"The Death of Expertise" : how narcissism, stupidity and the internet got us an accidental president

[Solly Mack]

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election represents the triumph of the idiocracy. Trump is America’s fool-king, proudly ignorant and a living example of the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Trump’s supporters appear to be in love with him. They worship him as though he were their personal road to salvation and happiness. Trump’s voters were seduced by “fake news” and all too easily manipulated by Russian agents operating on the internet.


Trump’s idiocracy did not blossom overnight. The seeds were planted over decades. They grew and flourished in the right-wing echo chamber provided by Fox News and other media outlets. Researchers have shown that people who consume Fox News programming actually know less about current events than people who do not watch any news programs at all. Shorter version: Fox actually makes its audience stupider.

This points to a broader phenomenon. In America, today’s conservatives (as a group and an ideological movement) hold science, empirical reality, intelligence, education and expertise in disdain.


Book Author Tom Nichols - "The Death of Expertise"

Article by Chauncey Devega, Salon.

[malaise]

1. That's a very good read

Rec

I disagree with Nichols on the 'we're at peace' part.

[Solly Mack]

9. I didn't agree with him on that either. Just thought it interesting to read.

He wrote a book and is saying a lot of the same things DUers have been saying for months now.

[CanSocDem]

2. Indeed. (k&r)

'Donald Trump surfed that. He exploited that feeling. He said, “There are people out there that are screwing you out of having the golden toilets that I have. And I’m going to get even with those people, because I know what they’re up to, and I’m going to screw them over and get yours for you.” People are dumb enough to believe it because they don’t understand how the economy works, they don’t understand how society works, they don’t understand the basics about the relationship between education and jobs, none of it. It’s basically they look up from the television, or their phone, and they say “Where’s my money?” And that’s how we got here.'


.

[Bob Loblaw]

3. Quote

As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

-- H. L. Mencken

[Solly Mack]

10. I love that quote.

[Pachamama]

26. Me too...and I am afraid our country truly lost its soul and was replaced with this

[Solly Mack]

28. It does seem that way.

The road is blocked but we have to keep plowing ahead.

[mountain grammy]

11. And it will be a minority, but enough.

[cilla4progress]

31. So, now that we are here, the question is

what comes next?

There has always been this backward populist strain in America, if not around the world. It arises in ugly form, is tamped down. It is antii-urban, anti-intellectual, anti-elite. It often aligned with fundamentalist religion, or uses reliigion to its ends. It seems to usually ultimately be overwhelmed by other forces in society, only to slither away till next time. It would be good to incapacitate it one way or another once and for all.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

32. Incapacitating it would be the best thing that every happened to the world.

Sadly, it seems it's gaining strength, thanks to RW and social media. The nasty, racist, tribal anti-intellectualism that was becoming relatively weak and isolated has been united, normalized, and nourished.

I do have hope that it could be overcome, but only with an effort as large, well-funded, and expertly run as the RW Propaganda Machine. Dems & the left have not risen to the challenge. Seems to me the RW cannot be subdued without such a massive, dedicated, coordinated effort.

[GusBob]

4. I can break that article down to 2 letters

TV

OK two letters plus one word, and a description

"Reality" TV.....completely fraudulent and vapid programming

[L. Coyote]

7. T-V, keeping the stupid occupied since 1929.

The one-eyed baby sitter raised each generation stupider than the one before.

[classykaren]

12. Facebook

[Dave Starsky]

16. YouTube

[GusBob]

19. *checks twitter to see what Trump shit out at dawn*

[Solly Mack]

21. I think it's also more the type of programs and news than TV itself.

I think maybe the level of intellectual curiosity plays a huge factor.

And I also think intellectual curiosity has been made to seem like something bad.

I'd imagine some of the shows people watch and the news they listen to might also be a reflection of how they were raised and if they were taught critical thinking skills - and a host of other factors that shape people and how they think.

I love to zone out with something mindless from time to time, but that break isn't from reality (science, facts, etc..). I'd wager too many people have a reality shaped by Fox News and the like. They carry that reality with them as they pick and choose other things in their life.

Reality TV is simply tragic.

[GusBob]

23. Yes all true

It could be argued that TV itself alters reality, the unreal plots, fake dialogue, contrived story lines where days become minutes, etc

And of course the commercials

[Solly Mack]

25. I lived in Germany for many years and when I came back to the states, one of the first things

that assaulted my senses were the commercials.

I don't know how to explain it but commercials weren't as insidious in Germany.

I was suffering from culture shock, I know - but still....

