Why are Americans so Stupid?
TEA PARTY AND THE RIGHT
Why Americans Are So Ignorant -- It's Not Only Fox News,
There Are Some Understandable Reasons for it
Sure propaganda, government secrecy and Fox News have a lot
to do with it. But there are broader societal pressures as well.
April 8, 2013 |
In 2008, Rick Shenkman, the Editor-in-Chief of the History News
Network, published a book entitled Just
How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth about the American Voter. In it he
demonstrated, among other things, that most Americans were: (1) ignorant about
major international events, (2) knew little about how their own government runs
and who runs it, (3) were nonetheless willing to accept government positions
and policies even though a moderate amount of critical thought suggested they
were bad for the country, and (4) were readily swayed by stereotyping,
simplistic solutions, irrational fears and public relations babble.
Shenkman spent 256 pages documenting these claims, using a
great number of polls and surveys from very reputable sources. Indeed, in the
end it is hard to argue with his data. So, what can we say about this?
One thing that can be said is that this is not an abnormal
state of affairs. As has been suggested in prior analyses, ignorance of
non-local affairs (often leading to inaccurate assumptions, passive acceptance
of authority, and illogical actions) is, in fact, a default position for any
population.
To put it another way, the majority of any population will
pay little or no attention to news stories or government actions that do not
appear to impact their lives or the lives of close associates. If something non-local
happens that is brought to their attention by the media, they will passively
accept government explanations and simplistic solutions.
The primary issue is “does it impact my life?” If it does,
people will pay attention. If it appears not to, they won’t pay attention.
For instance, in Shenkman’s book unfavorable comparisons are sometimes made
between Americans and Europeans. Americans often are said to be much more
ignorant about world geography than are Europeans.
This might be, but it is, ironically, due to an accident of
geography. Americans occupy a large subcontinent isolated by two oceans.
Europeans are crowded into small contiguous countries that, until recently,
repeatedly invaded each other as well as possessed overseas colonies.
Under these circumstances, a knowledge of geography, as well
as paying attention to what is happening on the other side of the border, has
more immediate relevance to the lives of those in Toulouse or Amsterdam than is
the case for someone in Pittsburgh or Topeka. If conditions were reversed,
Europeans would know less geography and Americans more.
Ideology and Bureaucracy
The localism referenced above is not the only reason for
widespread ignorance. The strong adherence to ideology and work within a
bureaucratic setting can also greatly narrow one’s worldview and cripple one’s
critical abilities.
In effect, a closely adhered to ideology becomes a mental
locality with limits and borders just as real as those of geography. In fact,
if we consider nationalism a pervasive modern ideology, there is a direct
connection between the boundaries induced in the mind and those on the ground.
Furthermore, it does not matter if the ideology is
politically left or right, or for that matter, whether it is secular or
religious. One’s critical abilities will be suppressed in favor of
standardized, formulaic answers provided by the ideology. Just so work
done within a bureaucratic setting.
Bureaucracies position the worker within closely supervised
departments where success equates with doing a specific job according to
specific rules. Within this limited world, one learns not to think outside the
box, and so, except as applied to one’s task, critical thinking is discouraged
and one’s worldview comes to conform to that of the bureaucracy. That is why
bureaucrats are so often referred to as cogs in a machine.
Between 40-50% of adults in the United
States say they believe in Young Earth Creationism, depending on the
poll. According to a Gallup poll in December 2010, around
40% of Americans believe in (Young Earth Creationism) YEC, with 52% among Republicans and 34% among
Democrats. The percentage falls quickly as the level of education
increases—only 22% of respondents with postgraduate degrees believed compared
with 47% of those with a high school education or less.
In Texas, 30% think humans
and dinosaurs co-existed. The "I don't know" number was 29%. Nice
education system y'got there, Rick Perry!
A CBS News Poll in 2009 showed that 51% believe God
created Man in his present form. Another 27% think we evolved, but God guided
the process.
So, dumbasses believe that God created the Earth and
Universe in six days something like 6,000 years ago. And we rode dinosaurs to
the drive in theaters.
As late as June 2007, more than 40% in a Newsweek poll
believed Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11, despite
absolute proof to the contrary.
OTHER STUPID THINGS AMERICANS BELIEVE?
Up to 28% think we never
landed on the moon.
24% have no idea who
we declared independence from in 1776.
20% of Americans think UFO
Aliens have abducted someone they know!
In 2009, Glenn Beck beat out the Pope and Billy Graham for
the #4 spot on the "Most
Admired Men in the World" list.
I returned to Canada the Sunday past on a flight from the
U.S where everyone, as always, had obligingly and smilingly on departure
undergone shoe and belt removal and, now, pat-downs by airport security.
