Americans are Idiots

[Nbadan]

"Nobody ever went broke overestimating the stupidity of the American public".

- H. L. Mencken

A new study shows that Americans are Idiots



Remember how Democrats always refuse to fight back against smears because "The American people are too smart to fall for that"?

No, they aren't. In fact, Americans are no longer capable of arriving at opinions through actual thought:

Americans have a more negative view of government today than they did a decade ago, or even a few years ago. Most say it focuses on the wrong things and lack confidence that it can solve big domestic problems; this general anti-Washington sentiment is helping to fuel a potential Republican takeover of Congress next month.

But ask people what they expect the government to do for themselves and their families, and a more complicated picture emerges.

A new study by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University shows that most Americans who say they want more limited government also call Social Security and Medicare "very important." They want Washington to be involved in schools and to help reduce poverty. Nearly half want the government to maintain a role in regulating health care.


So let's see...they like Social Security and Medicare, but they want spending cut to the bone. They want Washington to be involved in schools, but they want Washington out of their schools. They want Washington to help reduce poverty, but they don't want social programs for "Those People."

Take this woman, for example:


"I think the less the government governs us, the better we do," Norma Osuna, 48, said in a follow-up interview to the survey. A stay-at-home mother, she sees the country as going in a "socialistic" direction.



Did anyone think to ask her what her evidence was for her view that the country is going in a "socialistic" direction? Has she thought about it, or is she just parroting Glenn Beck? Do any of the journalists who talk to these people actually ask them to explain their views or how they got there?

Or how about this nitwit:


For Scottie Church, 39, of Winder, Ga., the answer is simple: "It's time to get back to basics. It's time for [the federal government] to get out of the way and let the private sector do its job."


And what, pray tell, is the private sector's job? Does Scottie Church even know? Has anyone thought to ask? If Scottie Church is talking about "capitalism", well, capitalism's job is to maximize profit. Not create jobs, maximize profit. And if maximizing profit means poisoning an entire community with toxic sludge or crude oil or benzene; if it means sending all the jobs to Asia in a never-ending chase for the most exploitable workers; if it means screwing over every man, woman and child in America, well, that's immaterial to the goals of capitalism. Capitalism is about profit, and ONLY profit. So I'd like someone to ask Scottie Church if that's what he/she means.

We are a profoundly ignorant. People don't know anything about their own religions. We know little of our own history, let alone our history in context with the rest of the world. We worship sports heroes who torture dogs, but we point at scientists and laugh. A profoundly messed-up woman like Christine O'Donnell can run on a platform of "See? I can't manage my finances either. I'm you." We had eight years of a dry drunk as president because people thought he was the guy they'd want to have a beer with -- as if that were ever going to happen. Now there are people who would vote to give the nuclear codes to an aging high school mean girl because they'd like to fuck her -- as if that's ever going to happen. Smart people are regarded with scorn as "elites." Ignorance is regarded as a virtue.

This is how an empire dies. And we are going to be around to see it.

Brilliant at Breakfast (http://brilliantatbreakfast.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-study-shows-that-americans-are.html)

When people say they 'want to take the country back' why doesn't the M$M ask them who they are taking the country back to? the bush policies that got us into this mess in the first place?

[ducks]

you figured this out now

I already knew that when they elected the person in the oval office

[Banzai]

http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/movie_dees.jpg
http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/sugar_dees.jpg
http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/monsantkids_dees.jpg

[bresilhac]

Good piece. It tells it like it is. Most Americans are idiots.

[Will Hunting]

you figured this out now

I already knew that when they elected the person in the oval office
:lmao wow you of all people commenting on how Americans are dumb when you barely write at a kindergarten level

[Stringer_Bell]

you figured this out now

I already knew that when they elected the person in the oval office

I, too, was shocked when they elected Bush to a 2nd term. I like to excuse it, however, on account that the alternative was just so bad - it really was a toss-up. :(

[RandomGuy]

:lmao wow you of all people commenting on how Americans are dumb when you barely write at a kindergarten level

The irony, of course, is the lack of capitalization and punctuation in that sentence.

Although, it is only irony if one has expectations... :depressed

[Will Hunting]

It wasn't meant to be a sentence. I generally don't start sentences with emoticons, but I can type with perfect grammar if need be. Ducks on the other hand types like he has down syndrome.

