I know I'm smarter and more capable than the average man. But I don't think everyone dumber or less capable than me deserves to be that way. that unlike myself, they're no damn good. For me, all human attributes and qualities, evil and virtue, good or bad, are distributed on the bell curve across populations, like height, weight, IQ, or any thing else. Some have a lot, some have a little, most are in the middle. Those who got the short end are unfortunate, but I have no right to feel morally superior to them. Especially when I know for a fact that I have had more than my share of good luck.

As for the commercials, they aren't that way because they are produced by liberals or conservatives. They become that way because they are molded by economic forces which work the same for liberals and conservatives. It's not the ad men that make the system rotten, its the other way round.

Its the reason I got out of public relations/marketing/public information. It is intrinsically dishonest. It is an industry based on lies, deliberate conscious lies.

People naturally feel the compulsion to do a good job, and the system rewards those who do it better. This sets up a mechanism that pretty much serves its own ends and leads to certain outcomes, outcomes perhaps not morally acceptable to those working within the system. it is out of human control. Except for the occasional sociopath you mention, No one sits down and decides to be evil. The system itself selects for it.

That's how the German people allowed the Nazis to take over and lead their country, and almost the world, to ruin. Hitler was the salt speck around which the entire storm coalesced, but he couldn't have done it by himself. Sure, social and historical events set up the conditions and guided events. But a lot of good, decent Germans helped him, too. "I vass only followink orderss" is just another way to pronounce "I'm only doing my job".

Liberals tend to make excuses for the poor, to look the other way at their crimes and excesses. Conservatives prefer to think the poor had it coming to them. The former are condescending and patronizing, the latter are vindictive and judgemental. For them, the poor are not just unfortunate, they deserve to be punished.

Look at the millions affected by the loss of unemployment benefits this year, and those threatened by food stamp cuts. Most of these people are white, most are hard working, or used to be; many were until just recently, solidly middle class; now in this position because of economic forces over which they had no control, and which they couldn't have possibly anticipated. Some are working full time but still can't afford to feed their families or stay off the homeless rolls on the minimum wage or less they're earning. And of course, many are infirm, aged or children.

But to the conservatives, they're all welfare cheats, people with fancy sneakers, long fingernails, driving Cadillacs, (polite code for "black and Hispanic") blowing their food stamps on gourmet meals. They actually believe these people would rather be on the dole than working for a living. They have somehow convinced themselves that welfare is a disencentive to work, and cutting it off will actually be a service to the poor. They don't want their tax dollars subsidizing this low-life scum.

You know, I used to think people who felt that way were just on the tail end of the bell curve when compassion was being handed out. But now, after listening to their arguments, and paying close attention to their politicians and intellectuals, I've changed my mind. THEY are the sociopaths. THEY are the ones who are no damn good.