The Larger Picture: Why is there not a War on Ignorance???

[opihimoimoi]

One of the main roots of our problems lies in the direction of Ignorance.

We are all "ignorant" but on differing levels in differing subjects. However, it appears the level America is on, collectively, is mindboggling. We would be much better off if there was a system implemented to address Ignorance, that we raise ourselves a couple notches.

We must find better ways to good leaders who are benevilent, objective, and Caring.

Come, we go find some good wine cheese and ribs

[nostamj]

1. IGNORANCE is part of the republican "trifecta"

so they have NO vested interest in an informed electorate.

HATE, FEAR & IGNORANCE is all they've got.

Keep the people afraid, fan their hatred and keep them ignorant is the only way to sell their chickhawkshit 'president' again.

[opihimoimoi]

4. Then its up to us the People?? Thats the only way??

Come, we think of ways.

[joanski01]

2. Because so much time was

spent on the dumbing down of America. That's the way the right wants it.

[opihimoimoi]

5. They have the money, the weapons, the resources. All we got

are Passion, Heart, brains. We got to organize, implement a better way, what better way than the Dem Party.

[sangha]

3. Because we are vastily outnumbered!

:-)

[opihimoimoi]

6. How so? Gore won the last head count. All we need is a couple percentage

points and its SUPER BOWL

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Because Bush would never declare war

on himself.

[opihimoimoi]

15. Bwahahahaha You got that RIGHT

[LoneStarLiberal]

46. It's All Part of the Culture War

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1143818&mesg_id=1148673&page=>

[opihimoimoi]

48. The culture of MEism? the ME first thing?

[sweetheart]

8. It'll take media reform

Until you break the commerical broadcasting oligopoly and its
determined focus on entertaining rather than informing; their shirking
of their public responsibilty to inform and educate on PUBLIC*
airwaves... we'll stay in a muddle as a collective.

I've known many wise but ignorant people. Ignorance is no impediment
of itself, rather stupidity... blatant determination to remain ignorant.
Overpopulation is not helping, rather diluting the small
pool of wisdom that remains on this earth.

I toast your wine and cheese with this glass of zinfandel, and this
orkney cheddar.

:toast:

[opihimoimoi]

16. Lemme throw in some fine sashimi and wasabi with a toast of Saki from

Niigata, home of the best.

[Kinkistyle]

9. Because ignorance=repug votes, money

Repugs depend on the ignorance of the general public to make money and garner votes. They DEPEND on the income and education gap in this country to stay in power and make more money by milking and taking advantage of the poor and uneducated. Lefties and Liberals rely more raising the level of EVERYONE'S education and income so that everyone benefits equally.

[opihimoimoi]

18. Sounds like exploitation and a greed for control to me. Hardly any sharing

for the masses

[primavera]

56. Bingo

I recall a discussion thread here on DU several months ago which described the promotion of local high school sporting programs by a West Virginia coal company, which interestingly enough, opted out of supporting any actual educational programs. How else do you get people to work long hours under horrifying conditions for slave wages other than to keep them ignorant but pumped up with team spirit? Repukes don't want the electorate to be educated, because critical voters might stop and wonder why it is that so many of their policies benefit the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else. Far better to keep the voters too ignorant to question anything and toss them an occasional bit of cosmetic flag waving to divert their attention from the real issues at play. Face it, if the American public was educated, the Republican Party would be out of business overnight; it's therefore antithetical to the GOP's interests to support education. Why should we be surprised to find that they not only do not support it, but indeed actively undercut it? No great mystery there.

[HawkerHurricane]

10. Because, as much as I would enjoy it,

blowing up stupid people wouldn't solve the problem.

War on Drugs might have worked, you can blow up drugs and drug dealers and drug users...

I apologize, I know what you mean: a maximum effort to eliminate ignorance. There are many problems with this...

1. Many religious leaders actively teach that ignorance is a good thing.

2. Many business leaders don't want people to know to much or worse, think too much.

3. Many political leaders don't want people to think for themselves.

You provide the cheese and ribs, I shall get some wine... what wine goes with ribs?

[opihimoimoi]

19. Smoked ribs goes best with RED Wine, from Napa Valley of course

[Jack Rabbit]

11. The Republicans would consider it partisan

And with good reason.

[opihimoimoi]

20. But they over look the benefits of a higher level of astuteness.

WE ALL gain, we all laugh, we all get to smile / laugh more. Fuck misery and premature death

[maggrwaggr]

12. for the same reason it was illegal to teach slaves to read

If people have knowledge they get fucking PISSED OFF.

like us.

The powers that be say "keep watching "bachelorette" and midgets marrying for money and shopping at WalMart and watching Fox News"

[opihimoimoi]

21. Aha, the distraction level is stratospheric

It takes but the first step, one mind at a time.

[historian]

13. ignorance is bliss

The romans used bread and circus to control their citizens - in usa we use ignorance which, by the way, is well portrayed by slime et al in the white house today

[opihimoimoi]

22. Are we saying the Ignorant elect Ignorants??? You got it right.

The equation is so simple,

Smart voters elect smart Leaders who then give us smart decisions

[Dissenting_Prole]

14. because the CIA

can't import ignorance illegally, launder the money through US corporations and pipe the profits into covert operations, the way they do in the War on Drugs.

