It is apparent that large doses of common sense are still very effective today, especially as used by Rush Limbaugh. While many people are starting to think more critically on their own, many others flock to this modern-day common sense guru for guidance and reinforcement of their "gut feelings." His provocative approach offends many people, at least until they take the time to understand his message.
Rush Limbaugh constantly generates perspectives different than those generally presented in the news media. His polarized arguments provide some balance for his audience's consumption. There are also signs that the news media are becoming more objective as a result of Rush Limbaugh's continuous bashing of their liberal approach to politics. Rush claims that many people in the news media are liberals, and he questions their integrity.
Technidigm-2000 evaluation processes indicate that members of the news media can have integrity and still appear to be biased because of the nature of the news media. This is why it is necessary to classify most of the news media at Technidigm-2000 level one and level two. Of course, Rush Limbaugh is also part of the news media, providing level one entertainment with some level two facts.
Rush Limbaugh has the audience and stamina needed to produce an electronic media barrage that uses modern communication techniques and satisfies the average citizen's need to be entertained while being enlightened. Rush Limbaugh places his system of logic and common sense, based on moral and constitutional principles, up against special interest political and social systems. He attacks those who manipulate the political and legal systems in the pursuit of personal power or special interest handouts.
Rush Limbaugh pontificates on fundamental ideas in a relatively superficial manner, not unlike the approach taken by Thomas Paine. However, in contrast to Thomas Paine's colonial days, he is providing his views in our more challenging era of technical complexity. He discounts environmental problems (i.e., makes a final, level four decision) without having the technical knowledge and experience to address such issues at level four.
Yet, criticisms that are based even superficially on level one, "opinionated" common sense are far superior to those that have no common sense basis at all. Many environmental protection advocates and government environmental regulations may be only level two or three, and some may actually be at level four. In the absence of Technidigm-2000 evaluations and communication methods, it is difficult to defend a position on environmental issues one way or the other.
Stated from a broader perspective, any modern political or government decision not based in common sense is vulnerable even to superficial attacks. No detailed knowledge of a subject is needed to attack a decision if it fails to meet common sense tests. However, fixing or addressing the original problem that resulted in the decision is much more difficult.
While Rush Limbaugh is boldly creating a common sense attitude for possible future political or social action, it takes more than attitude to move forward. It is relatively easy to carp at others from the sidelines, albeit with biting and accurate common sense. It is quite another matter to come up with the details of future actions needed to make significant improvements.
Common sense helps us to hold tight to basic social principles. The ongoing need to apply common sense and basic principles in today's world is certainly still there, just as it was in colonial days. It is now much more difficult technically, and we are still dependent on our leaders doing the right thing. The primary difference is that, while common sense is still needed, our modern leaders need sufficient education and experience to generate that common sense in a technical society.
Under Technidigm-2000, doing the right thing means applying common sense within the framework of a systematic approach. This seems like an obvious concept, but it is probably a lot more difficult than might be inferred by Rush Limbaugh's ridicule of liberals. The problem is that polarized thinking (i.e., right and wrong, up and down, or left and right) attempts to deal with issues on an all-or-nothing basis. Polarized advocates can increase confusion and can produce disorderly and inaccurate results. Polarized advocates can be viewed as components in opposing systems, each having different principles and objectives. The two polarized political parties can both exist without creating or being part of a system capable of solving the problem. Failing to solve even the easy problems in a polarized atmosphere, politicians and the government no longer pass the test of common sense. They become part of the problem.
Rush Limbaugh's superficial and polarized combat with liberals can be reflected in the system analogy as dueling, polarized systems, neither of which comes up with answers. The battle between conservatism and liberalism is currently the same as the one between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. With these two polar philosophies embedded in many human organizations or systems, it is a battle that holds the majority of citizens and voters hostage and helpless. We can see the problems, but can we fix them?
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