BuffetBandit
Seasoned Expediter
Independent reflections on independent thought.
By STEPHEN DAUSE
YOUTH CORRESPONDENT
In 1978, 900 cult followers committed mass-suicide by drinking a concoction of Kool-Aid laced with cyanide, in Jamestown, Guyana.
Ever since, some have used the term "Kool-Aid drinker" to refer to one irrationally dedicated to a cause.
There are many Kool-Aid drinkers in politics today--some of them officeholders, others voters, some of them bureaucrats, others common people. Some of them are Democrats, others Republicans.
However, they all share one thing in common: They are committed to ideology rather than logic, and assume the logic of their ideology will be a shortcut to actual thinking.
Before you get too frustrated with this type of person, think to yourself for a moment. Are you a Kool-Aid drinker?
After all, you wouldn't admit to being one even if you were.
Some people would call me a Kool-Aid drinker--others call me a deep thinker. It is somewhat subjective.
Just make sure you aren't automatically siding yourself with your party or ideology in a debate. Listen to the other side of your first opinion on a subject, and imagine yourself in a debate with them. Could you hold your own?
If you really could, this means you are thinking independently, because you are not just citing your party line's thoughts but are quickly adapting to other's opinions and logically reasoning out why you think they're wrong.
Without Kool-Aid drinkers, we would be left only with apathetic, disengaged Americans and thoughtful, reasoning, intellectually committed ones.
Kool-Aid drinkers make up the base of both parties and give us our red-state/blue-state map--they're who other, more clever Kool-Aid drinkers who hold office pander to the most.
Often, political commercials using logical fallacies work only to inspire the Kool-Aid drinkers--making only a marginal impact on the apathetic voters.
Kool-Aid drinkers are indeed a key part of the United States political system, and understanding them goes a long way in understanding how our government works.
Alas, what can be done? Not much--except making sure you yourself are committed to using your brain instead of repeating your party's talking points.
STEPHEN DAUSE is a junior at Colonial Forge High School.
Wow Stephen you said a mouth full. Hopefully many will stop and think!
By STEPHEN DAUSE
YOUTH CORRESPONDENT
In 1978, 900 cult followers committed mass-suicide by drinking a concoction of Kool-Aid laced with cyanide, in Jamestown, Guyana.
Ever since, some have used the term "Kool-Aid drinker" to refer to one irrationally dedicated to a cause.
There are many Kool-Aid drinkers in politics today--some of them officeholders, others voters, some of them bureaucrats, others common people. Some of them are Democrats, others Republicans.
However, they all share one thing in common: They are committed to ideology rather than logic, and assume the logic of their ideology will be a shortcut to actual thinking.
Before you get too frustrated with this type of person, think to yourself for a moment. Are you a Kool-Aid drinker?
After all, you wouldn't admit to being one even if you were.
Some people would call me a Kool-Aid drinker--others call me a deep thinker. It is somewhat subjective.
Just make sure you aren't automatically siding yourself with your party or ideology in a debate. Listen to the other side of your first opinion on a subject, and imagine yourself in a debate with them. Could you hold your own?
If you really could, this means you are thinking independently, because you are not just citing your party line's thoughts but are quickly adapting to other's opinions and logically reasoning out why you think they're wrong.
Without Kool-Aid drinkers, we would be left only with apathetic, disengaged Americans and thoughtful, reasoning, intellectually committed ones.
Kool-Aid drinkers make up the base of both parties and give us our red-state/blue-state map--they're who other, more clever Kool-Aid drinkers who hold office pander to the most.
Often, political commercials using logical fallacies work only to inspire the Kool-Aid drinkers--making only a marginal impact on the apathetic voters.
Kool-Aid drinkers are indeed a key part of the United States political system, and understanding them goes a long way in understanding how our government works.
Alas, what can be done? Not much--except making sure you yourself are committed to using your brain instead of repeating your party's talking points.
STEPHEN DAUSE is a junior at Colonial Forge High School.
Wow Stephen you said a mouth full. Hopefully many will stop and think!