[Winehole23]

Seems more ESL to me.

[BlairForceDejuan]

Let me opt out of social security.


We all know Government is a must. The problem is you give humans free reign to spend fake money they can pull out of their ass while they steal other peoples' money with no punishment whatsoever. On top of that, they are pissing away that fake & stolen money outside of our borders while we run up our deficits.

Obama speaks as though Government is merely allowing the people to keep their own fucking money they earn and it is time that money stay at its rightful place, Uncle Sam. Even Tingle Tingle commented on this blatant disconnect that Obama is founded on.

[101A]

This is news?

Funny how the party that's about to get shellacked in an election always comes to this realization.

There's any number of philosophers/thinkers throughout history who explain why democracy is, ultimately, doomed to failure; start with Plato, continue to De Toqueville, etc ..... this is NOT news.

[Wild Cobra]

I, too, was shocked when they elected Bush to a 2nd term. I like to excuse it, however, on account that the alternative was just so bad - it really was a toss-up. :(
Think about it. How many people want such a job? Those really good at executive decisions are making 7 digits or more in the public sector.

[SnakeBoy]

Two years ago americans were smart for giving dems complete power to do anything they wanted. Now they are stupid because they are about to bitch slap the dems for the crappy job they've done. I'm looking forward to the liberal meltdown on Nov. 3. Should be pretty entertaining to watch.

[z0sa]

As long as there is no threat to the two major parties, Americans will always be made fools by them. Simply switching power every few years won't ever do shit.

[angrydude]

OMG! PEOPLE WANT TO KEEP THEIR FREE STUFF!!! STOP THE PRESSES!!!!

Have you ever intellectually known something but emotionally couldn't? Same principle.

[vy65]

Two years ago americans were smart for giving dems complete power to do anything they wanted. Now they are stupid because they are about to bitch slap the dems for the crappy job they've done. I'm looking forward to the liberal meltdown on Nov. 3. Should be pretty entertaining to watch.

lol missing the article's entire point, proving it in the process ...

[boutons_deux]

"dems complete power to do anything they wanted."

You Lie.

The Repugs and Blue Dog Dems have gutted, perverted, or outright blocked nearly everything.

[jack sommerset]

What % of these idiots even vote?

[Darrin]

They listen to their leaders and have little-to-no concept of what it means in terms of policy.

[Darrin]

you figured this out now

I already knew that when they elected the person in the oval office

http://www.asimfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/stupid.jpghttp://www.debateitout.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/George-W-Bush.jpg

I was arrested for a DUI. I did cocaine in my youth. Jesus is my hero. I failed at every business I ran. I tripled the National Debt. I started two wars with no exit strategy. I asked important questions like "Is our children learning?"

And I was elected twice as President of the United States.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Hey Dan, how's your boy Chavez doing by the way? kind of screwed the pooch backing that horse, didn't you?

[Homeland Security]

I look forward to the coming civil war when the heavily-armed civilian right wing massacres you fucking liberals. You will weep and beg for mercy to no avail. I await your deaths with glee. I hope personally to watch some of you die and desecrate your corpses. It will be glorious.

[Trainwreck2100]

http://www.asimfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/stupid.jpghttp://www.debateitout.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/George-W-Bush.jpg

I was arrested for a DUI. I did cocaine in my youth. Jesus is my hero. I failed at every business I ran. I tripled the National Debt. I started two wars with no exit strategy. I asked important questions like "Is our children learning?"

And I was elected twice as President of the United States.

It's not his fault he ran against kerry

[boutons_deux]

"heavily-armed civilian right wing massacres you fucking liberals"

Why do you use the 3rd person there? shouldn't you have said "WE heavily armed civilian right wing ...." (note the correct absence of the "-" you illiterate fuckoff)

You mad because someone's calling out the ignorant, loser dubya, dickhead, neo-cons, Repugs for lying their way into Iraq? for botching Afghanistan? for allowing AQ to attack the WTC?

yeah, right, you sooper dooper bullshit dickless ignorant patriot militia with your penis replacements a blazin, all y'all are all talk, no walk

[Winehole23]

I look forward to the coming civil war when the heavily-armed civilian right wing massacres you fucking liberals. You will weep and beg for mercy to no avail. I await your deaths with glee. I hope personally to watch some of you die and desecrate your corpses. It will be glorious.

http://books.google.com/books?id=s-QzccStux4C&lpg=PA77&ots=hm-Yh_eJmc&dq=cormac%20mccarthy%20blood%20meridian%20comanche&pg=PA54#v=snippet&q=sodomized&f=false

[BlackSwordsMan]

nah uh

[Winehole23]

High-School Security has revenge fantasies.

