[boriscleto]

Daily Kos: The U.S. Is Trapped in an "Age of Ignorance:" N.Y. Rev. of Books

Widespread ignorance bordering on idiocy is our new national goal. It’s no use pretending otherwise and telling us, as Thomas Friedman did in the Times a few days ago, that educated people are the nation’s most valuable resources. Sure, they are, but do we still want them? It doesn’t look to me as if we do. The ideal citizen of a politically corrupt state, such as the one we now have, is a gullible dolt unable to tell truth from bullshit.

[kenafein]

I read the original article, a great editorial, thanks for the link, but what do we do about it? The powers that be have done their job exceedingly well.

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” -Isaac Asimov

[gokenin]

I don't doubt that the current level of people that actually go out and read to educate themselves is probably at an all time low in America but I have to say I might be inclined to take the article more seriously if it didn't end with a political ad telling you to donate to Obama's election campaign but that's just my 2 cents

[stevewig]

............ I have to say I might be inclined to take the article more seriously if it didn't end with a political ad telling you to donate to Obama's election campaign but that's just my 2 cents

With the greatest of respect this is logically ridiculous - either the article makes sense and is an intelligent opinion OR it is NOT!
The political ad regardless of political flavor is neither here nor there!

[Jonathan Mac]

I might be inclined to take the article more seriously if it didn't end with a political ad telling you to donate to Obama's election campaign but that's just my 2 cents

Why, when it's republicans (and now the Tea party) that are almost the sole benefactors of the ignorance being discussed?

[Medium FormatPro]

I'm suprised there has not been a type of French Revolution in america. Especially with issues such as the real estate crisis (one which will continue for decades), the banking issues, and even how with items such as the 401k & Wall St. investments issues (where now a full one third of america will never be able to effectively retire), and even the unemployment rates. america is worse now than it has ever been ; including the great depression. The only thing that keeps the soup lines from forming is items such as; food stamps, other social programs, and what remaining credit the average american has.

If america is unwilling to take a stand on those issues; wondering what it would take?

Also somewhat related... Should I get started on my rant about the facts that show how in america we're going to have well over ten percent of the population run out fo drinking water within the next two years??

[boriscleto]

Also somewhat related... Should I get started on my rant about the facts that show how in america we're going to have well over ten percent of the population run out fo drinking water within the next two years??

US Intelligence Report: Expect Water Wars Soon

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Gold-World-Water-Wars/8460387313

Blue Gold : World Water Wars

[Medium FormatPro]

A bit of foresight for well over ten percent of the population of the united states...

Within the next two years; when people in southern California go to turn their water faucets on; do you expect they'll work?

The cities of Los Angelas and SanDiego get a majority of their drinking water imported; frequently from places as far away as Lake Meade; not far from Las Vegas. Has anyone been out there lately? Ever take notice of the water level; also naturally posted on the internet?

That in areas such as southern California (an area of many millions of people) will very soon be fcing a version of tap water rationing. Sure it (water) will still be available for purchase, but at what price?? That there will be municipal water rationing based upon the number of residents of that property. Those very residenents could face water cut off at less than twenty gallons per person.

And southern California is not alone. There are some ten states that have water levels at critical levels; of which those levels will never regenerate copmpletely. The united states government has known about this issues for some years, but has done nothing with it. There was once the option to have a type of nationwide power grid (but with water instead of electricity); in which water would have been "tapped" from places that have it in abundence.

So what does this spell for america. Mass migration patterns for millions of americans

[ihasa]

Why don't they just use Brawndo? It's got electrolytes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vw2CrY9Igs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[wildman]

"Age of Ignorance"

Nothing new here.

What is new is that now ignorance has become a point of pride for many. It proves you are a "regular" guy and not one of the "elite".

Folks now are no more ignorant than at other times just more proud and tenacious about it.

Ignorance has become a lifestyle choice.

Ignorance as a moral virtue.

[bossa]

"Age of Ignorance"

Nothing new here.

What is new is that now ignorance has become a point of pride for many. It proves you are a "regular" guy and not one of the "elite".

Folks now are no more ignorant than at other times just more proud and tenacious about it.

Ignorance has become a lifestyle choice.

Ignorance as a moral virtue.

Only until the shit hits the fan and then we're all screwed.

BTW, this is not a purely USA problem as it is also common in OZ these days. That movie Idiocracy says it all frankly.

[wizofoz]

Only until the shit hits the fan and then we're all screwed.

BTW, this is not a purely USA problem as it is also common in OZ these days. That movie Idiocracy says it all frankly.

Agreed Bossa, it is here as well. Far easier to control a nation of dolts than critical thinkers, eh?

[boriscleto]

George Carlin said it all.

But there’s a reason. There’s a reason. There’s a reason for this, there’s a reason education SUCKS, and it’s the same reason it will never, ever, EVER be fixed.

It’s never going to get any better, don’t look for it, be happy with what you’ve got.

Because the owners, the owners of this country don't want that. I'm talking about the real owners now, the BIG owners! The Wealthy… the REAL owners! The big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions.

Forget the politicians. They are irrelevant. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice! You have OWNERS! They OWN YOU. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought, and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear. They got you by the balls.

They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying, lobbying, to get what they want. Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else, but I'll tell you what they don’t want:

They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. Thats against their interests.

Thats right. They don’t want people who are smart enough to sit around a kitchen table and think about how badly they’re getting ****ed by a system that threw them overboard 30 ****ing years ago. They don’t want that!

You know what they want? They want obedient workers. Obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork. And just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shitty jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it, and now they’re coming for your Social Security money. They want your retirement money. They want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street, and you know something? They’ll get it. They’ll get it all from you sooner or later cause they own this ****ing place! Its a big club, and you ain’t in it! You, and I, are not in the big club.

By the way, its the same big club they use to beat you over the head with all day long when they tell you what to believe. All day long beating you over the head with their media telling you what to believe, what to think and what to buy. The table has tilted folks. The game is rigged and nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care! Good honest hard-working people; white collar, blue collar it doesn’t matter what color shirt you have on. Good honest hard-working people continue, these are people of modest means, continue to elect these rich cock suckers who don’t give a **** about you….they don’t give a **** about you… they don’t give a **** about you.

They don’t care about you at all… at all… AT ALL. And nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care. Thats what the owners count on. The fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white and blue dick thats being jammed up their *******s everyday, because the owners of this country know the truth.

Its called the American Dream,because you have to be asleep to believe it.

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

[jeffkrol]

on a semi-related tangent...........

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/books/review/the-righteous-mind-by-jonathan-haidt.html?_r=1

To the question many people ask about politics — Why doesn’t the other side listen to reason? — Haidt replies: We were never designed to listen to reason. When you ask people moral questions, time their responses and scan their brains, their answers and brain activation patterns indicate that they reach conclusions quickly and produce reasons later only to justify what they’ve decided.

[bossa]

on a semi-related tangent...........

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/books/review/the-righteous-mind-by-jonathan-haidt.html?_r=1

An interesting review. Thanks