[Pachamama]

27. Completely agree...and we are living in a Reality Nightmare Show

I also find your experience regarding Germany interesting and relevant because I experienced similar in my life coming from a German family and spending part of my life there and in US.

I also think Facebook, YouTube etc all play a role too...

Lack of reading and understanding of history...lack of intellectual curiosity and lack of critical thinking.

[Solly Mack]

29. Seems like everyone can have their 15 minutes of fame with Facebook, etc., and they will do

or say anything to achieve it.

The number of likes, the number of re-tweets - the ratings - is how some find value in themselves and in others.

The reality show that is Trump says a lot about us as a country and none of it good.


The internet is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used for both good and ill. But it does seem as if the bread and circuses have gone viral.

It took me some time to regain my American footing and frankly, I'm still wobbling.

[Scarsdale]

5. Reality TV

such as those asinine "Housewives" shows, the Kardasians, Duck Dynasty, Apprentice all contributed, too. Sripted shows, people watch and believe they are real. No talent needed to appear on any of them, so here comes the least talented of all - tRump. The gop aided and abetted him as long as the democratic candidate was defeated. Look what they are wasting taxpayer money on now, ANOTHER investigation of Hillary. They never found anything, so why not waste more money searching? The gop who lead these searches have all gone down in flames, Issa, Gowdy, Chaffetz, so why not bring on another low I.Q. clown to waste time and money? The gop party is looking a lot like the latest "reality" show, full of no-talent contestants.

[GusBob]

8. 2 simple questions

1. How much of a leap is it from so-called reality TV to fake news?

To me the bridge between TV and social media is in that step

2. Did they ever find those WMDS every network was prattling on about?

This was back when Survivor was the big hit. I tealized we were being fed bullshit and lied to at the time. And being sold razor blades and tires we just had to have

[Dustlawyer]

6. How our poor education (budget cuts in many states by Republicans), Media propaganda by media

oligopolies controlled by corporate advertisers, and our corrupt campaign finance system caused our current situation!

I feel this is more accurate.

[Solly Mack]

13. I don't think the article covers all the reasons why either - just thought it interesting.

I think some of the reasons blend into others.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. Okay, we have a mind-bogglingly shitty POTUS. Last one was exceptionaly smart, classy, & competent

we beat a lot of odds and conventional widsom to get 8 years of very good leadership that moved the ball quite a bit forward.

So I'm not sure the "WUR DOOMED, culture hurtling to hell in a bucket due to the internet" narrative necessarily applies.

Yeah, the FOX bubble has gotten worse. But, on the bright side, many people are getting MORE connected, informed, and engaged.

[Solly Mack]

15. I didn't agree with everything said but I didn't get a we're doomed vibe from it either.

More than anything, it was that he wrote a book that could have easily been lifted from posts on DU that struck me the most.

Not that he did, of course.

[dalton99a]

17. We went from gourmet to week-old dumpster food

with botulism

[Solly Mack]

22. lol! That sounds apt.

Sadly.

[Perseus]

18. Another person who

claims to have voted for Hillary because she was "the lesser of two bad candidates" but gives no reason why he thinks that way. So many people who like to make that comment of "Hillary was not a good candidate", "Hillary had a lot of baggage", etc. but not one of them can come up with specifics, and when I say specifics I expect them to offer proofs, and not the disinformation propagated by the right and their associates from Russia.

[Solly Mack]

20. In the case of Trump and a tree stump, vote for the tree stump was my thinking.

I'm not calling Clinton a tree-stump, I'm merely saying you don't sit on your hands or vote out of spite for someone like Trump.

Regardless of what anyone thought of Hillary Clinton, the other candidate was Donald Trump. Hello? Easy choice.

And it was an easy choice.

Anyone thinking burning down the village was just what the villagers needed to demand change knows nothing of human psychology.

People can and will adapt to oppression. You burn down the village and the villagers are going to be worried about food and shelter, not who is screwing them over in government.

Yes, Trump has rallied a lot of people in protest and has caused many to get involved for the first time - but people can only take so much shock before they fold and begin to hunker down. The risk of people being so worn down they tune out is always there.

Voting for Trump out of spite or not voting wasn't worth the risk.

I'm very much on the left but I'm not one to burn the village down. I care too much about the villagers to do that.

[Rural_Progressive]

24. Watched Idiocracy again after about 10 years

They could have inserted dRump rallies into the story line and not missed a beat.

[Solly Mack]

30. I can't watch it anymore for that reason.

Though President Camacho had the capacity to learn.

More than we can say for Trump.