[opihimoimoi]

23. We cannot afford to let the CIA to rule our lives.

We have let these guys, the rulers of our society, in charge far too long without a way to express our needs and wants except for voting and protests.

If we lower the Ignorance level Smart voting would emerge higher than the present. We have so much . We have the opportunity to reach a truely benevilent society, but our collective Ignorance fostered by the Master Pubs, keeps us down in the strawberry patch, etc.

[LeahMira]

17. Who is going to admit to ignorance?

There was a war on poverty and many people claimed to be poor. There was a war on drugs and many people admitted to being hooked on drugs. Who is going to claim that they need help with their ignorance?

[opihimoimoi]

24. Who? those that wish not to remain ignorant. Those that see

by remaining left behind only fosters missing the boat.

[Kanary]

25. Shhhhhhh! You'll upset the whole apple cart ^_^

Our system depends on ignorance, and ostrich behavior.

Whaddya wanna du..... foment a .... revolution?

~~gigglesnort~~

Kanary, who will now be humming the Beatle's "Revolution" all night....:)
"I'll give it a 75... the lyrics are good, but you can't hula to it......"

[opihimoimoi]

27. Yo Kanary, Lower the Ig Level so we can Hula more.

I luv that one.

Come, we look for shave ice with ice cream and azuki beans.

[Kitsune]

26. Ignorance enables authoritarianism.

Which is why the authorities love it so.

More prolefeed, stat!

[opihimoimoi]

28. But the authorities seem ignorant as well?

Damn, whatchagonna do?

Come, time for Kava.

[w4rma]

29. Because widespread ignorance is profitable to con-artists, and they

have the most power.

The war on ignorance will have to be a guerilla war on ignorance, IMHO.

[opihimoimoi]

33. That Bush guy is a very unconvincing CON artist.

The UnderGround War on Ignorance can be a serious project.

Perhaps a Stealth War.

[kodi]

30. because we are a part of the ignorant.

[opihimoimoi]

34. Yes, we are. But that doesn't mean we cannot devise a selfhelp thingy?

[kodi]

40. honesty would be a start

but it is a path few follow in their lives.

[opihimoimoi]

42. A Human failing for sure. We need help in that area too

[Kanary]

47. Honest people are reviled.

Only introverts can truly be *honest* with others.

It's to be hoped that most everyone will be honest with themselves.

Here's my promise to you... I'll be as honest with you as you'll allow without tacking me to the wall.

Kanary, turning up the Makaha Sons..... :)

[opihimoimoi]

49. Culture wars between selfish dishonest exploitors against honest sheep?

Come, we get some Gabby Pahinui on

[NNadir]

31. If there were such a war, Bush would need to resign. n/t

[opihimoimoi]

36. ROTFL, I was hoping he be out of office by then

[FDRrocks]

32. Because an educated populous is poison

to the two party oligarchy they are pulling here. They simply couldn't pull it off if America was well educated.

[opihimoimoi]

37. If we can fall in love watching tall people marry short people

we can do anything including dummying up.

[NightTrain]

35. Because its casualties would include about 90% of those who post here!

Christ, if the anti-Nader threads haven't proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt...!

[opihimoimoi]

38. But I would consider learning how to reduce ignorance a life saver

not a casualty

[PrinceofMorning]

39. Another war Bush would lose

A war on ignorance started by Bush would be great fodder for late night TV, don't you think? It might also remind people of the "wars" - on drugs, poverty, and now terrorism - that we don't seem to be winning.

[opihimoimoi]

41. Of all the wars we could get into,This is the one we cannot afford to LOSE

[PrinceofMorning]

43. Agree.

But considering our track record, and the lack of any real interest in such an effort in Washington, I'm pessimistic. An ignorant electorate is not something politicians are necessarily averse to.

[rasputin1952]

44. Good thread Opi...

:hi:

As we look at things from a hisrotical perspective, we see that the first ones to go down in a dictatorship, are the educated, the intellectual elite. The powers that be, want to quell the voices of opposition. Immediately following,, is the control of media outlets by whatever means necessary. Now you can control the entire spectrum of informational disemenation. Once that is accomplished, people will take it for granted that what the powers that be put out over a long enough time, is the truth.

A perfect example exists in the closing months of WWII. Neither the Japanese, nor the German gov'ts, accepted the fact they were beaten. Night after night, radio broadcasts discussed 'new' victories. The propaganda sheets put out on the streets during the day spoke of great sacrifice of the common people to bring victory every closer.
Even after Hiroshima, Tojo refused to believe that the US could have another bomb quickly enough to do any more destruction. These people sat in their homes and worked diligently in a war effort that was doomed. All due to the methodical manipulation of information. It is bad enough an enemy is coming to your country, it is inconceivable for a gov't to accept that they will be overthrown by its very citizens. They just keep on telling people it will get better.

