Usefull Idiots

Originally written: 25 Aug 2021

I would like to explore a term, ‘Useful idiot’

This term is meant to indicate someone that unknowingly goes along with something and supports that cause.

It seems more derogatory than it is. I admit that I used to be one, and have memories of publicly speaking out for something that I am ashamed of today, because I was just a ‘Useful idiot’ at the time.

Looking around that are a lot of ‘Useful Idiots’ [UI] out there.

You can take any number of groups/affiliations, but I will swing at the low hanging fruit;

Take the American political system, there are 2 major parties (groups) that exist. [yes there are more but currently at the time of writing this, there are 2 major ones]

The [UI] will vote one way or the other without knowing what they are exactly voting for.

Some people will use these [UI] to their own advantage. Take a potato and put a R on it, people will vote for it. People will vote for a D even if it is a yellow dog, etc…..

Useful idiots have no idea what they are getting behind, they just know that it is something they were indoctrinated to.

I hear from people that they always vote a certain way because their family voted that way (4 people and counting now), I ask ‘why’ ‘what policy in the now or in the past do you stand behind them for?’ No answer given is telling……

If you are going to vote on something, that is putting your voice to that group that you find most where you are and where you want to be. If you are voting and not knowing why, then I am sorry, but that is where the [UI] comes into play.

Sometimes people have an idealized version of what that group seems to be, they hear the words, the talking points, the 1 page cliff notes, but there is no substance behind the words. The words presented to them, and they regurgitate, does NOT match the actions of the group.

Now for the dangerous part of all this;

There is a certain amount of ‘group think’ and what would really get people boiling is a term often referred to as ‘group status downgrade’ theory, it states people that identify so strongly with one group, that if that just the thought that that group/their status in that group would get downgraded, they will do unthinkable things to obtain/retain power/status for that group.

There are people out there, either indoctrinated or fed hypocrisy that are willing to do whatever for the group, just because they feel if they don’t do it for that group, 1) group will loose status, or 2) they will loose status in the group.

AND THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE GROUP REALLY IS.

Now to go in depth in another obvious group.

To take a look around at any house of worship, how many of the people that attend that group are ‘useful idiots’ for that place.

Would whichever God anyone serve want someone who:

1) Has searched them out and found them

2) Just someone that claims they are ‘X’ because their family/surrounding people are of the same faith.

3) Someone who goes just to feel good or to be part of a group.

How would one explain that all they were a ‘useful idiot’ when it comes to faith?

Would they claim that their faith is solely based on the leadership?

You can tell the ‘useful idiots’ if you look closely, they are often called the hypocrites, they don’t live up to what they claim to believe. They don’t know why they do certain things or certain rituals, they know that they do it.

The non-useful idiot will show that they live what they believe. They can explain why they believe something and rely on their own faith, not on the leadership of their house of worship.