Top 5 Reasons for the Dumbing Down of Americans....How we have reached this stage

is still a vague mystry for many out there.

We see the evidence in many areas...but mostly in watching politics and its process. To see our Nation suffer in this present day is troubling only because we have caused much of the probs.

The root cause seems to lie in poor voting ...the inability to adequately vote for the Leader to get the job done...This we have not done...

So then, what are the reasons for our confusion over who is good and who is faking good?

Not the only reason, of course, but a major one. With so much time spent at work, Americans have little time to devote to education (in the broadest sense of the word). This leads to reliance on TV, etc.

Although I find it hard to distinguish that from the GOP agenda. ;-)

and giving the money to his asshole criminal conspirators in the military industrial complex. Then we could add the abundance of shopping malls to that. Then we factor in all the distractions. Add that fat, oxycontin addicted swine of a radio talk show host to keep people in the dark about how badly they're getting fucked by the system, to repeatedly elect those that fuck with us. On top of that, the rise of reality TV and fast food certainly hasn't helped things.

Sending Fine wine and hot lobsters....

puting themselves into the Fantasy Realm....

But the motivation behind keeping Americans stupid is obvious: Stupid people are easier to market to and to snow job. Ergo, stupid people buy more shit they don't need and part more easily with their money.

So stupidity is all about economics. Yes, it's true stupid people do what they're told and don't question the power base who's screwing them like smart people do. But the power base itself is in there to protect the corporations and their money. If the power base deviates from that objective, then a new power base gets slotted in that's more friendly to the Plutocracy.

See how it works??

And the smart people that are left, the ones who do the research and question the status quo are marginalised, considered radicals, undermined, isolated, and unable to change anything.

Also: beware the push to erradicate the middle class. The Plutocracy understands that very rich or very poor people will keep the status quo and conform to the System. The System favours the rich, so they have a vested interest to keep it going. The poor are just struggling to feed and shelter their families; they don't have time to sit back and contemplate social issues. It is we in the middle class who've made all the progressive changes in the last century.

So yes! Dumb us down, detach us from our political process, keep up the celebutard distractions, feed us crap food and make us too fat to get up and start the revolution--it's a diabolically genius plan!

and while at it...made a movie, wrote a book, and won a couple of Prizes to boot. There is no comparisons..

But most of us know this...the media downplays Gores shit like... "So what....?

Its time middle America looks into the mirror and ask....WHAT THE HELL HAVE WE DONE TO OURSELVES that we sour so much internally/externally?
We have dumbed down so much that we select a Dumb President 2X...now if that don't take the cake?

Went with "rejection of science..." because it was closest but really I think the problem is American anti-intellectualism. It is neither recent nor even increasing all that much (somewhat perhaps but not much).

Obviously I don't have intimate knowledge of every society on earth but I haven't come across one in my travels that celebrates average/less than average intelligence so much and attacks above average intelligence so savagely. In the UK certainly the "lower" classes have some passive aggressive inverse snobbery at times, and quite understandable resentment sometimes too, but there is not the all-pervasive attitude, across all socioeconomic sectors, that being "real" is by definition both more important than and definitively separate from, a well developed intellect, correct syntax, and interests beyond American Idol and NASCAR. I mean when Ivy-league educated millionaires in all seriousness not only pass judgements on candidates based on whether they'd like to have a beer with them, but also strive to BE the candidate people want to have a beer with, you know something's sadly awry. Heck I love beer more than most people, and I enjoy having beer in the company of intelligent and interesting people, but I don't give a rat's behind about the beer factor of my national leaders. I want them to be expansive thinkers as well as deeply informed policy wonks. If they're also fun and charming then wonderful, but it's so far down on the list for serious consideration that I can't even see it with a telescope.

But seeking charismatic politicians is only an example - the issue shows up in how we celebrate acheivements at school, how we protray intelligent people in pop culture, how we judge information from academic sources compared to nonacademics, etc. It seems to me that righteous and sincere personal egalitarianism metastasized into completely misguided and foolish not just intellectual egalitarianism, but inverted assessments of merit on that particular scale. The idiot is the glorified and all-powerful king in America (in more ways than the obvious) and the genius is the despised and ignored jester outside the intelligentsia - all of whom are also regarded as jesters by the masses.

:toast:

the Big Five plantation owners, staunch repukes all, grudgingly allowed the field hands' children to be educated -- but not too well, lest they compete with the scions of such hallowed institutions as Punahou (later President Obama's alma mater).

For generations, a similar pattern existed in the South, with the added element of segregation. Later inner-city schools would become segregated, de facto, as whites fled across the nearest city line rather than send their kids to school with "those people". Look around you today. Where, in general, are schools performing (reasonably) well, and where are Most Children Left Behind?

for the ones not inspired/wired to really learn...result...the dumbing down of our Society from the get go...

The Blame is everywhere....teachers, parents, students. agenda, funding, and leadership/direction/goals....

Our present status speaks volumes...

Scared fearful people kept off balance are easy to lead. People struggle to get by, hoping for that miracle, win the lottery, get the promotion, make and invention, be able finally to be one of the Rich and Powerful! The carrot is out there and if only we are lucky, we will put up with anything.

Combine that with media that exists to sell ad time rather than give on information, and add in the Fear factor/being off balance combo and there you go.

You struggle, you hope, you are afraid, you are off balance, you don't know who to trust, you have someone shoved in your face as the Messiah and woohoo!

:toast:

I believe the Republicans do have a purposeful agenda to dumb down the American People, but they couldn't accomplish it without compliant television.

I believe the Republicans are fewer but they have more money and own most of the information sources which can be used to brain wash the American People.

The Internet is one exception and I believe this is a large part of the reason as to why you will find most Republicans opposing Internet Neutrality, they will be on the side of anything thats weakens the Internet because it threaten their monopoly on information.

The Pub Masters own much of the Media and/or have unbalanced influence...

We should be looking for ways to balance the equation....

Media (tv, music, video games) that promote violence
Parents unable... or unwilling to parent
Greed
Too much work and not enough compensation time for entertainment
Define 'work'
Define 'What makes money'
Define 'happiness'

I have to counter-question because I've asked people of varying professions and their answers are interesting... but diverse. (the lawyer who thinks the musician isn't doing a real job yet listens to the loudmouth radio talk show couldn't figure out the irony...)

Altruism

Many Factors is true...many have the same common denom however...

privilege to come across in a while. Lots of good reasoning. I can't say I could give any thing new to the debate here.

P.S. I think I would have to give a descending order of the reasons you posted. The way its set up is like asking me what my favorite food is. There all good depending on what my mood is at the time.:toast: Cheers. From the forty-ninth to the fiftieth.

Tis the Season for Reason

Logic tells us if its broken/not good....then we should fix it...

The Pubs refuse to fix anuthing unless they are at the top of the food chain.