[bresilhac]

I look forward to the coming civil war when the heavily-armed civilian right wing massacres you fucking liberals. You will weep and beg for mercy to no avail. I await your deaths with glee. I hope personally to watch some of you die and desecrate your corpses. It will be glorious.

What a bunch of bullshit. I cannot even describe how stupid, and repulsive this post is. Please commit suicide now.

[Winehole23]

(Psst. Hi-skool Security is a troll. I like to make fun of him anyway.)

[Nbadan]

Don't feed the troll...

[fyatuk]

Good piece. It tells it like it is. Most Americans are idiots.

Except that it is all speculation about what thoughts random people might have had with no real information. Which is exactly the kind of behavior the piece is ranting about.

Not that I disagree with the premise, but calling this a good piece is poor judgment, in my opinion.

[DJ Mbenga]

people are liars and want the best of both worlds? the sky is also blue

[bresilhac]

Except that it is all speculation about what thoughts random people might have had with no real information. Which is exactly the kind of behavior the piece is ranting about.

Not that I disagree with the premise, but calling this a good piece is poor judgment, in my opinion.

I agreed with the piece because many Americans do tend to parrot out the opinions of their favorite talking heads in lieu of doing their own thinking and formulating their own opinions on issues.

Even worse, many of these numb skulls listen to and watch the most repulsive and disgusting of the talking heads that one can pay attention to in this country. In turn these hate mongers as I call them end up playing a role that is not inconsequential to the electoral process by virtue of motivating their listeners and viewers to 'take action'. As a result you have cancerous lesions like the tea party that have formed on America's political landscape. Sad but true.

[Nbadan]

...more on point is the lack of critical thinking skills by what has become a majority of voters in the U.S.....if tea baggers have all the answers, why haven't we heard them?

[fyatuk]

I agreed with the piece because many Americans do tend to parrot out the opinions of their favorite talking heads in lieu of doing their own thinking and formulating their own opinions on issues.

Even worse, many of these numb skulls listen to and watch the most repulsive and disgusting of the talking heads that one can pay attention to in this country. In turn these hate mongers as I call them end up playing a role that is not inconsequential to the electoral process by virtue of motivating their listeners and viewers to 'take action'. As a result you have cancerous lesions like the tea party that have formed on America's political landscape. Sad but true.

Oh, I agree. I think at least 95% of the people who talk politics have absolutely no clue about anything they are talking about. They just parrot talking points and opinions that parties or celebrities have supplied....

I'm just saying the author participates in the very behavior he complains about, picking out opinions he disagrees with and suggesting there's no thought behind them without knowing anything about it. To me, that means the author thinks they are one of the idiots.

[Homeland Security]

Keep whistling past that graveyard, you fucking leftards. You are subhuman. You deserve to have every bone in your body broken before being tied up a pole and left to die, with the birds plucking out your eyeballs as you wail in agony. I see your cowardice. I see how before the Muslims you drop your pants and bend over. You self-censor so they won't hurt you. Message received: you submit to violence. And you live on in your dream world thinking the other shoe isn't going to drop on the homefront. You live in total denial. Make no mistake: the American people are going to rise up and slaughter you. There is something like 0.8 firearms per American civilian floating out there, and I guarantee your side doesn't hold too many of them. What do you think is going to happen as the years drag on with no economic recovery? They're going to be looking for someone to blame, someone to get revenge on. And I'll be happy to point the finger at the "intelligentsia," the liberals, the faggots. And in their desperation, they will lash out. And then we will rule. With you gone, we will take what was yours and give it to them, and they will love us. Call me a "troll," whatever, fine. But deep down in your heart, in that place of fear you keep locked away, you know that is the future. But you deny, you kick the can down the road. That's fine. When the day comes, we know you will be obsequious. You will try to give away everyone who ever trusted you in an attempt to save your own life. And we will take them, and then you too.

