General Discussion

yardwork

(64,748 posts) Mon Nov 18, 2024, 10:40 AM Nov 18

230

Maybe too many Americans are dumb. [View all]

By "dumb," I mean too lazy to do the hard work required to read, reflect, and learn. Dumb people don't bother with that. They "do their own research" by watching videos on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. They watch 30 seconds, get reinforced in their opinion, and walk away with their minds closed to anything different. That's dumb.

People can be educated but still dumb. Dumb is encouraging your students to vote against Harris to "teach the Democrats a lesson" about US policy in the Middle East - thus allowing Trump to be elected and enact a far worse policy. That's dumb.

Lots of people in the news media are dumb. They ignore thousands of outrageous things Trump says and does, then hone in on Biden when he stumbles over a word. False equivalence is a dumb approach to reporting the news. It's not news, it's just shoveling lies around. It's also pretty easy ro see through, if you bother to tear yourself away from Fox News for a couple minutes. Not noticing the false equivalence is dumb.

When I was growing up, I knew lots of smart people. They weren't all educated, but they were smart. They ran farms and small businesses. They read and reflected on things. They argued over Nixon v Humphrey, but they were arguments about policy. Very few people liked Wallace. He didn't get the nomination. Nixon won and that was a mistake, but it wasn't a totally dumb mistake. People had reasons to choose Nixon. I didn't agree with them, but they weren't dumb in the way that voting for Trump is totally, utterly irredeemably dumb.

I'm sure I'll be called an elitest for calling Americans dumb. I'm out of fucks to give about that. I'm supposed to believe that Trump won because Kamala Harris invited Oprah to the convention?

Picking a hateful, doddering fool who bellowed lies and promised to destroy our country's government, because of the price of eggs? That's dumb.

I understand that people are frustrated and tired. But the people I know who helped elect Trump are not poor. They're not exhausted. They're just dumb.

Go ahead. Let me have it.

161 replies

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Highlight:

Maybe too many Americans are dumb. [View all] yardwork Nov 18 OP

Intellectually lazy or shallow. Or both. ms liberty Nov 18 #1

I have been mulling over the question of whether Harris could have defeated Ocelot II Nov 18 #2

This is what I've been thinking, too. yardwork Nov 18 #6

I blame the Kardashians and other "reality" shows..... now it's cool to be stupid. groundloop Nov 18 #64

That's where Trump got his start. Dumb fake reality shows. yardwork Nov 18 #68

The dumbing up of AmeriKKKa,.... magicarpet Nov 18 #106

Oh,.. let's not forget the dumbest of them all magicarpet Nov 18 #107

Reality TV, social media and now AI radius777 Nov 19 #161

It all changed when Obama was elected. ECL213 Nov 18 #67

It might be a coincidence, but the timing is sure suspicious. yardwork Nov 18 #69

The task escalated from defeating a candidate to defeating Russian, Chinese, Iranian and far right disinformation. mahina Nov 19 #139

I agree with this. yardwork Nov 19 #142

The ONLY thing i disagree with you on is cyndensco Nov 18 #3

This NewHendoLib Nov 18 #5

Thanks! yardwork Nov 18 #7

+1 RockRaven Nov 18 #10

I think the qualifier makes it more powerful jfz9580m Nov 18 #56

Thank you! yardwork Nov 18 #59

Oh, wow, are you ever on track! soldierant Nov 18 #125

Thank you! jfz9580m Nov 18 #126

Thank you. soldierant Nov 19 #159

Give systems more resources. I would not use less than 32GB of RAM TheKentuckian Nov 18 #131

This is why I basically withdrew... Hugin Nov 18 #4

No you are right...I have two sons and they are intelligent but dumb JT45242 Nov 18 #8

We saw some of this in 2000, and then it accelerated in 2016. yardwork Nov 18 #12

But they and huge parts of their generation are the worst purity voters. Mariana Nov 18 #60

The same kind of targeted propaganda. EarlG explained it well. yardwork Nov 18 #61

Many have been vouchered into ignorance. Jit423 Nov 18 #9

George Carlin was right!. Stupid People EVERYWHERE IrishBubbaLiberal Nov 18 #11

Speaking of George Carlin, here he is on Olbermann's old MSNBC show "Countdown". keep_left Nov 18 #72

Do I miss him. His voice would be so relevant today. Evolve Dammit Nov 18 #76

Stupid people reproduce like bunnies IronLionZion Nov 18 #13

And now it's glorified not fooled Nov 18 #14

I think that dumb markodochartaigh Nov 18 #15

54% of adults are literate to just below a sixth grade level. Hotler Nov 18 #16

Literacy is a hidden issue. yardwork Nov 18 #39

Wow! ReRe Nov 18 #97

This message was self-deleted by its author Hotler Nov 18 #100

Italian economist explains the 5 laws of stupid people. Worth a read. Pepsidog Nov 18 #17

There is also a great you tube video on the mass psychosis that fits JT45242 Nov 18 #18

That is fascinating! yardwork Nov 18 #31

Nixon wasn't a meat puppet. Every Republican President and nominee starting with Reagan has been a meat puppet. hunter Nov 18 #19

HW Bush wasn't stupid peregrinus Nov 18 #26

HW Bush was ethically compromised. hunter Nov 18 #37

Agreed, but compare him to Trump... yardwork Nov 18 #40

Cmon, give us a source. raccoon Nov 18 #42

Not even light work. I just note how people refuse to JCMach1 Nov 18 #20

I know a bunch of them myself kimbutgar Nov 18 #21

Eliminating the draft has changed our country dlk Nov 18 #22

And in the sixties, with the war in Vietnam, the draft brought organized rebellion and critical thinking to new levels. SupportSanity Nov 18 #120

Many people do not have good critical thinking skills Buckeyeblue Nov 18 #23

How did you hear me in my kitchen last night? BigmanPigman Nov 18 #24

K&R Solly Mack Nov 18 #25

Willfully ignorant, lazy, irresponsible, selfish, hate filled, racist and sexist. Irish_Dem Nov 18 #27

Willfully, or just plain, ignorant is the answer. The rest of your list hits the spot too. Magoo48 Nov 18 #33

Most of the MAGAs I know are lying when they spout Trump nonsense. Irish_Dem Nov 18 #36

Okay, you've had it buddy. I used my rec-ing ball on you. jaxexpat Nov 18 #28

I thought Bill Maher had a good take on this. Littlered Nov 18 #29

What exactly is the party's social agenda? Stuckinthebush Nov 18 #34

"social agenda" means everyone treated like human beings Skittles Nov 18 #104

Bill Maher is dumb. yardwork Nov 18 #38

preach it, yardwork Skittles Nov 18 #109

do you not get it? Skittles Nov 18 #101

Gaslighting John Shaft Nov 18 #130

"social agenda" - still waiting on you to define this. TBF Nov 19 #154

Willful ignorance! Nt Grumpy Old Guy Nov 18 #30

We have reaped the rewards of 40 years of the intentional destruction of American education. flashman13 Nov 18 #32

that's how they want them 4catsmom Nov 18 #35

"It's the army they didn't have to pay for." Yep. That's IT. RIGHT THERE. calimary Nov 18 #47

Feature, not a glitch. Iggo Nov 18 #41

It's not about being merely "dumb" Blue_Tires Nov 18 #43

That's my definition of dumb, right there. yardwork Nov 18 #48

You are absolutely RIGHT. They're dumb. They dumbly choose against reading and lifelong learning as essential. ancianita Nov 18 #44

This, right here: yardwork Nov 18 #54

Fine. Appreciated, but ancianita Nov 18 #81

Maybe????? If this election isn't proof positive, nothing else is. Vinca Nov 18 #45

I was trying to leave the door open for argument... yardwork Nov 18 #49

It's a winning argument, so no, ancianita Nov 18 #85

Republicans wanna finish the job by getting rid of the Dept of Education. BradBo Nov 18 #46

They are nothing if not consistent. yardwork Nov 18 #51

They are dumb DownriverDem Nov 18 #50

Remember half of them are below average........ lastlib Nov 18 #52

The Republicans, with their far-reaching propaganda media, have made every single Democrat in office hadEnuf Nov 18 #53

This. And too many of us go along with it yardwork Nov 18 #58

This right here. hadEnuf Nov 18 #77

Bingo. yardwork Nov 18 #86

Maybe?? n/t Timewas Nov 18 #55

I am having a little difficulty viewing someone who calls themselves yardwork as elitist. You are right, they are dumb. camartinwv Nov 18 #57

They also like to learn the hard way quite a lot. Crowman2009 Nov 18 #62

I think working poor who vote fascist are so miserable that they want to destroy everything around them, yaesu Nov 18 #63

The majority of poor people voted for Harris, though. yardwork Nov 18 #65

And this is interesting Lulu KC Nov 19 #156

Their message sounded good to me. yardwork Nov 19 #157

Ask any of them BigMin28 Nov 18 #66

Maybe? relayerbob Nov 18 #70

Idiots actually IbogaProject Nov 18 #71

Don't forget that an unanticipated benefit of long workdays for the corporations LT Barclay Nov 18 #73

Great post! Very good points. My only comment would be that neither Nixon or Evolve Dammit Nov 18 #74

