Dumbass nation: Our biggest national security problem is America's "vast and militant ignorance"

[marmar]

Dumbass nation: Our biggest national security problem is America's "vast and militant ignorance"
Millions of Americans embrace vapid lies and conspiracy theories — and the proudly moronic leader who spreads them

By BRIAN KAREM
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 28, 2021 10:57AM


(Salon) With apologies to Paul Simon, and despite all of the information available to the mortal man, there are still millions of Americans who currently believe they're gliding down the highway when in fact they're slip slidin' away.

As President Biden prepares to travel to Europe to meet with the Pope and our NATO allies next week, there remains a huge national security problem for him to grapple with, one that hasn't been addressed in any meaningful fashion for many years.

It is the root cause of our problems with China. It's why some people don't want to get vaccinated. It's why some people still gleefully follow Donald Trump. It explains why Congress can't get together in a bipartisan fashion to deal with infrastructure, health care and gun control. It's why we have problems understanding climate change. It explains voter suppression. It's why "critical race theory" has become controversial, why elements of our population on the left and right are at war with each other and why some believe the earth is flat and the Holocaust didn't occur. It's why some of us believe we're still the "No. 1" nation in the world when — other than having the largest military — we clearly lag behind other major nations in many critical factors. More than anything else it explains why we fail.

The United States is a nation of militantly ignorant people, arrogant in their beliefs, unable to change their minds and unwilling to try. We lack education.

And the lack of education in this country is such a problem that national security adviser Jake Sullivan described it this week as a critical issue for our national security. "I do consider it a national security problem," he told me during a White House briefing on Tuesday. "In fact, it's Dr. [Jill] Biden who has repeatedly said — and the president frequently quotes her — that any country that out-educates the United States will outcompete the United States, and that is a fundamental national security issue." ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/10/28/dumbass-nation-our-biggest-national-security-problem-is-americas-vast-and-militant-ignorance/

[Irish_Dem]

1. The GOP has weaponized the stupidity of the American people.

And the gun is aiming at the heart of our democracy.

[whathehell]

2. Um, no.. It's "weaponized" the stupidity of a MINORITY of the American people

Generalizing it as "the American people" insults us all, and helps nothing.

[StClone]

3. Populace so wanting the beautiful lies and wonders of abuse

So many signs of the decline of knowledge and wisdom needed to survive as a Democracy. Rome may have rotted some but was taken mostly by external forces, here it is much more self-inflicted.

[empedocles]

4. The US populace in WWII had a major advantage in literacy and mechanical intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is trickier.

[flamingdem]

5. "The left and the right"????

Both sidesism over the issue of ignorance? Not really. That's on the repuke side.

[inthewind21]

7. Really

2016. Green Party. Jill Stein and fit throwing Bernie supporters. That's all that needs to be said. It is indeed both sides.

[Duppers]

6. K & R

[Iggo]

8. It's a feature, not a bug.

[lees1975]

9. Yes to all that.