kirk wallace
kirk wallace
We're all doomed.
what hope can there be for democracy?
what hope can there be for democracy?
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If this story is not a hoax, just give up now
- Thread starter kirk wallace
- Start date
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Yawn. If it's a story about the under-educated and/or inattentive public, well, yes, the point has already been made many times. If it's a story about how bad collective action gets taken because large swaths of people "get it wrong", History is full of such examples, too.
It's rather more funny than doomy.
It's rather more funny than doomy.
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
you, Sir, are an optimist. i hope you are right. You and I are old enough for it not to matter too much, in any event. For the under-30 set, or those with kids, i would think some concern is warranted. It is hard to imagine the country being competitive in the world market with that level of anti-education.
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
give me a break. You may not think, after the vast success of post WWI and WWII educational efforts, that our current level of basic scientific literacy is lamentable, but suggesting that these other illiteracy numbers are relevant or comforting is not really on point. India, after 67 year of independence, is moving rapidly in the direction of literacy. Which way are we going?
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
I have no doubt there are Germans who can't find Berlin on a map.
Anyway, the relevant statement in the initial article is:
"Political ignorance is not primarily the result of stupidity. For most people, it is a rational reaction to the enormous size and complexity of government and the reality that the chance that their vote will have an impact on electoral outcomes is extremely low. The same is true of much scientific ignorance. For many people, there is little benefit to understanding much about genetics or DNA. Most Americans can even go about their daily business perfectly well without knowing that the Earth revolves around the sun. Even the smartest people are inevitably ignorant of the vast majority of information out there. We all have to focus our time and energy on learning that information which is most likely to be instrumentally useful, or at least provide entertainment value. For large numbers of people, much basic political and scientific information doesn’t make the cut."
There's nothing uniquely American about that statement.
Anyway, the relevant statement in the initial article is:
"Political ignorance is not primarily the result of stupidity. For most people, it is a rational reaction to the enormous size and complexity of government and the reality that the chance that their vote will have an impact on electoral outcomes is extremely low. The same is true of much scientific ignorance. For many people, there is little benefit to understanding much about genetics or DNA. Most Americans can even go about their daily business perfectly well without knowing that the Earth revolves around the sun. Even the smartest people are inevitably ignorant of the vast majority of information out there. We all have to focus our time and energy on learning that information which is most likely to be instrumentally useful, or at least provide entertainment value. For large numbers of people, much basic political and scientific information doesn’t make the cut."
There's nothing uniquely American about that statement.
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
Nothing Jeffersonian about it either. But I accept your general point -- except about Germans and Berlin.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Because of a wall? You mean the one that fell more than a generation ago?