[RandomGuy]

Keep whistling past that graveyard, you fucking leftards. You are subhuman. You deserve to have every bone in your body broken before being tied up a pole and left to die, with the birds plucking out your eyeballs as you wail in agony. I see your cowardice. I see how before the Muslims you drop your pants and bend over. You self-censor so they won't hurt you. Message received: you submit to violence. And you live on in your dream world thinking the other shoe isn't going to drop on the homefront. You live in total denial. Make no mistake: the American people are going to rise up and slaughter you. There is something like 0.8 firearms per American civilian floating out there, and I guarantee your side doesn't hold too many of them. What do you think is going to happen as the years drag on with no economic recovery? They're going to be looking for someone to blame, someone to get revenge on. And I'll be happy to point the finger at the "intelligentsia," the liberals, the faggots. And in their desperation, they will lash out. And then we will rule. With you gone, we will take what was yours and give it to them, and they will love us. Call me a "troll," whatever, fine. But deep down in your heart, in that place of fear you keep locked away, you know that is the future. But you deny, you kick the can down the road. That's fine. When the day comes, we know you will be obsequious. You will try to give away everyone who ever trusted you in an attempt to save your own life. And we will take them, and then you too.

National Socialist German Workers Party writ in America?

If you really want to throw in with the Alex Jones crowd, be my guest.

The parallels are not as strong as you think for this to come to pass. One has to be careful to make the adage "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it" into a an iron straightjacket.

History teaches important lessons to be sure, but the one constant in the universe is change.

The future is not written yet, and events tend to make monkeys out of people who are the most certain of their predictions.

[TeyshaBlue]

...more on point is the lack of critical thinking skills by what has become a majority of voters in the U.S.....if tea baggers have all the answers, why haven't we heard them?

I agree. And your continuous posting of blog op-eds certainly highlights this point.:lol:lmao

[vy65]

http://books.google.com/books?id=s-QzccStux4C&lpg=PA77&ots=hm-Yh_eJmc&dq=cormac%20mccarthy%20blood%20meridian%20comanche&pg=PA54#v=snippet&q=sodomized&f=false

Cormac McCarthy is so fucking overrated.

[jack sommerset]

I thought Dan was an american.

[boutons_deux]

"one constant in the universe is change."

but There's Nothing New Under The Sun (c).

Here's Artistophones seeing in Greece a couple 1000 years ago exactly what the VRWC is doing to USA today

"The ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes spent his life battling the assault on democracy by tyrants. It is disheartening to be reminded that he lost. But he understood that the hardest struggle for humankind is often stating and understanding the obvious. Aristophanes, who had the temerity to portray the ruling Greek tyrant, Cleon, as a dog, is the perfect playwright to turn to in trying to grasp the danger posed to us by movements from the tea party to militias to the Christian right, as well as the bankrupt and corrupt power elite that no longer concerns itself with the needs of its citizens. He saw the same corruption 2,400 years ago. He feared correctly that it would extinguish Athenian democracy. And he struggled in vain to rouse Athenians from their slumber."

permitting political leaders who shout “I shall never betray the Athenian!” or “I shall keep up the fight in defense of the people forever!” to get their hands on state funds and power would end with the citizens enslaved.

“The truth is, they want you, you see, to be poor,” Aristophanes wrote in his play “The Wasps.” “If you don’t know the reason, I’ll tell you. It’s to train you to know who your tamer is. Then, whenever he gives you a whistle and sets you against an opponent of his, you jump out and tear them to pieces.”

(Here, Ari is talking about Tea baggers as tamed, trained attack dogs :) )

Aristophanes too lived in a time of endless war. He knew that war always empowered anti-democratic forces. He saw how war ate away at the insides of a democratic state until it was hollowed out. His play “Lysistrata,” written after Athens had spent 21 years consumed by the Peloponnesian War, is a satire in which the young women refuse to have sex with their men until the war ends and the older women seize the Acropolis, where the funds for war are stored. The play called on Athenians to consider radical acts of civil disobedience to halt a war that was ravaging the state. The play’s heroine, Lysistrata, whose name means “Disbander of Armies,” was the playwright’s mouthpiece for the folly and self-destructiveness of war. But Athens, which would lose the war, did not listen.

