Ignorant America: Just How Stupid Are We?

[Naturalist]

Millions of Americans are embarrassingly ill-informed and they do not care that they are.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson

Just how stupid are we? Pretty stupid, it would seem, when we come across headlines like this: "Homer Simpson, Yes -- 1st Amendment 'Doh,' Survey Finds" (Associated Press 3/1/06).

"About 1 in 4 Americans can name more than one of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances.) But more than half of Americans can name at least two members of the fictional cartoon family, according to a survey.

"The study by the new McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that 22 percent of Americans could name all five Simpson family members, compared with just 1 in 1,000 people who could name all five First Amendment freedoms." Read the full article I think you will find we have stumbled upon the answer. Rest here http://www.alternet.org/democracy/90161/

[Kerrytravelers]

1. Eight years of Bush. Enough said.

[Naturalist]

2. You didn't read the article

If you read the article and post say so. If you don't and post say so. This is an experiment.

[SammyWinstonJack]

29. I got as far as the Social Security RIP OFF BY BOTH DEMS AND REPUBS

:grr: Didn't want to read any further, after that! :argh:

[babylonsister]

3. This can't be blamed on *. Blame our education system. nt

[Kerrytravelers]

10. I meant, Americans are ignorant, as most have accepted Bush as a legit president.

The fact that the 2004 election was close enough to cheat, that there are that many people after the first four years that voted for four more years of this because they allowed themselves to be terrified into their vote is evidence, to me, that Americans are stupid. So, hence my cryptic "Eight years of Bush. Enough said."

[lib2DaBone]

18. Yes......Bush has done terrible damage to the media

Remember 8 years ago when "Invitation Only" town hall meetings and "Free Speech" zones first appeared? We were all outraged. Now.. everyone just takes them for granted. Remember when White House Press Reporters were not just stenographers and they definetly were not gay male prostitutes? Now.. no one blinks an eye. Bush has destroyed this country right down to the core of it's existence. Each passing day I wonder why this country is not in the streets with pitch forks?

[obiwan]

22. Judging by the fact that Obama is only four points in front of McCain...

... I would say the populace at large is pretty f'ing stupid.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

4. THANKS MEDIA BUMS

MEDIA WANTS FASCISM, HATES DEMOCRACY

[Taverner]

5. Old story

From 06

Not that much has changed...

[Naturalist]

6. You didn't read it either. Last paragraph

How much ignorance can a country stand? There have to be terrible consequences when it reaches a certain level. But what level? And with what consequences, exactly? The answers to these questions are unknowable. But can we doubt that if we persist on the path we are on that we shall, one day, perhaps not too far into the distant future, find out the answers?

We have reached that level and consequences are to follow.

[PsN2Wind]

7. How stupid are we?

I've received from three friends, two of whom I considered quite intelligent, an email saying that if the AIG bailout of 85 billion dollars was divided by their estimated 200 million adults in the country, that we would each receive $425,000. Doesn't anyone know how to do guzendas? $425.00 people!!!!!!

[Naturalist]

8. Yes it's sad.

I'm not sure if you read the full article either, but really that is the point. Many Americans don't want to take the time to educate themselves about our history and the governments workings. They will not stand up for their Constitutional Rights. I had a person earlier make a comment which was one of those "We are the best, they couldn't survive without us" statements. The delusion of some Americans is quite astounding. This illusion they believe in is rather grandiose. Granted, there are some articles where the author fills in copy just to hear himself talk and to extend the length of the article. I too have problems with those. Somewhere though, one has to muddle through the information to find the truth. I really don't feel that there are many that do put the effort in to find it. If they did they would probably go through many stages before they would finally accept it. Some would never be capable of accepting it. The ones who wouldn't bother to read it, and the ones who wouldn't be able to accept it, are the topic of discussion in this article.

[LibDemAlways]

9. I'm a substitute teacher. Today I told students in a 6th grade

reading class that when I was their age I read a newspaper every day. They looked at me like I had two heads. One kid said he picks up his mom's copy of the Star occasionally and asked if that counts.
No wonder people don't know anything. They are uninquisitive except when it comes to the latest celebrity gossip. The dumbing down of the US over the past several decades is just unbelievable.

[ThomWV]

26. I suspect your reading habits were exceptional

By the time I was in my early teens I had become a daily reader of certain parts of the two newspapers we got at home but I was well aware that my reading habits in that regard were the execption, not the norm, within the group of young people I knew way back then.

[LibDemAlways]

34. My 6th grade English teacher required that the

students read the front page stories in the newspaper every day and write a summary of at least two stories once a week. He brought in extra copies of the paper for kids who didn't get one at home. I'm sure the thinking was that if you get kids interested in current events at an early age, that interest will continue throughout life. Worked for me.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Good article

And the worst president? For years Americans would include in the list Herbert Hoover. But no more. Most today do not know who Herbert Hoover was, according to the University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey in 2004. Just 43% could correctly identify him.

Why most members of congress do NOT know what the WPA is either.

