Executive summary : In order to inculcate their voters with learned helplessness, the Ds deliberately set up their big efforts to fail. This story is in three parts. First we find what learned helplessness feels like. Next we see what the Ds do to foster it. Finally, how to escape political learned helplessness.
What Learned Helplessness Feels Like.
The classic experiment was giving dogs a shock from which they could not escape no matter what they did. They were helpless. After a while they recognized the situation as hopeless and didn’t even try to get out. But when given an obvious avenue of escape these dogs didn’t take advantage of it. They had learned not to try, so they just sat there and took it.
I myself learned helplessness. I used computer programs that I had no power to change. If the program did something wrong nothing could be done about it. This went on for decades. I lived in rented rooms that I was forbidden to modify. If I didn’t like something, tough. I lived in cities and towns. It’s against the law to change much of anything in such an environment. This taught me helplessness, to be a passive spectator.
Eventually I retired to a third world country and was finally able to buy a nice home. But this mood continued. I was completely fed up with the frustrations of engineering so I didn’t want to undertake any projects. Surely something would go wrong and I would get that helpless feeling once again. But after a few years was I somehow able to escape this mood and realize I could do things to improve my life. I felt a lot better. I now believe that this is a basic human need. People have got to have some agency. Otherwise you are just a passive consumer, inclined toward depression. They say that depression is frozen anger. While it may be wise to accept that which you cannot change even though you hate it, it surely isn’t good for you.
No scientific poll is needed to show that a feeling of helplessness is widespread in the USA, especially in the realm of politics. Over and over again I see, what’s going on is so bad but what can I do? That will be answered later, but for now let’s take a look at
Why The Ds Foster Learned Helplessness and How They Do It
Why? That’s easy : other than the vote, the Ds don’t want anything to do with the general public. If you don’t believe me, go online and try to find D events. You might find one, maybe, in LA or NYC, but in general there are none. No rallies, no barbeques, no get togethers, and no discussion of policy. They don’t want your participation. What they do want is your money. You will find an abundance of sites that request a donation on the very first page.
I once discussed this with a Democratic party member. They said if you want to participate, raise some money for us. Then we’ll talk. Aha.
A good way to avert voter involvement is to teach your voters helplessness. Once they have given up in despair they will no longer pester you with their needs and wants. The way to do this is have all popular initiatives fail. Faced with neverending futility sooner or later almost everyone will quit trying. My “favorite” example of a futile initiative is this. To elect the President each state has an assigned number of votes. This called the electoral college.1 The movement is to instead use the total popular vote. But the electoral college system has iron-clad Constitutional protection. No one will ever get the 2/3rds majority to change it. Why? Because the winners won with that system. They won’t change a system in which they are winning.
The Ds came up with a clever end run : have each state rule to give it’s electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote, regardless of the choice of its own voters. This won’t work. Imagine the outrage of said voters should this ever be put into action. The &**(* legislature took my vote away! If any such triggering of such laws should ever loom on the horizon the state legislators will rescind them.2 The popular vote movement is a futile symbolic gesture whose purpose is to never succeed, teaching the public that they can’t win so they had better give up.
First runner up in the futility sweepstakes is the notion to pack the SCROTUS. FDR tried that in 1937. It was perhaps the biggest political fiasco in the history of the USA. This open attempt at a power grab caused such loss of popularity that afterward FDR was partly neutralized in spite of his overwhelming 73% majority. D party bigshots know all about this so they will never seriously try it. Even their hints of moving in this direction damage the party. So why do they pretend they might pack the SCROTUS? It’s certain to fail, that’s why. It expends unwanted voter energy harmlessly in a hopeless direction. As a bonus it teaches the voters to behave as though they were helpless.
What You Can Do
Over and over again I see, what’s going on is so bad, I want to help, but what can I do? I never give these people suggestions any more, as no matter what I say they will always come up with a reason it won’t work. I just tell them, do something. You know what your best abilities are. You know what to do already. Just do something and don’t worry that it might not help. If what you choose to do doesn’t work, try something else. At the very least, when the s hits the fan you can say, I tried. As someone said of the 1930’s Nazi takeover of Germany.
We watched as though we were in a balcony in the theater.
When it all blew up said spectators joined the downfall whether they liked it or not. Need I remind reader that the blowup is likely to be much worse than was World War Two? Better get going. Like, today.
I dare say I am not a passive spectator of politics. Let me share with you how that feels to do something, anything. A lot better. Feeling depressed, helpless, maybe afraid to stand up and be counted, is not much fun. I can tell you that doing something, anything, is better than that. I have come to understand what Ralph Nader meant when he said
I’m not results oriented.
— Ralph Nader
Maybe you hate Ralph, maybe not, but that’s not the point. I don’t care who you support. I want you to do something, anything, for whatever goal you believe in, no matter what that may be. Try it. You’ll like it.
Actually the electoral college is a real meeting of actual people. Every presidential election 535 electors travel to DC to cast their votes. The original idea was that there would be no parties or factions. The states would choose wise electors who would discuss the matter then choose a president by their vote. It never worked. Parties arose quickly. Electors were and are nobodies firmly pledged to a candidate. I presume they get an all-expenses-paid trip to DC as a perk and party down when they get there. It’s a harmless boondoggle.
But when people say they want to abolish the electoral college they really mean they want the president elected by popular vote. The college would be abolished as a side effect.
The other possibility is an unanticipated 2016 style surprise victory. Same thing though — voter outrage would cause those laws to disappear right quick. Especially if Hated Enemy actually won because of that. It hurts to even think about it.