OK..so most Americans aren't stupid...but politically, they're ignorant!

[trumad]

Is that better for the few who defend Moron-Americans. Oh sure...most of my fellow citizens are bright as hell at say, sales, mechanics, electrical, accounting, retail, etc...etc...etc...

But ask these same Americans about the world of politics and they haven't a clue. Why do you support the War...well...err...uhh...because I support George Bush and believe what he says.

Why did you vote for Arnie...
Well...cause he seems like a good guy plus he'll terminate the 38 Billion :eyes: dollar deficit. (8)

Harken....:shrug:
Treasongate...:shrug:
Unemployment figures...:shrug:
Alaska Drilling...:shrug:
Halliburton...:shrug:
Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame...:shrug:
Fox News....:loveya:

[Cha]

1. That's definetly saying it more accurately! From now on

Americans aren't "stupid"...they are "politically Ignorant" and it is our job among othrers to Educate them! :kick:


~edit~to spell

[Classical_Liberal]

2. misinformed is the politically gentler term but I agree

.

[Tyler Durden]

4. I vote for ignorant.

An ignorant individual walks into an art gallery and loudly states with a chuckle, "Well, I don't know if it's art, but I know what I like and this isn't it!"

Misinformed? If what these fools are is misinformed, then a hurricaine should be forcast as "Partly cloudy, with showers expected."

I swear, If I hear another of these SHEEP bleat "I support our president, 'cause he's strong/honest/smart/etc..." I am going absolutely postal.

[vi5]

3. You know, that's all well and good and nice and what have you..

And if we lived in a country where people were denied information then I would 100% agree with you. But we have ridiculous amounts of news programs, newspapers popping up left and right, and a little device called the internet where you can look up almost any paper from any part of the country and the world. I don't doubt that it is hard to separate the wheat from the chaffe. But the information is out there and even if a person reads enough to hear both sides and winds up somewhere in the pragmatic middle then that is fine.

People can recite sports statistics or tell you who is on the latest survivor but can't be bothered to know any of the other details of much more important things. So even if it is ignorance, it is willful ignorance and no matter what way you spin it, that borders on stupidity.

[Classical_Liberal]

6. Most of the media pays attention to those things

more than real news as well. It is largely because they think profit is more important that informing the public. The internet is there but if you don't know there is a problem you have no incentive to look at it.

[vi5]

10. I'm sorry but you don't have to be Noam Chomsky to realize..

That there are probably 8,000,000,000,000,000 more important things going on in the world than what football team is playing what other football team, or what Kobe is accussed of, or whether Rachel is with Ross or Joey on friends. Even the least educated amongst us is not that myopic.

Don't get me wrong, I love pop culture and i'm not always thinking about or reading about politics. But you don't have to have a doctorate in political science to realize that things aren't what they seem and to maybe dig a little deeper. If a person doesn't then that's fine. But I think it's perfectly justified to question that person's smarts.

[reprobate]

5. NO. They're STUPID.

They are misinformed because they don't have the curiousity to look for facts. They see this bunch of criminals ruining their country, and can't seem to connect the effect with the cause. They see the economy in a shambles and most can't connect that with the tax cuts.

Anyone interested in the effects of politics on their lives has the ability to find out for themselves. Almost everyone has a computer and internet connection. That's all it takes. They just aren't interested enough to put forth just that small effort.

On second thought americans aren't stupid. They're just plain couchpotato lazy. Don't know which is worse. Yes, I do. Stupid has an excuse. There's no excuse for lazy.

[Classical_Liberal]

7. One thing that is not their fault is their geographic ignorance

American don't know squat about the outside world, and it isn't lack of curiousity. The schools obviously aren't teaching geography. In addition the newspapers are cutting down their foreign budgets so Americans won't learn that way. Now if American's have no geographic or cultural context all that information becomes a blur and they won't be interested in it.

[no one in particular]

8. Lazy?

There's no excuse for lazy.

Lazy?

The same people who often work two or more jobs to meet ends?

The same people who raise families and often take care of parents?

It's called priorities. Many people don't see the importance in paying attention to all of this. After all, our paying attention doesn't seem to have changed much, has it?

Most people are neither lazy, nor stupid. What they lack is a reason to actually give a shit. We need to show people that being informed has benefits.

[Robb]

9. Yeah, but where is curiousity encouraged?

Of COURSE we're going to have a dumbed-down population.

We've relegated educators into near-poverty, made "teaching" among the least respected professions in the country, spent 40 years forcing our children to learn in an industrial society's best interests....?

I mean, come ON. Can we really sit here and wonder why America is BUYING the crap we read every day?

Guess what: we've created a population of fools. And it'll take another 40 years to fix it, even if we start now.

[Tyler Durden]

13. FOOLS

That nails it pretty effectively.

The FOOL is not only ignorant, but PROUD of his ignorance.

We have made the fools proud that they don't know anything about politics or the political process so that they can leave it all to "the grown-ups."

[Philostopher]

11. Wait, wait, wait -- an explanation.

Trumad, I'm one of the people who's been posting that there's a difference between ignorance and stupidity, but if anybody thinks I'm defending anybody by making the distinction, they're mistaken.

Stupidity is a measure of raw intelligence or the lack thereof; ignorance is a measure of laziness and a deliberate, concerted effort to ram your head up your ass. It's more in the interest of being precise in our language than 'letting people off the hook.' I think calling them stupid lets them -- and us -- off the hook by presuming they're incorrigible and not holding them responsible.

I know, I know -- telling someone he's stupid feels better when you're angry. I've muttered 'you stupid fucks' under my breath more times than I can count, the past couple of years, when I watch somebody wallow in cognitive dissonance. But in my head, I know that it's really because they're deliberately choosing not to think about these things, not because they can't.

That's a goddamned sight worse -- they're a hell of a lot more culpable for their mistakes if they choose not to know the truth. I'm much more pissed off at people like my sister, who knows better, and out of whose mouth I heard the words, a few weeks ago, "I sure wish that Zell Miller would run for president -- I'd vote for him!"

Wha? My sister, who grew up in the same household I did, thinks Zell Miller is going to save the world for Democrats. I know my sister's not stupid -- she's just ignorant enough to think Dixiecrat DINOboys are the answer. It would take too much effort to look at the existing candidates and figure out either who would be the best candidate to run or even who she likes best. Too much like work.

I told her "you'd probably be in a minority among Democrats," and left it at that.

Stupid is a measure of basic intellectual ability; ignorance is a measure of willful lack of motivation and desire to be enlightened. The ignorant are much more annoying -- and much more responsible for the state the country is in -- than the genuinely stupid.

That's the point of making the distinction, from where I sit. Not to let anybody off -- to determine who's guilty of ramming their heads up their asses because it's uneasy or requires some activity, mental or physical, on their part to become knowlegeable. I've spent much of my adult life wishing I could smack the shit out of people who chose not to know about things they should know.

[rock]

12. Stupid is as stupid does

Usually it's a choice.

[screaming_meme]

14. We need to make Chomsky and Zinn required reading in public shools

This could be a momentous foundation for the Democrats if it is done right.

[BeFree]

15. Stupid Sheeple

May be too harsh a term, <g>

Ignorant, disengaged, etc. etc, are more PC. Ok fine.

How's this term hitcha'? "Squeaky Wheelers"

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Because it makes the most noise.

The sheeple hear the noise, eh?
Well, who makes the most noise? The Pukes.

If we are going to get their attention, we are gonna have to make more noise.

[F.Gordon]

16. Isn't Treasongate.......

the same as Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame? Or maybe there is another Treasongate I'm not aware of?

I don't want to pick on you, but everytime I see something that refers to Americans as stupid....or when I see the phrase "Moron-Americans" I get a little defensive......you are essentially proving what the DLC said a few months back about the "liberal elite" as being correct.

I know that you are just frustrated, as many are, that the information and issues you see as "important" are not at the same level of importance with a majority of Americans. That doesn't make them "stupid" or "politically ignorant".

And since we're discussing the "politically ignorant"....are you aware of the Issues that ARE important to most Americans?

Pot say hello to Kettle.

Peace.