By the way still making my way... GREAT article

And it goes into detail into some of what I have found over the years... not that I have reached the end... LONG article, but this also allows for quite a bit of magical thinking

[Caliman73]

12. Scary but timely article.

People wondering about the state of the election can gain insight as to how the race may be close. Many Americans are very ignorant, negligent, wooden headed, short sighted, and bone-headed. Furthermore, there is an active dislike for people who are well informed. There is a mistrust and disparaging of people who know things. How scary can a society become when people think that being smart and informed is a bad thing?

[Quantess]

13. This article focuses on knowledge of history.

As though, history is the only important subject.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

35. But it's a VERY important subject

I've talked to people who made really stupid political decisions or statements because they didn't know history.

Knowing history is as important for being an informed voter as knowing science.

[PerfectSage]

14. Gawd All Mighty Only 22% can name Homer,Marge,Bart,:Lisa and Magee

Very?

How much ignorance can a country stand? There have to be terrible consequences when it reaches a certain level. But what level? And with what consequences, exactly? The answers to these questions are unknowable. But can we doubt that if we persist on the path we are on that we shall, one day, perhaps not too far into the distant future, find out the answers?

Welcome to the wonderful world of the OODA loop. Good riddance to the MICC-tt and America as a superpower. :rofl:

[depakid]

15. 5 defining characteristics of stupidity

Five defining characteristics of stupidity, it seems to me, are readily apparent.

First, is sheer ignorance: Ignorance of critical facts about important events in the news, and ignorance of how our government functions and who's in charge.

Second, is negligence: The disinclination to seek reliable sources of information about important news events.

Third, is wooden-headedness, as the historian Barbara Tuchman defined it: The inclination to believe what we want to believe regardless of the facts.

Fourth, is shortsightedness: The support of public policies that are mutually contradictory, or contrary to the country's long-term interests.

Fifth, and finally, is a broad category I call bone-headedness, for want of a better name: The susceptibility to meaningless phrases, stereotypes, irrational biases, and simplistic diagnoses and solutions that play on our hopes and fears.
--------------

I submit that you will find plenty of evidence of these right here on DU.

[Indenturedebtor]

17. I disagree with you about that last sentence

First of all I don't know what you're talking about. Secondly I really couldn't be bothered to look that up but I remember someone posted something from wikipedia the other day that said you are wrong.

Furthermore I know you're wrong because what you're saying just feels wrong. And ultimately how do we know that's going to happen anyways? Why shouldn't I just be comfortable right now?

In any case I never believe anything that people like you say... so whatever :eyes:

[Larry Ogg]

21. I know your right, because people that agree with you, say you are! n/t

[Indenturedebtor]

24. Actually there are many experts who agree

Not just experts but experts of experting.

[Larry Ogg]

27. Thank you for pointing out this valuable information.

I always wondered how experts became experts. So what you are saying is that, and correct me if I’m wrong, when it comes to experting, they are experts? I must say I like the conclusion, therefore I must find a premise to support it. So if you could be expert enough to agree, that would be quite sufficient…

[Indenturedebtor]

28. My pleasure. Simply by supporting this

you have demonstrated your experting credentials. Now all that is needed is for you to go post at another outside blog under a different monaker so that we can substantiate this discussion :D

[Larry Ogg]

30. That’s phenomenal!

Of course you realize what this amazing discovery means? We can be right as long as we can prove that we agree with our self. I must say that this is by far, the best way of validating ones experting expertise, that I have ever heard!

[Indenturedebtor]

31. That's why it is said that I am an expert at experting

How expert of you to notice :rofl:

[hfojvt]

16. I find the article to be wrong from the start

Even the title, conflating ignorance with stupidity.

"First, is sheer ignorance: Ignorance of critical facts about important events in the news, and ignorance of how our government functions and who's in charge."

Who decides what is an important event in the news? This writer goes on to talk about how few people know what Roe v. Wade did, but what makes Roe v. Wade so important? Why not Plessy v. Ferguson or Barron v. Baltimore? What difference does it make in the average person's life if they don't know how long a Senator's term is? As for how our government functions, perhaps in that regard they are wiser than me, because they have the serenity to accept the things they cannot change.

[Larry Ogg]

19. Needles to say,

if stupidity was valuable, we would be the richest nation on earth. That’s why our money system is based on debt, with the pretense, the more you go in debt the richer you become, thus proving the value of stupidity.

In other words, if most Americans brains were made out of petrol, they wouldn’t have enough to power a piss ants motorcycle one lap around the inside of a cheerio…

[malaise]

20. Must read

Thanks for this

[obiwan]

23. Judging by the fact Obama is only four points ahead of McCain...

...in the latest daily tracking polls, I would say the populace at large is pretty f'ing stupid.

[ThomWV]

25. Why are we so stupid? Because there is no profit in a smart populace and its expensive to get one.

Costs money to educate people and in truth you don't need all that many smart folks in our society. Not much education needed to flip burgers, sell real estate, or the current baseline US job - data entry under 10,000 different names. Let the rich send their children to schools that actually teach while most of our kids go to schools that are advanced day-care facilities and you end up with the closest thing to a state of Owner/slave as ever existed.

[paparush]

32. Idiocracy - Rent it. Watch it. Accept that this is where America is today.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

[Nihil]

33. You have to ask? Q.E.D.

Sorry ... couldn't resist!
:pals: