You may have seen segments on late-night TV where hosts go out on public streets and ask passersby questions like, “What’s the capital of Italy?” Or “In what continent is Australia?” Later, when given the correct answer, the responder says, “Wait, you mean Australia is a continent?” The audience roars with laughter. Is this funny or embarrassing? Our ignorance is mind boggling. How can we have the so-called best education system in the world and yet have so many uninformed people?
And things are getting worse. Now we see people proud of their ignorance openly castigating experts in their fields. The number of anti-vaxers during the height of the pandemic was astounding. After millions of Americans were vaccinated, they still doubted the experts, refused to protect themselves, and put others in danger.
Early election returns have Sarah Palin ahead for the Alaska congressional seat vacated by Representative Don Young (R) who died earlier this year. This is the case even though she was unable to name a single newspaper that she read when she was ran for vice president on the GOP ticket with John McCain. Her lack of foreign affairs knowledge during the debates was beyond frightening. Enter Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who speaks of “Peachtree dishes” and “Gazpacho police.”
This is a particularly frightening phenomenon given that public officials, who are supposed to consult experts and determine appropriate laws, are incapable or resistant to making informed thoughtful decisions.
And then there are those policy makers who have Ivy League educations but refute facts and create alternative realities to explain away truths when the facts present themselves. Ted Cruz (R-TX, Princeton, and Harvard Law) said guns were not the problem in the recent school shootings in Uvalde. Instead, he suggested that shooters can be stopped by locking all but one door and posting guards at schools. Immediately after the January 6 insurrection, fist-pumping Josh Hawley (R-MO, Stanford, and Yale Law) voted not to certify Biden’s election, even after no election fraud was detected. Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL, Yale, and Harvard Law) stirred up a big brouhaha about critical race theory, all the while knowing that it was not a big issue in Florida schools’ curriculums. So why did these three take such positions knowing that the facts did not substantiate their points of view? To play to their base—saying what they knew their base wanted to hear, taking calculated positions to ensure their reelections.
Many young people today do not read newspapers or watch any news programs. They get their information from the Internet, social media, Facebook, TikTok and various chat rooms. Many of them do not read substantive books. When they pick up a book, it is some fantasy escape or manga cartoon.
This social media obsession has created an environment where Americans skim the surface of critical issues, develop uninformed opinions and then mock experts who explain in detail the various permutations of different subjects. (Just remember the hatred the masses had for Dr. Fauci.) We have now reached a point where we are proud of our ignorance and refer to those who have done the “deep dive” on particular subject as “elitists.”
This is a dangerous situation. America seeks to be entertained rather than informed. The inane premises of some recent TV shows are depressing. A new TV show premiering on ABC is called The Final Straw where apparently four teams of contestants pull items from towers of kitchen appliances and basketballs. The winning team is the one whose tower stands the longest. Seriously? Also, speaking of inane TV, on The Masked Singer, Palin was disguised as a bear and Giuliani was a Jack-in-the-Box.
We live in a world of increasing complexity. We must trust scientists, engineers, doctors, who are experts in their various fields. Do these experts sometimes get it wrong? Absolutely. But, at the end of the day, do they know more than average citizens about the issues at hand? Yes. It is the height of ignorance to celebrate ignorance and mock intellectualism. When you do not believe in climate change, even when presented with indisputable facts (Death Valley, CA reached a record high of 130 degrees.) When you continue to believe the election was stolen, even when recount after recount proves otherwise. When you believe lies scripted by QAnon about secret Satanic child-sex trafficking rings or Marjorie Taylor Greene’s false claims that more votes were cast than there were voters in Pennsylvania. Or that straight people face extinction. Or Paul Gosar’s (R-AZ) claim that the Texas shooter was a “transsexual illegal alien,” let us admit that we have issues.
Yes, some may laugh at the insanity of these comments. But we are heading to a seriously bad place, and the rest of the world is watching.
To quote Dostoevsky in The Brothers Karamazov, “Above all, do not lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect, he ceases to love.”
How close are we to that exact situation today? Please, America take heed.
Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.
Henry Herr says
Personally, I’ve seen the younger generation more educated on politics and social issues than the more seasoned generations.
Most young people are registering Democrat and see through the lies by a lot of main stream media sources. The senior citizen group rely on single sources and do not want to change their opinions. Young people just aren’t falling for it anymore.
To me, the older generations have to let the younger lead. Presidents in their mid to late 70s do not fully represent this country. The age of senators are averaged in their mid sixties. The younger generation may not know seemingly random factoids, but they can find the right answers. They know a lot more than they get credit for.
John Fischer says
Young people see the lies of the main stream media and still register Democrat? Heaven help us.
Stephen Schaare says
Henry, Are you referring to the United States?
I have never gotten more than a one or two word answer(or a grunt) from anyone under 25 y.o.
You mention age. Are you aware that Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an “old” 79?
Bob Parker says
Neither party has a monopoly on stupidity, although it does appear that the GOP has more than its fair share of stupid legislators. When it comes to voters, there does appear to be a more even mix. When one looks at the issues of the “stolen election” and “covid is a hoax/vaccinations are not needed or ineffective”, the stupid gene is clearly more pronoiunced in GOP voters. When someone says “I did my own research”, I wonder what this means – usually they read someone elses opinion on the matter and if it confirms their opinion it becomes “good” research, even though the reader (and often the writer) does not understand what makes a “good” (i.e., valid) scientific study that can produce believable data. Dems are more likely to be “stupid” by refusing to accept “half a loaf” when trying to advance their agenda. Neither group appears to understand how our gov’t is supposed to function, and both groups gloss over when presented with a nuanced discussion and both vote their pocketbook at the detriment to achieving their long term goals. For this to improve, houghtful discussion of important topics must occur in schools and the media.
Maria Grant says
Thanks for your comments. You make some great points.
Maria Grant says
You make good points. Thanks for writing. I agree that senators in their 80’s should retire. I also agree that younger people are better at accessing information. I just sometimes think there is a lot of skimming the surface.
Henry Herr says
I understand and appreciate that take. I have seen in my personal experience, a deeper knowledge and understanding than I thought was there. I try to compare where my emotional intelligence was at 18, to what I see with them, and they have outpaced me. As they grow older, one can only hope they can continue to grow emotionally and gain that deeper knowledge.
One must remember a stable of comics back in the 60s was breaking down race barriers. (https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-discrimination-race-and-ethnicity-new-york-stan-lee-2c864c3ed3a04324be3d8a4bf91bca52) Popular video games of today have some of the most historically accurate descriptions and commentaries than some history books. (https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/12/24/how-historically-accurate-is-red-dead-redemption-2)
Granted there are outliers and progress to be made. I just think the younger generation should be compared to when we were that age, not who we are today. They deserve some credit.
I do agree, that we are in a precarious situation. I have some faith that the younger generation is better equipped than previous generations. Hopefully, we can assist and help the younger generations see fact from fiction, and to guide them in determining what they truly value.
(I appreciate the article. It shines light where it needs to, and causes discussion. Thank you for writing this piece.)
Jim Moses CDR, USN (Ret.) says
I pray you are right, and that they truly do grasp what is at stake. Only by those of the younger generations registering and then turning out to vote in unprecedented numbers can we avoid the descent of this country into the dictatorship of right wing authoritarianism. Contrary to what some would have us beleive, governance is not the exclusive privilege of rich old white “Christian” men.
Eva M. Smorzaniuk, MD says
Agree. I’ve been more impressed with people in their 20’s and 30’s regarding understanding of political issues than I have with people in my age group (60’s). They see problems as things that need to be solved, and not argued about. It’s way past time that we start replacing the “lifers” in Congress that have brought us little more than rhetoric and stagnation with some bright young minds!
Stephen Schaare says
Maria, How about a few Dems in your tirade? Nah,guess not
Michael Pullen says
No Dems because the Dems are the only remaining legitimate American political party. Republican leadership is void of solutions, long on the culture war, while constantly lying to and grifting from good, hard working American looking for a way forward for themselves, their families and the country. Republican leadership offers nothing but hate, blame and anger. No solutions, none, except more power and grifting for the Republican “party”.
Stephen Schaare says
Michael, You are describing the Democrat party.
Biden lies every time he opens his mouth, but does not know he is being dishonest. He reads what is placed in front of him by Susan Rice. Steve
Maria Grant says
Happy to call out Democrats who don’t believe in climate change or don’t support common sense gun reform. Please bring them to my attention.
Robert Rietz says
The only problem with this editorial is that it is not published on every major newspaper in America, and read during prime time on every major news television network.
Very well done.
Merry Danaceau says
This is so true. News from the internet is helpful but people do not get the in-depth stories of news papers.
The most important indication of intelligence is curiosity.