker and Suzie Soccermom can barely keep track of who the mayor is; they don't know anyone on the city counsel beyond someone's cousin. They're supposed to keep track of the fact that Congress is forcing DoD to buy more tanks simply because the company that makes the M1 Abrams MBT lobbied their senators to keep them in business? They're supposed to keep track of which politician is a sexual predator? Should the U.S. be friendly, or belligerent towards Russia? Should we be sending MORE of our military personnel into Syria? Why? What does it accomplish? How does it actually serve Mr. Beerdrinker and Mrs. Soccermom?
Then again, who is it that's demanding that we "Make America Think Again"? Someone who says there should be less government intrusion into their lives, but more government support for their lifestyle. They want everyone else robbed at gunpoint (face it, that's what taxes are. You don't believe me? Try to not pay or your taxes for a while. The Criminal Investigators from the IRS will come knocking) in order to pay for whatever they want to do. "Tax the rich" doesn't work; "The Rich" have lawyers, lobbiests, and specialized accountants to ensure that they are taxed as little as possible. That burden ends up falling on the already-stretched middle-class. "Tax the middle class" doesn't exactly have the moral weight the previous slogan does, but it's accurate. "Make America Think Again". What exactly does that mean? Does it mean we should all engage in some critical thinking with regards to our individual politics? I think that's wonderful!! Does it mean "you have to agree with me or you're an idiot!"? Well, to be realistic, it would read "...our your an idiot!", but that's another matter.
Well apparently "Think" means to overturn cars, burn businesses, and leave tons of litter on public streets in a show of defiance towards someone who really doesn't care. At worst, he has his steak medium rare and gets another glass of wine. At best (for him), the voters who put him in office are enraged even more, and will support him clamping-down on you with an iron fist, which will result in more violence.
"Make America Think Again". "A majority of American's polled agree with me" (cool. How many actually responded to the poll? did you have a statistician analyse the data for accuracy and relevancy?). "98% of American's want things done my way". Don't you mean 98% of the people who filled out your questionnaire at the mall or linked-to on your blog? That is NOT 98% of American's. Half of ANY nation just wants to be left alone. Imagine if there was a way to actually find out what all of ANY population supports on a given issue? I strongly believe most people, if provided accurate, relevant, material information (accountants will recognize those characteristics) along with the time and energy to think about where they stand on the matter, will want the government to butt-out.
"Make America Think Again". Absolutely. First: Define what "to think" will entail. Second: how will you get America to "think"? Where will the time and energy come from? Will you change our materialistic, consumerist culture such that people are encouraged to meditate on larger matters? Will we be encouraged to NOT buy a new car, but rather spend money on something more constructive in the long-term? Will be be permitted to voice an opinion without being denigrated?
"Make America Think Again". Absolutely. How?
When it comes down to it, I strongly believe this meme is a fairly accurate representation of American politics from the perspective of the middle-class, silent majority:
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