Many of us often refer to the average American. But what is the average American?
According to my father there are three types of people, those who do, those who watch, and those who wonder what happened. By my father’s logic, the average American is the one in the middle, the man who watches what happens, the man who watches and says nothing, and the man who listens without questioning.
My father makes a valid point, I too agree that much of America sits and watches, but at the same time I feel the average American surrenders their will to the "powers above him" and in doing so stands by unconsciously aware of his actions, and the consequences, or lack thereof.
Perhaps it is not that the average American sits by and watches, but feels that life is good as it is and therefore has nothing to strive for. The unconscious American knows what they must strive for, but does little to obtain it. In doing so he allows himself to be made a fool by those he believes in, but does not know or understand. This is manifested by a desire to stay where one is, which is generally just comfortable enough in life to prevent uprising, thus allowing those who watch to remain content. This desire to stay secure allows the average American to be ignorant of not only change, but of new ideas, and logic as well.
This inaction has led us to what I like to call the "American Idiocracy." No longer, does the average American think for himself, he is saturated with media, and is taught to believe what he is told. He is told that if he stays in line, everything will remain secure. The average American does not express his own thoughts, but rather encapsulates them so he may ascertain his security. As De Tocqueville said: "I know of no country in which there is so little independence of mind and real freedom of discussion as in America."
Why does the average man stay silent? Why does he believe what the government tells him and remain ignorant for himself. Generally when speaking of the average American, we create a person who is among other things, wholly vacuous, rather harmless, a pawn, who is fine with being manipulated as he is to blind to see it. And it is this manipulated, and doltish man/woman, who we must rely on to choose our future. (Thank you Ohio)
Am I saying that all men are not created equal? Yes, I am. All men are not created equal, all men are men, who do what they know will bring them relative comfort and security in life. It is this comfort and security, which they fear losing, that allows them to be manipulated. And in doing so this manifests the ignorance that once ingrained is a powerful weapon of political repression not by the state, but rather by oneself. It is this inbred ignorance which causes the average American to stay where he or she is, it is this ignorance that prevents one from thinking for himself, and in doing so makes the average American fit the mold of self serving, ignorant, and wholly unaware.
Can the average American become the above average, or even the elite? Yes, but the key is open mindedness, acceptance, and advocacy which as much of a melting pot as we seem to be, is lost in the ignorance of inflamed passion and rage which the proletarian is trained to act on.
The American Idiocracy has the little "power" given to the people, should it stay this way? And where is the mass of the population in their political views? The answer is Democrat and Republican, however the mass views these two as distinctly different ideologies. They are both liberal, but the people have been trained to see them as polar opposites. Power is based off the Average American, however it is not based off the individual, and free flowing thought. It is this political manipulation, and the repression of thought that keeps the average American ignorant, and inactive and thus, average.