I love Game of Thrones and think this is similar to Tyrion Lanister’s explanation regarding the overall apathy toward an army of white walkers threatening imminent doom upon the population but it being much easier to focus on Cersei Lanister as a threat.
The human brain is not built to follow the large complex threat of a government whose purpose is no longer (questionable whether it ever was) to defend and protect those higher ideals of the Constitution. Whose overall makeup has become so much a mirror of fascism by the symbiotic combination of the power of said government with the power of companies and corporations while dragging the populace along with emotional triggers to keep them in line.
It’s much easier to focus on those simplistic emotional triggers that we are fed by the media than to try and tackle the complete mess that our government has become and the shady money interests that are pulling the strings.
It does not really matter if Colin Kaepernick chooses to take a knee during the national anthem. What real impact does that have on anyone? It is much easier and convenient to select that as a target of outrage while flag waving and claiming that it somehow disparages the honor of men that have fought and died to protect that symbolism. It is believed to be an unassailable defense strengthened by the goodness of people who think they are honoring those who have fought and died for their freedom without realizing that those men fought and died believing that they were protecting the freedom of Colin Kaepernick. Unfortunate emotion based hogwash.
How convenient that we are fed these simplistic memes to attack and defend when there are so many more important issues to consider. Americans are not apathetic, they just choose to publicly fight their civil battles that they believe are addressable using the ammunition and target that is being provided. Misled, most certainly. Ignorant? Only because the information that they are receiving leaves them in ignorance. Simplistic? Only in the sense that they feel powerless to address the big issues and it is much easier to take sides on those that they feel are simple, addressable and unassailable.
