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Anti-Intellectualism and the "Dumbing Down" of America
Read and weep:
There is a growing and disturbing trend of anti-intellectual elitism in American culture. Its the dismissal of science, the arts, and humanities and their replacement by entertainment, self-righteousness, ignorance, and deliberate gullibility.
Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason, says in an article in the Washington Post, "Dumbness, to paraphrase the late senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, has been steadily defined downward for several decades, by a combination of heretofore irresistible forces. These include the triumph of video culture over print culture; a disjunction between Americans' rising level of formal education and their shaky grasp of basic geography, science and history; and the fusion of anti-rationalism with anti-intellectualism."
...
Were creating a world of dummies. Angry dummies who feel they have the right, the authority and the need not only to comment on everything, but to make sure their voice is heard above the rest, and to drag down any opposing views through personal attacks, loud repetition and confrontation.
Bill Keller, writing in the New York Times argues that the anti-intellectual elitism is not an elitism of wisdom, education, experience or knowledge. The new elite are the angry social media posters, those who can shout loudest and more often, a clique of bullies and malcontents baying together like dogs cornering a fox. Too often its a combined elite of the anti-intellectuals and the conspiracy followers not those who can voice the most cogent, most coherent response. Together they foment a rabid culture of anti-rationalism where every fact is suspect; every shadow holds a secret conspiracy. Rational thought is the enemy. Critical thinking is the devils tool.
Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason, says in an article in the Washington Post, "Dumbness, to paraphrase the late senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, has been steadily defined downward for several decades, by a combination of heretofore irresistible forces. These include the triumph of video culture over print culture; a disjunction between Americans' rising level of formal education and their shaky grasp of basic geography, science and history; and the fusion of anti-rationalism with anti-intellectualism."
...
Were creating a world of dummies. Angry dummies who feel they have the right, the authority and the need not only to comment on everything, but to make sure their voice is heard above the rest, and to drag down any opposing views through personal attacks, loud repetition and confrontation.
Bill Keller, writing in the New York Times argues that the anti-intellectual elitism is not an elitism of wisdom, education, experience or knowledge. The new elite are the angry social media posters, those who can shout loudest and more often, a clique of bullies and malcontents baying together like dogs cornering a fox. Too often its a combined elite of the anti-intellectuals and the conspiracy followers not those who can voice the most cogent, most coherent response. Together they foment a rabid culture of anti-rationalism where every fact is suspect; every shadow holds a secret conspiracy. Rational thought is the enemy. Critical thinking is the devils tool.
The whole article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201407/anti-intellectualism-and-the-dumbing-down-america
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Anti-Intellectualism and the "Dumbing Down" of America (Original Post)
The Velveteen Ocelot
Feb 2017
OP
Trump is the perfect president for a country in which people would rather watch reality tv
Lanius
Feb 2017
#3
NRaleighLiberal
(60,015 posts)1. reality TV - gave us a reality TV "president".
Lanius
(599 posts)3. Trump is the perfect president for a country in which people would rather watch reality tv
than vote and see higher education as liberal brainwashing.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,015 posts)4. rather watch reality TV than read...or think...or reason...
just pathetic, really.
manicraven
(901 posts)2. No wonder tRump was their chosen leader! This describes him perfectly. Not even sure he can read.
to make sure their voice is heard above the rest, and to drag down any opposing views through personal attacks, loud repetition and confrontation
Trump is their mouth piece and role model.
Trump is their mouth piece and role model.
Zorro
(15,740 posts)5. And the trend will surely accelerate with the new Secretary of Education
Solly Mack
(90,771 posts)6. K&R