The American People Are Stupid

Well, not you and certainly not me, but come on, as a group, you have to admit that we Americans haven't really got this whole "critical thinking" thing down pat. Whether it be through political parties, religious leaders or maybe just a peer group, Americans really love to let other people do their thinking for them. How many people have their opinions of the President (not just Obama, but any President) pre-chewed and spoon-fed to them by talk-show hosts, Hollywood stars, Oprah or Sarah Palin? In this day and age, when we have more information at our fingertips via the internet than previous generations ever dreamed about, there is no excuse to NOT be fully informed. How about health care? It's an extremely complicated issue, with a myriad of variables and a host of opinions on what those variables mean. But to listen to the Liberals, it's nothing but a good thing and every American will live happily ever after with 100% affordable health care with a lollipop at every office visit. Listen to the Conservatives and it's a Communist plot to take away our freedoms and kill grandma. Most likely, if it ever passes, it will solve some problems, create others and leave still others untouched. You can hardly even have an opinion without being demonized by the other side. If you are middle-of-the-road, or a moderate, you can count on both sides attacking you.

What about religion? I'd venture to say that the vast majority of people in this country have no idea why they believe the way they do, or even what the alternatives are. Even something as inconsequential as music is largly dictated by others, why is it that milions of teenagers across the country simultaneously become fans of the same music?

Not a day goes by that I don't hear someone repeating something utterly unbelievable, only because they heard it somewhere else. I'm sure that other parts of the world are just as bad, but I'm not surrounded by them every day.

Critical thinking skills...a forgotten art