The trouble with america?

[chickenscratching]

Aloha, I've been spouting out a bit in relations to America's education, or lack there of.
Lately, my animosity toward certain political parties and their illogical behavior has turned toward a different light.
Just a few days ago I was having a conversation with my father in regards to Terri Schiavo (he is a conservative, will only listen to right wing pundits). I mentioned the fact that her cerebral cortex has atrophied, and he then replied "this is the first time I've heard that".
:wtf: ???????????

even worse, yesterday on the Patriot station, the pundit Michael Medved stated some statistic that basically said that when a boy is molested, it's a 75% chance that he was molested by a homosexual. WHAT????? No WONDER people don't have all the facts when we allow people to say this shit! I wonder how many people, upon hearing that comment, not only did not stop to question the statistic, but automatically believed it to be true?
Ok, so why are we allowing pundits of any political stature to get away with this shit? Of course we breed stupid Americans when all we provide is propaganda and false facts.
Number one, where has the logic gone? Why have we stopped questioning what we hear? Why does one assume when Lush Rimjob states something that it must be accurate?
Again, where has all the logic gone?
I have said before, i wish it was hip to know things.
So, how do we approach this subject of disillusionment and illogical thought?
When will the 2nd Enlightenment begin?
Any thoughts?

[SteppingRazor]

1. Easy to answer, if tough to take.

"When will the 2nd Enlightenment begin?"

Ho, ho, ho! Surely you jest. There is no 2nd Enlightenment, there is no thirsdt for knowledge wating at the end of this Dark Age tunnel. We live in the age of the New Dumb. Being ignorant is not just ok. It is fashionable. We will continue along this vein until we can no longer sustain our economy, our energy consumption, or our foreign policy, and then we will pay the piper. The Era of the New Dumb will only end with widespread destruction. we'll reap what we sow, and hopefully plant some better seeds the next time around.

Of course, that's just my opinion.

[chickenscratching]

2. i hope

we plant some better seeds the next time around too...as i said in my post, i wish it was hip to know things.

[info being]

13. Oh, it will be hip to know things...

Because when resources run out, the dumb and dumber will be useless. They'll keep the smart ones around because problems will need to be solved.

Maybe that was the plan all along: tell the fundies about the rapture, so when it comes time to wipe them out the 2nd Jesus (who will probably be related to Bush) will tell them to march to their death...leaving only the smart ones behind. Kind of a neat, self-selection process.

I am in no way advocating any of this...just brainstorming.

[mmonk]

3. disaster will clear their minds

enough to question. The problem is, those of us that do question have to lose and suffer.

[Az]

4. Demon Haunted World

Carl Sagan wrote of a Taxi Driver he met in his must read book Demon Haunted World. This taxi driver was enthralled with the wonders the world had to offer. But he had fallen prey to bad science and urban legends. Crop circles and psychics.

The public is much like that taxi driver. Eager to know but reluctant to delve into the complexities of science. Fearful that the objectiveness of science will strip the wonder away. Like those that demonized Newton for unweaving the rainbow they fear the beauty will be taken away as we peal back the layers of the universe.

This is simply not true. But science remains a difficult path and is not advertised or marketted. Science and its advocates believe it's merrit should stand on it's own. But science is up against marketting campaigns. There is money to be made in selling snake oil. And without a spokesperson actively selling science it will seem pale and lifeless compared to the wonders of snake oil.

Snake oil offers a sense of control that science does not. Its not just the sparkle that draws people to it. Typical of any snake oil is that it offers some sense or ability to know and control an aspect of one's life. To gain control of the demons a person faces. And unfortunately this is simply not a claim science is prepared to make.

Science shows us how to influence things about us. But it does not offer a magic salve to right all wrongs. This combined with an active marketting of snake oil means that the oil will always be more popular than real science unless an effort is made to increase people's awareness of science.

[hfojvt]

5. maybe part of that is due to the fact

that we indoctrinate instead of teach. Even science is taught by indoctrination. Mostly you accept that things are true because the authority (teacher) says so. Then after you get out of school you keep accepting things that fit into your biases if they come from an appropriate authority.
Learning is scary too, at some point, more learning means you might find out you were wrong. How many people want to find that out?

[chickenscratching]

7. "how many people want to find that out?"

exactly, which leads me to another question....how do we stop being so infallible and when can we accept that it's ok to be wrong?

[hfojvt]

11. cannot,, you might be called a flip-flopper

I kept suggesting that the Kerry campaign should answer by pointing out the virtues of flip-flopping. It is much better to flip-flop than it is to choose a wrong course, or wrong war, or wrong tax cut, or wrong environmental policies, and refuse to admit you are wrong, much less try to fix things.

[ptolle]

12. indoctrination

Must concur with your basic premise, and add my opinion that a good deal of this country's quandary over education stems from the fact that as a culture we really don't have a good definition of what constitutes a "good education" or a "well-educated person". Until such time as we decide that education is for the development of a good human being rather than some sort of glorified vocational training we're going to be caught up in this debate.
This said as one who seriously contemplated the teaching profession and still has siblings,siblings-in law, and numerous friends in the profession. Just my opinion.

[hfojvt]

6. the easy answer is that "I" am powerless to stop it

I have written dozens of LTEs pointing out how the newspaper had printed crap. Many of them are published. Many more, I start to write, but do not finish. For example, the newspaper prints a column that takes about 1/3 of their editorial page. It is total crap, but how much space are they going to give me to refute it? Will they let me write something every day? How much time do I have, considering that I am not getting paid for all this writing? The Republican BS machine spews its garbage far faster than I can clean things up with my toy shovel.

[chickenscratching]

8. well

you're doing your best, you're trying-maybe your efforts are worth shit. But the intentions behind them are worth something.
Though "I" am powerless to stop it, "We" can encourage and enlighten.

Despite my idealisms in regards to where I wish we were on an education or critical thinking level--i'm trying to separate my ideals from what can logically be accomplished.

anyways, thanks for your post, keep that toy shovel moving! :hi:

[earth mom]

9. People want everything handed to them on a silver platter

and that includes information. We're a society of fast food, fast cars and cell phones-People don't even want to take the time to read a book for fun, how can we expect them to sit or slow down to investigate and find out the REAL truth?!

Hell, a little over a year ago, sad to say, I was on the fence about the Iraq war and thought most if not all Muslims were terrorists for crying out loud and I was a Liberal! I admit I was clueless! I was apathetic, apolitical, and turned off by the very thought of politics! Jeez, the last thing I wanted to do was to delve into politics! But the stress of living as the working poor as a result of the * economy had effected my personal life to such a degree that it became the straw that broke the camels back and was what led me to look deeper to find answers and seek solutions. Luckily enough and no thanks to * & Co, things did improve financially recently due to a better paying job for DH, though we're still playing catch up with lots and lots of bills. It'll be awhile before we get out from under, if ever, because I don't trust if it will even last....since * & Co seem hellbent on ruining the economy and hurling this country into another Great Depression. That's one reason why I'm here on DU every day.

Because of my experience, I've come to believe that until people are personally affected by * & Co they will not wake up and smell the coffee. It will take another Great Depression, WW3 and/or a Draft before the majority of people in this country realize they've been shafted, cheated and lied to. And oh yeah, screwed.

[chickenscratching]

10. sad, but true

you paint a depressing picture, but quite quite accurate.
we are definitely a fast society, if it's not here in two seconds, i don't give a shit is a common mentality.
I think that there is always a reaction to an action, and I think history will repeat itself and america will come around again, and then recede, and come back, and recede........
:cry: