It continues to amaze me that there is even a question as to whether or not we should re-elect Bush.

If a mouse is presented with a button, that when pressed both dispenses food, and gives him a small but painful electric shock, the mouse will have to press the button to survive and therefore will endure the pain for as long as necessary. However, if after being conditioned to use the shock button for food, the mouse is suddenly presented with a second choice, a new button that sits next to the shock button and is perhaps of a different shape or color, what will the mouse do? The mouse will try the new button. Why? Because it knows that it must press a button to receive food and therefore survive. But it also knows that the shock button, while dispensing food, gives a painful electric shock, therefore it makes sense to try the new button because with the new button comes the chance at a better life.

In short, the mouse will try the new button because it knows that the status quo sucks, and there’s a chance that the new button will dispense food without administering a shock and therefore it represents the possibility for a better life for the mouse.

Surely the American public is smarter than a common mouse… right?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 28th, 2004 @ 2:01 pm on the category Event Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.