Cynicism may now represent one of the greatest threats to democracy, according to a research project at the London School of Economics.
Findings indicate that people are more cynical about politics than anything else, and that cynicism is a more important factor than distrust when it comes to whether people vote. Those who think politicians are liars will probably continue to vote, whereas those who are contemptuous of them are less likely to do so.
But what if politicians could measure the impact that their buzz words were having on the cynicism levels of different groups? The Syntony Research Team at the LSE is trying to develop a ‘Cyndex’ – a cynicism index. It would measure the emotional responses of cynics according to their age, race, religion, gender and socio-economic backgrounds – from mild frustration to violent anger.
All the evidence shows people are getting more cynical with the messages we get from government, from businesses, from the media,’ said Charles Liasides of Syntony…
The team is planning a nationwide sample to create the Cyndex, which it intends to develop commercially. ‘We believe it will be valuable for all communicators to help them be more credible with the public,’ said Liasides.
More likely, it will teach our politicians and corporate leaders how to be more effective liars.
Is that cynical enough?
Wow, a study discovers that people are cynics.
They’ll discover steam next.
I am now so cynical I distrust what my mother tells me. Ok, I kid … but not by much.
Hell, I’m not getting more cynical, It’s just everything sucks now more than ever!
It never enters their minds that the way to have credibility is to tell the truth; because lying is too profitable, and has very few negative consequences.
Anyone who isn’t cynical, just isn’t paying attention.
We have a marvelous Constitution and country. Tens of thousands have given their lives to defend them.
Do we give up and let it slide slowly into hell?
The question is: What are we going to do about it?
Our failure to hold liars and crooks responsible, and putting Party before Country, is what makes it all possible. Always vote incumbents out of office, and throw a few in jail. Send corporate crooks to jail. Embarass them all mercilessly.
Put Country before Party. Stop being fans and become citizens.
Put me down on the ‘Violent Anger’ list. As the saying goes, the only way to fight fire is with fire.
Here is a more ‘statesman like’ way of saying it.
All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
– Thomas Jefferson
All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to vote their values rather than their economic and political self interest.
– bobbo.
it looks like Cheney is the middle finger?
That government is best which governs least.
–Thomas Paine
That government is best which governs least while accomplishing the goals of said governance.
–bobbo
One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation.
-–Thomas B. Reed (1886)
“I am the member of no organized party. I am a Democrat.”–Samuel Langhorne Clemens/”Mark Twain”
Best reason I can think of to vote for most Democratic candidates. Fewer nefarious plots to deal with.
snip
Cynicism may now represent one of the greatest threats to democracy, according to a research project at the London School of Economics.
end snip
Cynicism may represent a threat to government propaganda! Good democracy demands an educated, involved, and opinionated electorate. We only get the government we know to ask for.
A specific elected, or unelected, government is not the same thing as governance. What is good for the first may be horrible for the second.
Dear Syntony Research Team,
Take a lesson from the Y2K debacle.
Don’t skimp on the decimal places.
Cynicism is a natural defensive reponse to brainwashing. It is evolution, guys. Nation that has been brainwashed has to develop cynicism in order to survive.
Society is getting more cynical, but perhaps, as previously said, it is a form of consumer protection. I’m cynical about how ‘value for money’ things are and whether, when I ring my local council, they will really fix the broken pavements outside my house.
This sort of research will finally provide companies with real feedback on the value of their services. There is an incentive for them to improve their products and services to gain more customers. We could indeed be cynical and consider this a money making scheme, but at the end of the day, change is all about incentives. The research seems, finally, to have tapped into the core reason for Britain’s underproductive workforce and flagging global competitiveness.
Rotate the logo 45 degrees to the left and you get the REPUKES SALUTE TO AMERICA !!!
Bush and Cheney will leave, saying “SO LONG SUCKERS, AND THANKS FOR THE US TREASURY, WE PROMISE NOT TO SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE !!!”
Cynicism is looking more and more like the rational response.
For example, what does it mean when ‘the smartest guys in the room’ (name of a book and documentary movie about Enron) turn out to have been some of the biggest crooks in the history of Western civilization, and their company STILL failed?
It means they’re ALL crooks AND they’re also ALL idiots.
There. That seems about cynical enough.