People are stupid

Gooch · 05-30-2008, 12:49 PM

Galt Wrote:I got in a discussion with the poof at work (well, one of the three - and I work at a major Bank!) about Obama. He thought Obama was a muslim. No, he's not, I say. Well, he was once, I think he converted; that's it. No, Never. Not that it matters really, but he's never been a muslim. Ever. I knew this was an internet meme out there for a while but never really saw any hard facts about it until I saw this post from Ben Smith <a class="postlink" href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0508/Things_Americans_believe.html">http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/ ... lieve.html</a> a couple days ago that makes the point that it’s actually surprising that ONLY 10% of Americans think Barack Obama is a muslim, given the striking ignorance Americans show in many other areas.

So, for Gooch and Dig and Jays and whoever else, I expanded on those stats and looked at some others. Basically the point of all this is that people are stupid and will always be stupid. No matter how much money we piss down the toilet on social programs trying to address the gap between the rich and the poor; the have and the have-nots or whatever else, the fact remains that the reason for the gap is the same as the reason for these statistics. People are dumb as shit. They will always be dumb as shit, and as long as they are so stupid, they'll never be able to get themselves out of their poverty spiral. And according to the info I have here, it's a pretty consistent 20-40% of the population is borderline retarded and I'm glad that only about 60% of the people vote in elections. I'd rather they sit at home and watch American Idol and Dancing with the Stars.

* 1.3% weigh over 300 pounds <a class="postlink" href="http://www.americansportsdata.com/pr-obesitytrends-bmi.asp">http://www.americansportsdata.com/pr-ob ... ds-bmi.asp</a>
* 10% think Barrack Obama is Muslim <a class="postlink" href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/3742/New-Poll-Gauges-Americans-General-Knowledge-Levels.aspx">http://www.gallup.com/poll/3742/New-Pol ... evels.aspx</a>
* 18% think the sun revolves around the earth <a class="postlink" href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/3742/New-Poll-Gauges-Americans-General-Knowledge-Levels.aspx">http://www.gallup.com/poll/3742/New-Pol ... evels.aspx</a>
* 19% accept the presence of spells and witchcraft <a class="postlink" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21477704/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21477704/</a>
* 22% think George W. Bush knew about the 9/11 attacks <a class="postlink" href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/general_current_events/president_bush/22_believe_bush_knew_about_9_11_attacks_in_advance">http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... in_advance</a> before they happened
* 30% STILL think <a class="postlink" href="http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/08/29/upi_poll_opposition_to_iraq_war_has_grown/4354/">http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2 ... rown/4354/</a> that Sadam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction
* 31% think the Bible is 100% accurate and can be taken literally word-for-word <a class="postlink" href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/27682/OneThird-Americans-Believe-Bible-Literally-True.aspx">http://www.gallup.com/poll/27682/OneThi ... -True.aspx</a>
* 31% can't name the current Vice President <a class="postlink" href="http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=319">http://people-press.org/reports/display ... portID=319</a>
* 39% think that humanity is "definitely" less than 10,000 years old <a class="postlink" href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/21814/Evolution-Creationism-Intelligent-Design.aspx">http://www.gallup.com/poll/21814/Evolut ... esign.aspx</a>
* 47% think that the earliest humans lived at the same time as the dinosaurs <a class="postlink" href="http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/2008/january/article-hobin.html">http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletter ... hobin.html</a>
* 50% aged 18-24 can't find New York on a map <a class="postlink" href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02/geog.test/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02 ... index.html</a>
* 53% would refuse to vote for an atheist for president <a class="postlink" href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/26611/Some-Americans-Reluctant-Vote-Mormon-72YearOld-Presidential-Candidates.aspx">http://www.gallup.com/poll/26611/Some-A ... dates.aspx</a>, which is a higher percentage than who would refuse to vote for a black, woman, muslim, homosexual, 72-year old, or twice-divorced candidate
* 65% can't name whose face is on the nickel <a class="postlink" href="http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?flash=yes&action=press_release&ID=823">http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.c ... ase&ID=823</a>

I completely agree with you. The class system, the real one, is between those who lead and who use their brain, and the rest of the masses who simply follow and let someone think for them. ...and the huge en masses that sits in-between.

In a lot of ways, this country has not changed since it's inception...and why we allow those "elite" to be the electoral college and to have delegates. That there is still a serious discrepancy between two sides of a coin that make up America.

Despite that fact, this does not mean, within that system that people cannot transcend their lot, and therefore why some social programs and evening of the playing field is still warranted. Because, despite that most just sit happy as a slug in whatever shit they've made for themself, some do not...some actually want to do better. And allowing paths to do just that is part of the American Dream. Even if it is a lark to those who sit baffled by Survivor in their Trailer Parks.

I could be wrong.

But I think you are dead right on your assessment, except in the justification of getting rid of social programs or education, etc.

Good thread. Exactly what I needed this morning to get the mind rolling.