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/148467

[RandomGuy]

Aristophanes too lived in a time of endless war. He knew that war always empowered anti-democratic forces.

I would agree. Which is precisely why the "war on terror" needs to be entirely re-framed, especially by conservative fucktards who have no clue what/who it is we are actually fighting.

[Winehole23]

Cormac McCarthy is so fucking overrated.By all means, read something else then.

[z0sa]

Keep whistling past that graveyard, you fucking leftards. You are subhuman. You deserve to have every bone in your body broken before being tied up a pole and left to die, with the birds plucking out your eyeballs as you wail in agony. I see your cowardice. I see how before the Muslims you drop your pants and bend over. You self-censor so they won't hurt you. Message received: you submit to violence. And you live on in your dream world thinking the other shoe isn't going to drop on the homefront. You live in total denial. Make no mistake: the American people are going to rise up and slaughter you. There is something like 0.8 firearms per American civilian floating out there, and I guarantee your side doesn't hold too many of them. What do you think is going to happen as the years drag on with no economic recovery? They're going to be looking for someone to blame, someone to get revenge on. And I'll be happy to point the finger at the "intelligentsia," the liberals, the faggots. And in their desperation, they will lash out. And then we will rule. With you gone, we will take what was yours and give it to them, and they will love us. Call me a "troll," whatever, fine. But deep down in your heart, in that place of fear you keep locked away, you know that is the future. But you deny, you kick the can down the road. That's fine. When the day comes, we know you will be obsequious. You will try to give away everyone who ever trusted you in an attempt to save your own life. And we will take them, and then you too.

I bet this speech inspired everyone at the club house.

[Winehole23]

I bet this speech inspired everyone at the club house.http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/1005/mustache-club-funny-club-mustache-demotivational-poster-1274940389.jpg

[nkdlunch]

sky is blue.

[RandomGuy]

I bet this speech inspired everyone at the club house.

Oddly enough, the guy behind the troll is one of the more intelligent people I have gotten to know here.

I am not sure if this is representative of his true feelings, although I doubt it. Seems more like a pretty good attempt to get people's goat. He is subtle as all get out sometimes.

Saying that, I feel like I am revealing the magician's secret a bit. Occasionally he will sucker some conservative or other into agreeing with his more extreme diatribes, such as this one, and it is interesting to see.

[Winehole23]

HS's game is blank parody or it's totally real. I'm frankly not sure which.

[clambake]

its hard to tell with whottt. probably depends on the narcotic of the week.

[Winehole23]

My hypothesis is someone else. Not telling who.

[clambake]

everyone should help with the transparency issue.

[Winehole23]

Not telling.

[RandomGuy]

Keep whistling past that graveyard, you fucking leftards. You are subhuman. You deserve to have every bone in your body broken before being tied up a pole and left to die, with the birds plucking out your eyeballs as you wail in agony. I see your cowardice. I see how before the Muslims you drop your pants and bend over. You self-censor so they won't hurt you. Message received: you submit to violence. And you live on in your dream world thinking the other shoe isn't going to drop on the homefront. You live in total denial. Make no mistake: the American people are going to rise up and slaughter you. There is something like 0.8 firearms per American civilian floating out there, and I guarantee your side doesn't hold too many of them. What do you think is going to happen as the years drag on with no economic recovery? They're going to be looking for someone to blame, someone to get revenge on. And I'll be happy to point the finger at the "intelligentsia," the liberals, the faggots. And in their desperation, they will lash out. And then we will rule. With you gone, we will take what was yours and give it to them, and they will love us. Call me a "troll," whatever, fine. But deep down in your heart, in that place of fear you keep locked away, you know that is the future. But you deny, you kick the can down the road. That's fine. When the day comes, we know you will be obsequious. You will try to give away everyone who ever trusted you in an attempt to save your own life. And we will take them, and then you too.

I do agree though, it is time for liberals to fucking stand up to conservative jackasses on Fox et al.

I think there is a much better case to make that much of the mess we are in is the direct result of "conservative" policies and fuck-ups than anything else.

I make that case here as much as possible.