Upon my arrival in Toronto, I picked up a copy of the Sunday Toronto Star which had a feature on Canadians buying up real estate in Florida and other hot spots for a fraction of what these properties were worth a few years ago. According to the article, these people buy up these properties, and then rent them out in what was described as a quite robust rental market. The rental market, it explained, is healthy at least in part because it is buoyed up by demand for rental accommodation from – THE PEOPLE WHO WERE FORCED OUT OF THE HOMES NOW BEING BOUGHT UP BY SPECULATORS!
So America, my question is this: When did you become collectively so docile and subservient that you now enthusiastically embrace every imaginable indignity imposed on travelers in the name of security, can have your jobs sent overseas, can have your houses stolen, can have your taxes swiped to pay vast sums to the people who stole your jobs and your homes, and do absolutely nothing about it?
Why is it that there are not daily riots in the streets of every city in America? Why is it that the only apparent expression of grass-roots political outrage in America seems to be an idiotic movement of stupid people desperate to defeat a nefarious plan to extend health care benefits to more people?
Seriously, as your longtime Canadian friend, I want to understand what happened, America. How did you collectively get so stupid, so docile, so gutless? Do Americans even know how stupid and cowardly they now seem to the rest of the world?
Upon my arrival in Toronto, I picked up a copy of the Sunday Toronto Star which had a feature on Canadians buying up real estate in Florida and other hot spots for a fraction of what these properties were worth a few years ago. According to the article, these people buy up these properties, and then rent them out in what was described as a quite robust rental market. The rental market, it explained, is healthy at least in part because it is buoyed up by demand for rental accommodation from – THE PEOPLE WHO WERE FORCED OUT OF THE HOMES NOW BEING BOUGHT UP BY SPECULATORS!
So America, my question is this: When did you become collectively so docile and subservient that you now enthusiastically embrace every imaginable indignity imposed on travelers in the name of security, can have your jobs sent overseas, can have your houses stolen, can have your taxes swiped to pay vast sums to the people who stole your jobs and your homes, and do absolutely nothing about it?
Why is it that there are not daily riots in the streets of every city in America? Why is it that the only apparent expression of grass-roots political outrage in America seems to be an idiotic movement of stupid people desperate to defeat a nefarious plan to extend health care benefits to more people?
Seriously, as your longtime Canadian friend, I want to understand what happened, America. How did you collectively get so stupid, so docile, so gutless? Do Americans even know how stupid and cowardly they now seem to the rest of the world?
It is a documented fact that Americans on average have lower
IQs then other developed nations. Go outside and ask random people questions
about science, religion, politics or history and you will see they are as
ignorant as children. Ask them about cars or the latest celebrity gossip and
you will get an earful. How can it be that the U.S. is the most powerful nation
in the world when it's citizens are so ignorant?
Someone once said that Americans are the best educated and
least informed people on the planet. I think that's an understatement.
By accident or design, most likely the latter, many Americans have become dumbed down to the point they shouldn't be allowed to handle sharp objects.
Ignorance is one thing and it's curable. You can educate yourself online, by going to the library and reading a book or take classes at local college, tech school or if you're lucky enough to live in or near a progressive city, they offer adult education classes on a variety of subjects.
But stupidity is another story. It's a nasty virus that has infected America like the Black Plague, killing off our brain cells 24/7 and there's no known cure.
Try to engage the typical American about the Federal Reserve or the Wall Street Casinos that stole TRILLIONS of dollars of OUR wealth and are living like royalty on the stolen loot, with hardly anyone being prosecuted and most will get a blank look on their face.
But ask them about their favorite sports team and their face will light and they'll start spewing out stats, like they were an ESPN sports anchor.
Same thing about Zionist MSM psyop distractions, like the Casey Anthony trial. They'll know all about that sordid murder, and be more than happy to let you know how educated they are on the subject.
And it won't be long before the Zionist MSM finds another heartbreaking tale of some brutal kidnapping, rape and murder of some poor child. Is that news? Yes, on a local basis, but when the media constantly blabs about something that happened 800 miles away from where you live, you know the 'fix' is in and the PTB are distracting the feeble-minded and gullible so they can get away with theft and murders.
Around 800,000 kids go missing each year in the USA, and many are never seen again.
That's around 2,000 each and every day... You could say a 9/11 happens to children each day of the year in the USA.
Now that's a story that should be broadcast nationwide, informing the public over a week or so with solid reporting and turning up the heat on the FBI on what in the hell is going on and why are you sitting on your duffs when our innocent children get 'disappeared.'
That type of story will never see the light of day.
Our apathetic, indolent ways and choosing to stay ignorant about subjects vital to keeping what's left of our democratic republic alive are condemning us to a fate worse than death.
That's one thing, we're adults and WE let this situation get out of hand while we watched last night's 'Big Game,' or NASCAR or read the latest dirt on Lindsay Lohan. But we are also condemning our kids and grandkids to a lifetime of poverty, slavery and brutal tyranny and that ain't right.
Another disturbing aspect is that at least one, maybe two generations of Americans have been trained to be as ferocious as new born kittens.
