Because the average American is a moron.
Wrong, the average American is purposefully undereducated and sheltered from the world.
While education and public services that promote education are being funded less, the average American has access to the internet via a computer or smartphone.
Yes, you still need to be educated on knowing how to do proper research, but a simple search of, “how do I research” gives some good results.
At this point, people just want to think they’re right and never check other viewpoints or even look at themselves and why they believe their own beliefs. In my opinion it’s a culturally inherent thing about “rugged individualism” instead of anything about a failing education system.
Finally, being empathetic towards other races and cultures takes 0 education. And if you want to know if you’re on the right or wrong side of something, it takes barely any effort to search and learn about it.
That’s a very simplistic view of the world you’ve got there. Even just googling how to research varies from person to person thanks to algorithms. People are also actively being misled, since everyone has a social media addiction and are easy to reach with elevated posts with no accountability.
You’re also ignoring the very human problem of confirmation bias, something that everyone has to the point that denying you have bias is itself a bias (the bias blind spot). As i tell my students, your brain runs on less power than a typucal lightbulb, it cuts corners and biases are to be expected.
Now I understand you’re likely angry at these people for making idiotic choices, and honestly so the fuck am I — but you can’t act like everyone operates in a vacuum. You want to make a difference, start by addressing the causes.
Yes certainly but the general population are not morons and calling them that is defeatism. The rugged individualism bit sucks ass and you’re damn right but that can be worked on. I take offense at diminishing the public to idiots is all.
Because for 30 years Republicans have dismantled the American education system…
And no one has really tried to fix it.
Humans are animals, we don’t just innately become well adjusted humans, we need to be socialized. The focus on STEM and standardized testing meant all that shit got thrown out the window.
