"Doofus" is an
intriguing and timely word. The Oxford Living Dictionary says it likely originated
in North America in the 1960s and suggests it is either an alteration of the
word "goofus" or from the Scottish word "doof" meaning dolt.
The Online Etymology Dictionary says it is "probably related to doo-doo
and goofus."
The definitions range
from "a foolish or inept person" to "a slot-witted or stupid
person" to "an incompetent and stupid, though well-meaning, person."
Synonyms include dolt, idiot, nerd, fool,
idiot, airhead, birdbrain, boob.
The
only doofus connection to doo-doo I could find was this, from Darrin Bell's
"Candorville" comic strip (excuse the missing graphics): "Dear 'journalist,' I am
offended by your biased hit-piece condemning so-called 'Fake News.' You wrote '…some
of these sites' main sources seem to be their rear ends.' Who are YOU to say
what's fake and what's real? I don't know that your 'sources' are any more 'real'
than my rear end. I know my rear end. I trust my rear end. You, on the other
hand, are a total stranger to me."
No surprise that fake
news and doofuses are related, but the rear end trust thing got me.
A blog called The
Lunatic's Asylum had another take on doofuses and news. Speaking of "political
pundits" in 2012 it said, "These people are put on the air because
they have acquired, we're led to believe, a certain expertise which is, sadly,
all too obviously totally lacking. I cannot begin to count the number of times
one of these professional pundits, paid attack dogs, campaign confederates,
party hacks, the so-called 'strategists' are trotted out to examine every
possible detail of even the least-interesting and least-pressing subjects in
minute detail, and to put a political 'spin' on it all. What's truly amazing,
though, is that it's often the SAME doofuses showing up all over the same
networks, one day uttering what they consider an undisputed fact, and the very
next contradicting themselves without ever a) seeming to notice, or b) making
an admission that they have changed a position or assertion. This is Orwell's Doublethink in action."
In
his novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four," author George Orwell defined
"doublethink" as, "The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in
one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.... To tell
deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact
that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again,
to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed."
Sounds so current,
doesn't it?
In Orwell's novel, Big
Brother was the tyrannical Party leader behind the doublethinkers. Today, the major
political parties' powerful special interests play that role. And, like
Orwell's Party, they primarily seek "power entirely for its own sake."
Not that hard to detect
all the doublethinking doofuses – the talking heads, the duped politicians, the
ardent followers on the left and the right. The ultimate question is will the
vast majority of Americans join them, or will some common sense coalition get
off their rear ends and save us from doofus driven debacles?
6 comments:
First to admit - We're all doofuses from time to time. It's those of you who display the trait with such wild, reckless repetition that get to me.
Anyone remember in our not too recent past when Crawford was spinning that Mississippi's "common sense coalition" was case-closed convinced regarding the efficacy behind lignite gasification?
But that was back when he was a doofus!
Bill Crawford waxes longingly for the mythical halcyon days of centrism, again. Yaaaawwwwnnnnn, sssnnnoooorrreeee, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz,
4:08 pm Crawford could be longing for the Age of Reason.
We live in a time when Joe the Plumber believes he knows as much about the economy from his personal experience as someone who has spent their lifetime studying economics. Joe imagines his role in the economy is definitive and that there are no factors unique to him that explains his situation. He is Everyman in his own mind.
Doctors imagine that because they are good enough in science and math to be doctors, they know as much about geology and meteorology and economics and finance as those who have spent as much time studying those specialties as the doctor has studying his specialty. Yet, he'd be appalled if a geologist tried to claim as much knowledge of medicine of his area of medicine.
And, Lord knows, every man seems to think he's a military strategist and every private knows more than a general. How we got into wars doesn't often appear on the radar screen. You should look up the percentage of those who serve who actually see combat.
That anyone believes partisan politics has anything to actual philosophy or ideals is astounding. All you have to do is look at the history of both parties on issues to see that they've changed positions over the decades not for a grand principle but on what base they can attract. The Southern strategy is your hint.
That you fall asleep easily 4:08 pm is not relevant to anything other than your inability to focus and entertain the possibility that someone might know something you don't.
... and entertain the possibility that someone might know something you don't.
But, guaranteed, it ain't you.
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