That's something the PTB just love and have nurtured over the decades, by putting out their psyops messages on TALMUD-Vision, or the 'Boob Tube' that are slyly inserted in Saturday morning cartoons.
I've watched some of that mind-numbing slop. They're always getting across the messages to submit to authority; never question what your government does or says and the police are your best friend, etc.
Gone are the REAL cartoons, like the "Bugs Bunny-Road Runner" show and the "Looney Tunes cartoons where you had a variety of characters who stood up to power and the little guy, like 'Tweety Bird," was never afraid to fight off the predatory nature of "Sylvester the Cat," and win.
Guess those types of cartoons send the wrong message these days, the PTB don't want people thinking they can actually fight back against two-legged predators and WIN.
Here's a small sampling of the 'good old days' when cartoons were for fun and not brainwashing little ones.
Foghorn Leghorn - Leghorn Swoggled
Little Henery the Chicken Hawk wants to trap Foghorn Leghorn for his dinner, and the barnyard dog says he will help Henery to catch Foghorn on one condition - that Henery find him a bone. Henery's effort to find the dog a bone involves obtaining cheese for a mouse and a fish for a cat, with Foghorn's help! Once the dog is given his bone, he uses it to knock Foghorn out so that Foghorn can be carried away by Henery on a toy train
[...]
By accident or design, most likely the latter, many Americans have become dumbed down to the point they shouldn't be allowed to handle sharp objects.
Ignorance is one thing and it's curable. You can educate yourself online, by going to the library and reading a book or take classes at local college, tech school or if you're lucky enough to live in or near a progressive city, they offer adult education classes on a variety of subjects.
But stupidity is another story. It's a nasty virus that has infected America like the Black Plague, killing off our brain cells 24/7 and there's no known cure.
Try to engage the typical American about the Federal Reserve or the Wall Street Casinos that stole TRILLIONS of dollars of OUR wealth and are living like royalty on the stolen loot, with hardly anyone being prosecuted and most will get a blank look on their face.
But ask them about their favorite sports team and their face will light and they'll start spewing out stats, like they were an ESPN sports anchor.
Same thing about Zionist MSM psyop distractions, like the Casey Anthony trial. They'll know all about that sordid murder, and be more than happy to let you know how educated they are on the subject.
And it won't be long before the Zionist MSM finds another heartbreaking tale of some brutal kidnapping, rape and murder of some poor child. Is that news? Yes, on a local basis, but when the media constantly blabs about something that happened 800 miles away from where you live, you know the 'fix' is in and the PTB are distracting the feeble-minded and gullible so they can get away with theft and murders.
Around 800,000 kids go missing each year in the USA, and many are never seen again.
That's around 2,000 each and every day... You could say a 9/11 happens to children each day of the year in the USA.
Now that's a story that should be broadcast nationwide, informing the public over a week or so with solid reporting and turning up the heat on the FBI on what in the hell is going on and why are you sitting on your duffs when our innocent children get 'disappeared.'
That type of story will never see the light of day.
Our apathetic, indolent ways and choosing to stay ignorant about subjects vital to keeping what's left of our democratic republic alive are condemning us to a fate worse than death.
That's one thing, we're adults and WE let this situation get out of hand while we watched last night's 'Big Game,' or NASCAR or read the latest dirt on Lindsay Lohan. But we are also condemning our kids and grandkids to a lifetime of poverty, slavery and brutal tyranny and that ain't right.
Another disturbing aspect is that at least one, maybe two generations of Americans have been trained to be as ferocious as new born kittens.
That's something the PTB just love and have nurtured over the decades, by putting out their psyops messages on TALMUD-Vision, or the 'Boob Tube' that are slyly inserted in Saturday morning cartoons.
I've watched some of that mind-numbing slop. They're always getting across the messages to submit to authority; never question what your government does or says and the police are your best friend, etc.
Gone are the REAL cartoons, like the "Bugs Bunny-Road Runner" show and the "Looney Tunes cartoons where you had a variety of characters who stood up to power and the little guy, like 'Tweety Bird," was never afraid to fight off the predatory nature of "Sylvester the Cat," and win.
Guess those types of cartoons send the wrong message these days, the PTB don't want people thinking they can actually fight back against two-legged predators and WIN.
Here's a small sampling of the 'good old days' when cartoons were for fun and not brainwashing little ones.
Foghorn Leghorn - Leghorn Swoggled
Little Henery the Chicken Hawk wants to trap Foghorn Leghorn for his dinner, and the barnyard dog says he will help Henery to catch Foghorn on one condition - that Henery find him a bone. Henery's effort to find the dog a bone involves obtaining cheese for a mouse and a fish for a cat, with Foghorn's help! Once the dog is given his bone, he uses it to knock Foghorn out so that Foghorn can be carried away by Henery on a toy train
[...]
Time to WTFU America and do it NOW or get used to the coming, absolute police
state and forever being Wall Street's and Israel's BITCH.
