I’ll thrown in the opposite. Corporation and government control far, far less than most people think they do. They may want to manipulate the economy for profit, but no one alive, nor any group of people, is capable of processing enough information to do this effectively.
The first two were the ones that occurred to me. But I’m a feckless geek.
You could also probably add in “Rush Limbaugh” or “Ann Coulter” for Beck and probably be right.
To be honest, sometimes the “modern conservative” movement reminds me a bit of the Enclave in Fallout 3: the followers are sincere, but the brains of the organization is actually a computer which spits out random patriotic slogans, and its handlers don’t believe a word of them.
P ≠ np
I strongly suspect that if anything disastrous is going to happen in 2012, it will happen as a result of self-fulfilling prophecy, and NOT as a natural or cosmic event.
A large percentage (more than half) of academic papers are meaningless twaddle, and the academics who write them are well aware of it. They continue writing such papers because they’re paid to do so.
Most of the legislation passed by Congress in a given year is the result of quid pro quo exchanges of votes for money and other favors.
During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, the Bush Administration was well aware that all of the evidence of Saddam’s WMDs and ties to al Queda was fake. That’s because they (the Bushies) were the ones who faked it.
An average, middle-class adult possesses more common sense wisdom than an average politician, businessman, lawyer, professor, or media personality.
A roommate stole my ski jacket in '85.
During the kerfuffle over the Killian documents I believed they were created by President Bush’s allies but the text was copied from authentic documents. That way both these statements would be true:
-All information related to President Bush’s National Guard service have been released.
-The documents used by “60 Minutes” are forged.
And now, about half the time I think I was crazy and the other half I think I was right.
All those modern artists making all that incredibly stupid art (you know the kind I mean) are just jacking with us. They know full well that their works took little creative effort and have no artistic merit and could be created by anybody who could do it and talk about it with a straight face. This is especially true of those crucifix-in-urine types who know damn well that all they want is a shocked reaction but don’t want to risk the legal consequences of flashing their tiny genitalia at schoolgirls.
Yah know what? Since that big cold snap here in the deep south that thing sure has come in handy 
I love steak tartare and champagne. Have not had caviar since I was a child–didn’t like it then, but I can imagine I might like it now.
If that were the case, Taylor Hicks never would have won.
These chips are delicious.
Pause
Damn. Proven correct once again.
YES! I BELIEVE THIS, ABSOLUTELY! They consider ‘the people’ ignorant sheep to be manipulated one way or another (well, maybe we are!), and the only thing they care about is money and power for themselves. Every politician is a big phony, including the family man bible-thumpers.
Golly neds, I had no idea that some actually like caviar and champagne, and apparently a few even like steak tartare (and unlike me, can even spell it correctly). Consider ignorance fought.
Similarly, I am still certain that my former coworker maliciously sabotaged my spreadsheet two years ago. I am so goddamn certain that I would bet this Friday’s paycheck on it. I had quasi-proof, but it wasn’t enough. I know she did it. I am certain.
The Oak Island Money pit is the result of brilliant engineering and does actaully contain items of substatial intrinsic value.
L. Ron Hubbard and Joseph Smith both acted for their own self interest, for fame and profit, and perhaps a bit of amusement at what they could get people to believe, and substantially did not believe what they preached. No dispespect to anyone’s religion, just one man’s poorly informed oppinion, FWIW.
Aren’t many average, middle class adults businessmen, lawyers, and professors?
That neither Circus Peanuts nor Orange Slices have been manufactured since WW II, just periodic reshuffling among retailers.
I can’t remember where I read this but it was stated that there was some evidence that there is a larger percentage of true psychopaths attracted to these types of institutions than in other fields of work. Makes sense to me.
I came to talk about the pit too: The Money Pit is actually an ingenious attempt to engineer a freshwater well from seawater.