Even though Americans make a big deal about freedom and liberty, the only thing most of them ultimately want is to be able to maintain their lifestyle.
Think about it: what do people do when they go to work on Mondays? Are they thinking and worrying about their eroding freedoms and devising of ways they can stop zealots like the NSA? No. They are planning for the weekend, when they can hang out with their friends and family, go on a short trip, play video games, and so on. They are thinking about saving some money so they can buy that gadget/car/house they wanted. They are worrying about the problems their kid has been having at school. They are stressing about what happens if they lose their job. And so on.
This is the root of the problem: people are so far removed from political issues, so distracted with their own problems and priorities, that they don't even know the names of their own politicians, much less have the cognitive capacity to recognize and critically analyze what is going on their country beyond what the media feeds them. And when they finally get home after working for eight, ten, twelve or more hours everyday, their brains are so fried they can't even think straight.
And you want these people to put everything aside and overthrow the NSA?
Think about it: what do people do when they go to work on Mondays? Are they thinking and worrying about their eroding freedoms and devising of ways they can stop zealots like the NSA? No. They are planning for the weekend, when they can hang out with their friends and family, go on a short trip, play video games, and so on. They are thinking about saving some money so they can buy that gadget/car/house they wanted. They are worrying about the problems their kid has been having at school. They are stressing about what happens if they lose their job. And so on.
This is the root of the problem: people are so far removed from political issues, so distracted with their own problems and priorities, that they don't even know the names of their own politicians, much less have the cognitive capacity to recognize and critically analyze what is going on their country beyond what the media feeds them. And when they finally get home after working for eight, ten, twelve or more hours everyday, their brains are so fried they can't even think straight.
And you want these people to put everything aside and overthrow the NSA?