Learned Helplessness

It's a phrase that I have kicked around from time to time to describe the psychological make up of many Democratic leaders. That is, after years of getting kicked around and bullied many Democratic leaders just accept right-wing frames concerning them, their policy positions and the Democratic Party in general. They give up without much of a fight because to fight against Republicans is a hopeless lost cause, Democrats are inherently weak etc.

The question posed by Gary Farber today is whether or not the entire nation is suffering from learned helplessness after 8 years of criminality in the White House and throughout the administration?

After reading an interview with Jane Meyers concerning her new book about Bush's torture regime and reflecting on the seeming lack of concern or outrage from most Americans Farber writes,

It's your country. It's your choice. It's your former rights that have been disappearing, while you stood by, good Germans, wrapped up in your own lives, leaving it to others to prevent crimes, to pay attention, to work to prevent torture, spying, law-breaking, war crimes, and the criminally unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

What have you done to stop it?

Learned helplessness. It's a choice. It's a lifestyle.

It's the New Paradigm for America.

Land of the freely chosen learned helplessness.

There is more discussion of Farber's thesis over at Yglesias' place.