Never experiencing the life of the mind scars entire families for generations. Joe Bageant More Quotes by Joe Bageant More Quotes From Joe Bageant The four cornerstones of the American political psyche are 1) emotion substituted for thought, 2) fear, 3) ignorance and 4) propaganda Joe Bageant four political ignorance If middle-class Americans do not feel threatened by the slow encroachment of the police state or the Patriot Act, it is because they live comfortably enough and exercise their liberties very lightly, never testing the boundaries. You never know you are in a prison unless you try the door. Joe Bageant exercise class doors They [Christian rednecks] were so stupid that they couldn't pour piss out of a boot even if the instructions were printed on the bottom. Joe Bageant redneck stupid christian The reality is that our economy now consists of driving 250 million vehicles around the suburbs and malls and eating fried chicken. We don't manufacture much. We just burn up ever scarcer petroleum in the ever-expanding suburbs built with mortgage money lent to people who haven't a clue. Joe Bageant driving reality people Cultural stupidity accounts for virtually every aspect of Sarah Palin, both as a person and a political icon. Which, come to think of it, may be a pretty good reason not to misunderstimate her. Joe Bageant icons stupidity thinking You never know you are in a prison unless you try the door Joe Bageant prison doors trying