Pick yer poison! Where would you rather live?

Neighbor? Janko. But if Bear was on the list, him in a runaway. Has anyone seen his view of the SF Bay?

 

I must agree 100% next elections will be much different! Republicans count on the "Ignorance is bliss theory". However, eventually people see through that. What is going to help the Dems are idiots like Jerry Falwell selling bumper stickers that say "Vote Christian". I guess they must mean vote "Corporate Interests". Just my two cents.

Abner


Abner

 

OK, which Americans are you talking about? The ones who buy new cars? Have High def TVs? Subscribe to 500 channels? Drink lattes from Starbucks? Read the NY Times Book Reviews? Or are you talking about the marority of Americans who do none of those things?
Jack

 

Ah, good points! With gas at almost $3.00 a gallon, who could afford such enlightment? Many Americans are busy with three jobs!


Abner

 

Sounds like a day in the life of an East Coast Liberal.

Honestly though Jack, I don't see the connection. What do buying new cars and drinking coffee have to do with accessing information.

But to answer your question, I was talking about all Americans. I don't see how anyone, especially those who either have, or are currently earning a college degree online, can argue with the idea that people have access to just about any type of information they desire.

And no, I don't believe a person needs a class in logic, or critical thinking, or levitation in order to understand what he or she reads.

 

That's exactly my point Carl. For years people have been bombarded by the "clever manipulators" in the media who undeniably lean to the left. Today there are so many other sources of information and opposing viewpoints that people now get both sides of the story, and can make a more well informed decision.

There have always been ignorant people, and there always will be. You talk about finding Irag on a map, hell there are people who couldn't tell you who the vice president is. People who don't choose to educate themselves will not be helped by all the information in the world.

My point is that if I want to find Iraq, or the vice president, that information is at my fingertips. And if I want to find the voting record of my congressman, or the amount of money spent on a pork barrel project, all I have to do is go to my computer.

Like I said before, a person who doesn't know the veep probably doesn't vote anyway.

Also, I don't agree with your contention that critical thinkers are a shrinking minority. I think there are just as many well informed and educated people as there have ever been. The difference today is that the 24 hour news services have to fill their time with something, so we hear about the "ignorant" people more often than we used to.

 

They can definately get validation for their viewpoints:
"I knew torture was OK!"
"I knew Amarika is always right!"
"It's all the fault of them sekalar huumanists, I knew it!"

/ducks

 

Lets see - I would have to pick Jimmy. I would have fun picking apart his ideaology

(of course with his locksmithing knowledge, I would be worried aobut him breaking in. Coupled with his boxing background, he may just beat the crap out of me just for the sake of argument!)

I would be an excellent neighbor. I have a live and let live attitude (unless you are the resident drug dealer, then I WILL mess with you). -- I am not loud unless Led Zepplin is on the radio - and I could care less if you have a few parties (as long as I am invited).

 

Whoops! Jimmy can fight? Whoa.

Jimmy, whatever I said, you know, sorrry, dude.

 

Oh - its worse than that Rich - Jimmy can box. Any thug can fight - but you don't want to mess with a man know knows how to box as they will unleash a can of woop ass everytime!

 

We can debate the intelligence of the American public all day. I agree there are many people who are vastly uninformed and are happy being that way. There are also many people who don't have the capacity to learn or form their own opinions. Always have been, always will be.

My point, as it always has been though, is that the electorate which typically makes up a small percentage of the population now has more information at hand to aid in making a decision.

Twenty years ago it was hard to "pick out fallacies and biases". For example, in 1984 we may never have learned that Dan Rather used forged documents.

Many people would have gone to the polls thinking that Rather's story was true. It may have changed the election.

When it was revealed that the document were false, I don't think anyone had trouble understanding that Rather's information was bogus and probably incorrect.

People now know more than ever to take everything with a grain of salt. Walter Cronkite was known as the most trusted man in America. Do you think that moniker would be hung on anyone today?

We're not talking quantum physics here. We're talking about hearing both sides of every story.

 

Janko would be fine, except for the loud Carpathian music late at night. Maybe it'd be best to have Janko a mile down the road.

I'd pick Neil. I'd help him with his ducks!

 

Sorry if I was being too obscure. I was talking about poverty. I know people who have neither a TV nor a car. They are barely literate and spend all their time working so they can make enough money to pay their rent and buy food/clothes for their kids. There are millions of people like this across the country. Their "access to information" is quite limited.
That's all I'm trying to say.
Jack

 

I'd pick you Dr. Levicoff, but you can't park trucks in my neighborhood because of the fascist association grandmothers.

 

Maybe because God made a lot more unenlightened rednecks than he did intellectuals. And, whether for good, bad, or indifferent, any attempt to pass a law giving smart people more votes than dummies would never pass because the present government would be swept out of office if we did.