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The American Electorate: see no evil, hear no evil...
They just don't bother about PAYING ATTENTION. From the conclusion of the article: "...In the poll, only 46 percent of respondents said they were very or somewhat familiar with the exchange, while 30 percent said they had not heard of it at all." https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/republican-new-hampshire-primary-poll/
As any of you who have put up with my years-long MFO commentary are well aware, it's sometimes difficult to know if I'm being facetious, sarcastic, ironic or absolutely serious.
Let me be real clear on this: until Trump and COVID I just sort of assumed that the great majority of Americans, of all political persuasions, were fairly equal in their knowledge base and intellectual capability. By no means was I fatuous enough to believe that this meant that they all agreed with me on anything, but I did believe that given a fair set of FACTS they would come to a conclusion within a fairly reasonable range of options.
My confidence in this optimistic perspective began to be eroded with the introduction into the English language of the nebulous term "true facts". The first time that I heard that choice coupling of words I ranted:
"What the hell are "True" facts??? Facts are either are true or they are not facts!!!"
My confidence in much of anything here in the glorious United States of America pretty much hit absolute bottom with the Trumpian introduction of "alternate facts".
I now see this nation as containing large numbers of people who are very far from being "fairly equal in their knowledge base and intellectual capability". If that defines me as an "elitist", (a wonderful new buzzword) then so be it.
You make your case convincingly. And yes, I've noticed the same things. The Repugnant Insurgency--- going back to uncle Ronny Ray-guns, Gingrich the Newt and Ralph the Reed--- began a process of eroding any sense of common ground in the operational assumptions and foundational convictions about the (positive) purpose of government perse; and the commitment to bedrock Constitutional norms. Just check out the feces going on right now between the Tex-ass doinks and the federal government re: junk at the border. Refusing access to the Feds???? Jayzuz, if I were in charge, the whole administration of that slime-pig Abbott would be in fucking jail. And the US ARMY would be in charge along the Rio Grande.
In the same breath, I will hasten to add that the border is a stinking pile of garbage that needs to be fixed yesterday. But uncle Joe and his Cabinet have done... not much about it. Totally exasperating.
I now see this nation as containing large numbers of people who are very far from being "fairly equal in their knowledge base and intellectual capability".
There’s perhaps a greater divide than before. The problem runs deeper. The undereducated have gotten dumber. Why is that?
- Curriculums in secondary schools (and I’d guess a lot of colleges) have gotten weaker / become watered down. Other than Thomas Jefferson, most adults couldn’t name 3 or 4 of the founding fathers. Some equate ”The Declaration of independence” with ”The Constitution”, though we know they are entirely different documents having different purposes (and that ”The Articles Of Confederation” preceded the Constitution by several years.)
- The media has galvanized attention as never before at the expense of newspapers, periodicals and books.
- There are many more distractions for both kids and adults which do not stimulate intellectual curiosity or impart learning: video games, social media, televised sports / sports betting.
- There are lots of other contributing factors to the dumbing down like poverty, substandard housing, single parent households, drugs, increasing gun violence.
So yes, as a bunch, Americans are “dumber” - at least in the knowledge base necessary to maintain a democracy. And I haven’t even touched upon the political / social polarization cultivated by the “news” and “social” media. That’s a separate and increasingly virulent problem.
Comments
Let me be real clear on this: until Trump and COVID I just sort of assumed that the great majority of Americans, of all political persuasions, were fairly equal in their knowledge base and intellectual capability. By no means was I fatuous enough to believe that this meant that they all agreed with me on anything, but I did believe that given a fair set of FACTS they would come to a conclusion within a fairly reasonable range of options.
My confidence in this optimistic perspective began to be eroded with the introduction into the English language of the nebulous term "true facts". The first time that I heard that choice coupling of words I ranted:
"What the hell are "True" facts??? Facts are either are true or they are not facts!!!"
My confidence in much of anything here in the glorious United States of America pretty much hit absolute bottom with the Trumpian introduction of "alternate facts".
I now see this nation as containing large numbers of people who are very far from being "fairly equal in their knowledge base and intellectual capability". If that defines me as an "elitist", (a wonderful new buzzword) then so be it.
You make your case convincingly. And yes, I've noticed the same things. The Repugnant Insurgency--- going back to uncle Ronny Ray-guns, Gingrich the Newt and Ralph the Reed--- began a process of eroding any sense of common ground in the operational assumptions and foundational convictions about the (positive) purpose of government per se; and the commitment to bedrock Constitutional norms. Just check out the feces going on right now between the Tex-ass doinks and the federal government re: junk at the border. Refusing access to the Feds???? Jayzuz, if I were in charge, the whole administration of that slime-pig Abbott would be in fucking jail. And the US ARMY would be in charge along the Rio Grande.
In the same breath, I will hasten to add that the border is a stinking pile of garbage that needs to be fixed yesterday. But uncle Joe and his Cabinet have done... not much about it. Totally exasperating.
There’s perhaps a greater divide than before. The problem runs deeper. The undereducated have gotten dumber. Why is that?
- Curriculums in secondary schools (and I’d guess a lot of colleges) have gotten weaker / become watered down. Other than Thomas Jefferson, most adults couldn’t name 3 or 4 of the founding fathers. Some equate ”The Declaration of independence” with ”The Constitution”, though we know they are entirely different documents having different purposes (and that ”The Articles Of Confederation” preceded the Constitution by several years.)
- The media has galvanized attention as never before at the expense of newspapers, periodicals and books.
- There are many more distractions for both kids and adults which do not stimulate intellectual curiosity or impart learning: video games, social media, televised sports / sports betting.
- There are lots of other contributing factors to the dumbing down like poverty, substandard housing, single parent households, drugs, increasing gun violence.
So yes, as a bunch, Americans are “dumber” - at least in the knowledge base necessary to maintain a democracy. And I haven’t even touched upon the political / social polarization cultivated by the “news” and “social” media. That’s a separate and increasingly virulent problem.
Baltimore Sun Sold to Chairman of Sinclair TV Stations