Why do we live in backwards land?

[ck4829]

America has schools, it has television, it has radio, it has the INTERNET(S). Yet, many people in this nation believe outright lies, some of these include:

Oliver North warned Senate about Osama back in the Iran-Contra hearings.

Terri Schiavo looked conscious (The video was edited! Hello!).

Joe Wilson outed Valerie Plame in a conspiracy to discredit Bush.

Are there any Canadians out there? How about any Brits? Anyone from other nations?

I have a question for you.

Do you live in a technologically advanced nation, yet there are a sizable amount of people that believe in fallacies that are so ridiculous, it boggles the mind just thinking about how people can possibly believe it, or is this just a problem in the US?

[Initech]

1. I've wondered that too. Why do we always have to be the stupid country?

I mean think about it - in the last five years, we've caved in to the demands of a very small, yet very vocal group of people who still thinks the earth is 6,000 years old! Why is that?

[NanceGreggs]

2. I'm a US citizen living in Canada ...

... and I have to sadly advise that stupidity is not limited to our own nation.

The so-called 'christian' Fundies are a perfect example of contagious stupidity. They see people like Falwell, Graham and Robertson jetting around the world, living in mansions, appearing at political events in $6,000 custom-made suits -- and yet they still believe that when they make their small financial donations (which most of them can't afford) to fund the organizations of these 'preachers', every penny of it is going to do 'the Lord's work' and not a cent of it winds up in the "preacher's" personal bank account.

They also see their religious leaders, and the Bush admin that they support, advocating aggressive war, torture, gutting of social programs for the poor to fund tax cuts to the rich, etc. -- and yet it NEVER enters their tiny minds that all of these things are TOTALLY CONTRARY to the teachings of the man they allegedly worship, Jesus Christ.

Stupid is as stupid does - and they just keep doin' it.

[Kipling]

3. In Britain everyone is more cynical.

They are less willing to trust politicians. If a British politician forgets an important fact, he's the figure of mockery for weeks. If their wives cry at a hearing, they are also liable to be laughed at.
The unfortunate thing is that, despite realising that their leaders are feckless rats, the British people still vote for them in the true spirit of cynicism.

[mr blur]

7. Also, over here,

If a "leader" expressed the conviction that an imaginary being told him to invade another country and kill thousands of its inhabitants, he would not only be mocked but, hopefully, led away for a nice long rest/treatment. We may be cynical in Britain, but we're not living in Jesusland.

[devilgrrl]

4. Oops, Nevermind....

[wake.up.america]

5. Most of us in Europe have learned our lesson. Not perfect here, but ...

much more attentive than many Americans.

[Nutmegger]

6. I'd like to give people the benefit of the doubt

and say that they're just wrapped in whatever their doing. More Americans work more hours and these kids today, jeezzz, have hundreds of things to do after school. For someone who isn't Internet savvy may turn on the MSM and we all know how much MSM sucks the big one.

[ZombieGak]

8. our political system breeds apathy

If an electoral/political system undermines democracy by not guaranteeing a right to votes one's conscience and get representation, allows losers to win elections, and even permits minority rule... and to top it off the system seems reform-proof... then soon most people decide there's no point in voting. That leaves a greater percentage of kooks who do.

Currently a 30 year average shows we have about 38% of the voting age population participating in off-year elections, and about 50-52% voting in presidential elections. Reagan's so-called landslide victory in 1980 represented only 26% of the voting age population.