How Dumb Do They Think (Know) We Are

[depakid]

I know some scary smart people who never graduated from high school, and I know some real doofuses with graduate degrees, so I understand that the number of years of formal education that someone has racked up is no guarantee of intelligence. But every once in a while, I see some poll numbers that pretty convincingly correlate believing idiotic things with having less education, and not believing idiotic things with having more education.

A recent example is a Harris poll that asked whether each of 15 statements about Barack Obama is true or false. In every single case, the less schooling people had, the more likely they were to believe that false things are true.

For example, 18 percent of Americans with high school or less education think that the president may be the Anti-Christ. That's right, nearly one out of five people who are eligible to vote, same as you, believe Obama is the bad guy in The Omen. But only 13 percent of people with some college believe that; and 9 percent of college graduates; and down to 4 percent of people who've had some post-graduate education.

It's the same descending scale with "He is doing many of the things that Hitler did." Twenty-four percent of high-school-or-less say yes; 20 percent of some-college; 18 percent of college grads; but only 10 percent of post-grads. "He was not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president": 32, then 22, then 21, then 7. "He is a Muslim": 43, 30, 24, 9. "He wants to turn over the sovereignty of the United States to a one world government": 37, 28, 21, 12. You get the idea.

I can think of three explanations for this pattern.

One is that it's not a pattern. Correlation isn't causation. It's just a fluke that educated people believe fewer bubbe meises.

Or, taking a different perspective, the explanation of those numbers is that liberals run America's schools and colleges, and the longer you stay there, the more chance they have to brainwash you.

A third possibility is that the more education you have, the more you understand that there is a difference between an opinion and a fact, and that there actually is a way to test assertions of fact against reality. No matter how hard you clap to save Tinkerbell, really-really believing in fairies doesn't make them real.

Again, I recognize that some people with advanced degrees think it is a fact that "He wants to use an economic collapse or terrorist attack as an excuse to take dictatorial powers," and that some other people -- kids in middle school, say -- have already had enough education to know that "He wants the terrorists to win" is not a fact, it's an opinion, and that as opinions go, it's nuts.

I don't think anything I'm saying here depends on partisanship. "He does what Wall Street and the bankers tell him to do" may well ring false to some Republicans, like bankers. And some Democrats, despite the fate of single-payer health care and the public option, may cling to "He is a socialist" the way that some of Joe Lieberman's fans cling to "He is a Democrat."

But when you look at the political affiliation of people who believe things like "He is a racist" and "He is anti-American," the correlation with being a Republican is even stronger than the correlation with fewer years of formal education.

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marty-kaplan/how-dumb-do-they-think-kn_b_514856.html

[Demeter]

1. Being GOP Is a Sign of Mental Illness

It used to just indicate a certain moral failure, a meanness of spirit; but now it goes right into psychopathy--the rage of the chip on the shoulder, the racist, the superstitious, and those who project their evil desires upon total strangers.

[depakid]

2. It really has become more than just a character issue- though it's that, too

The most disturbing trend is the inability to distinguish opinion from objective fact- a characteristic that's been fostered by the deregulation and consolidation of the American corporate media.

[OHdem10]

3. Religion also. Some Fundie Televangelists have certainly implied

the Anti-Christ bit.

[Mulehead]

4. Not all Conservatives are stupid

But most stupid people are conservative.

-John Stuart Mill

[peopleb4money]

5. The ironic part is that the anti-obama tea party leaders are doing many of the things Hitler did

They're creating support for a political movement by inciting ultra-nationalism and exploiting the fears and prejudices of people during a time of uncertainty and economic downturn. While Hitler blamed the Jewish bankers and leftists for the economic collapse in Weimar Germany, they're blaming all the negroes who they feel have overburdened the working class to support them, the mexicans for taking all the jobs, the left for destroying our sense of national pride, etc etc.

[Enthusiast]

6. And as far as opinions go,

your's is right on the money.

Too close to 1930s Germany to not be frightening. The flag-pin reasoning is one example. As if a flag-pin in any way demonstrates what is in someone's heart. The way they ran with "Obama is anti-American" because of his preacher's words. And Obama's middle name proves his Mulimhood. Juvenile.