I am ignorant on many items, I am chock full of information on others. I do not mind being ignorant of some things, I have learned that I can live a life to satisfaction having not dwelt on some of the more arcane things in life. I have read Shakespeare, but I do not have the desire to memorize it; I have delved into astro physics, but it did not keep my attention. Some forms of ignorance are a blessing.

It is when a gov't forces disinformation down the gullets of the citizenry, that ignorance takes a ugly turn. It is when people refuse to look a problem in the eye and work out a solution, when ignorance is a problem. None of us can learn everything, therefore, by default, we are all ignorant of some things.

The diference in my ignorance and bush's ignorance, is that I do not actually 'enjoy and revel' in my ignorance. bush is an arrogant misanthrope, a knuckle-dragger. He always was, and I believe he always will be. That is precisely why he is a puppet in the hands of someone like Rove.

O8)

edited: clearing up my own ignorance!

[opihimoimoi]

45. Hi there Rasp, mahalo for your input

Bush is so Ignorant he is deluded.

This is why he rarely apologizes.

He is a SHINING EXAMPLE of IGNORANCE, something we wish our children not to become. Bush MUST know 1/2 of America and most of the informed world is LAUGHING AT HIM. So I submit he has no choice but to use delusion as a way to reconcile the issue.

And same for the Pub Sheep .. They cannot believe they backed up an Idiot, and so to spare themselves the embarrassment, they delve into ignorant delusion. "He is a good leader. He said "bring um on" to the Terrorists face." "He lowered the taxes" "He caught Saddam"

etc etc

We have need to see courses like

Ignorance 101, 366, 462, 657, and 869; etc.

There must be a CURE, a PREVENTION, and a well funded Institute to study this aspect. Its not as simple as we think. Its far more complicated than we suspect.

Come, lemme pour you some wine.

[rasputin1952]

52. In a nutshell...

the GOP wants us to march steadily into the 'New Dark Age'. If history does indeed repeat itself, (and I believe it does), we are in for some interesting times.

People are simply easier to control when they are kept in ignorance.
There is also a limit as to how much people 'want' to absorb. That is why 'celebrity' or 'high profile' cases get so much coverage. A lot of people just do not want the grim news of an unjust war. They sit and hope that their child will not be next one to come home in an aluminum tube. Martha Stewart takes central stage but 4 soldiers die in a roadside explosion. I couldn't care less about Stewart, but I shed a tear for the four; except for the local news in the towns they came from, we don't even know their names.

Sad, so very sad.

O8)

[supernova]

53. There's a lot to be said for this notion

There is also a limit as to how much people 'want' to absorb.


There is such a thing as information overload. A person can only learn so much at a time. The republicans take advantage of this tendency and amplify it for their own purposes.

I think one of the things we liberals have to do is what we do best: get out the info to the general public. Not in a blatantly partisan way but just good basic info about things that the republicans would prefer the public didn't know about:

- how to register to vote,

- who the casulaties are: names, places, and families. How the permanently maimed will cope with their injuries. How well or not veterans' benefits sytems work.

- what PNAC is and its purpose.


More importantly, I think this has to be done at the street level, a la matcom and his dad. It has to come from friends and relatives whom the more ignorant trust. You might not care what some talking head on TV says if you don't already agree with him to start with. But you will take a bit of information more seriously if it comes from someone you respect (but disagree with) in your private life.

This also has the added advantage of being completely uncontrollable by the gop war disinformation machine. You can regulte what people say to each other over the backyard fence.

[opihimoimoi]

54. The Dem Party has got to reach out to the grass roots for input.

There are more than a few out a 1000 who have valid ideas and input.

In fact, I hope to God they are reading DU for INPUT. They can cut thru the chaff to glean out nuggets here and there. I happen to think this place is the Mother Lode.

[rasputin1952]

58. Information Overload is indeed a problem...

I think that is why so many people refuse to analyze what they see as 'news'. When forced to look at things like one's mortality, we shy away. When we see too much horror, we shy away. When we see children abused, we turn away.

We can only take so much negativity. The media is responsible for the dissemination of news, there are few 'feel good' articles, so we shy away. Information Overload is real, and it affects us all.

We pick and choose what we want to see, usually, to alleviate the pain of so much suffering. We can take only so much before it seems like all is lost.

O8)

[grasswire]

50. I just...

....want to find out what an azuki bean is.

I can almost smell the plumeria when you post.

[opihimoimoi]

51. LOL, Azuki beans?? Japanese term.

Among other uses, Azuki Beans are used in shaved ice. a table spoon or so is placed on the bottom of the snow cone, then a small scoop of ice cream, then the shaved ice and flavoring of your choice. Not all places have azuki beans and its an OPTION. But for those of us who love shaved ice, its the only way to go.

Come, lemme get you some Haupia Cream Pie. Made from coconut.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[democratreformed]

55. I wholeheartedly agree.

I have even said this many times. Problem is, wonder how many of them want to be educated?

[opihimoimoi]

57. The system needs to be designed to make people WANT TO BE

DUMMIED UP.

If its rewarding/fun/etc enough, they will come.