We are Dumb All Over JoseBalow Nov 18 #75

Dumb and evil. When one part has gigantic signs at their convention MaryMagdaline Nov 18 #78

They watch Fox, listen to Joe Rogan, the hundreds of all the RW stuff out there. kerry-is-my-prez Nov 18 #79

Every Empire dies... Dan Nov 18 #80

I can't disagree, which is sad. yardwork Nov 18 #88

It's not a matter of academic intelligence or education Joe Nation Nov 18 #82

Just maybe? NoRethugFriends Nov 18 #83

Polly, in Sir Terry Pratchett's 'Monstrous Regiment' GoneOffShore Nov 18 #84

I just watched these three documentaries... LaRaven Nov 18 #87

Welcome back, and thank you! yardwork Nov 18 #90

Thanks. I'm downloading episode 1 of brainwashed. scipan Nov 18 #98

Brainwashed is good - a little weak with the interviews LaRaven Nov 18 #132

Not dumb. Gullible, misinformed, naive. Martin68 Nov 18 #89

To that I would add frequently obtuse, complicit and/or hypocritical. PeaceWave Nov 19 #140

I have no doubt Trumpists are hypocritical, but I suspect many people who voted for Trump are not hypocritical Martin68 Nov 19 #149

Every morning I visit the Michigan News Agency... Orange Buffoon Nov 18 #91

Half of the Population of the USA is Below Average in Intelligence. MineralMan Nov 18 #92

I'll let you have it -- kudos, that is ! eppur_se_muova Nov 18 #93

I remember the 2000 election. yardwork Nov 18 #95

I don't care if you call them dumb, stupid, or ignorant. GoodRaisin Nov 18 #94

My red town is full of dumb people KS Toronado Nov 18 #96

"Dumb" being too kind a word, imo. My term of choice is B.See Nov 18 #99

That's my definition of dumb. yardwork Nov 18 #102

K n R Faux pas Nov 18 #103

Blaming voters is like a business blaming its customers after a competitor gives it a beating. Doodley Nov 18 #105

Disagree. The government is not a business. yardwork Nov 18 #116

I was using a metaphor to show the futility of blaming voters. Doodley Nov 18 #136

Your metaphor is inapt. yardwork Nov 19 #158

I've come to think of the founding fathers as nave John Farmer Nov 18 #108

Jefferson worried about that. yardwork Nov 18 #117

Bonhoeffer on stupidity HUAJIAO Nov 18 #110

No maybe about it amuse bouche Nov 18 #111

Excellent post, yardwork! K&R brer cat Nov 18 #112

Thanks! yardwork Nov 18 #118

George Carlin said: Godot51 Nov 18 #113

Moral/ethical wasteland moondust Nov 18 #114

Agreed. Citizens lost a sense of responsibility. yardwork Nov 18 #119

Exactly. moondust Nov 18 #124

All in the maggot plan, dumb down Americans. Clouds Passing Nov 18 #115

The Southern Strategy and the Powell Doctrine. yardwork Nov 18 #121

Wait until they realize the absolute truth that we are all one race, the human race. Clouds Passing Nov 18 #128

Yes. OldBaldy1701E Nov 19 #141

Half of us don't want things this way. And in the end 99% of us won't want it this way. Clouds Passing Nov 19 #143

Less than half, according to the latest count. OldBaldy1701E Nov 19 #148

I remember reading that the threshold is 30% yardwork Nov 19 #151

What I'll let you have Just Jerome Nov 18 #122

No argument krkaufman Nov 18 #123

Dumb as fuck. orangecrush Nov 18 #127

Not elitist. You're right. They're just dumber than a box of hammers. Scrivener7 Nov 18 #129

...Maybe? Karasu Nov 18 #133

The MSM, the internet and now Trump Aussie105 Nov 18 #134

And they will blame Democrats. yardwork Nov 19 #145

Intellectually lazy... róisín_dubh Nov 18 #135

Message auto-removed Name removed Nov 18 #137

The very young and foolish are easily led astray. Aussie105 Nov 19 #138

Nope. Racist and sexist. Buttoneer Nov 19 #144

Being racist and sexist is dumb. yardwork Nov 19 #146

I also think Prosperity Gospel and Megachurches contribute to racism, sexism, and stupidity.. Buttoneer Nov 19 #155

I was thinking, and the long term purpose Dan Nov 19 #147

There's a list of "the enemies within." yardwork Nov 19 #150

Brainwashing 101. Continured scrolling all day long into night with feeds representing LizBeth Nov 19 #152

I think arrogant and selfish are closer to the mark The Wandering Harper Nov 19 #153

Tell me something Meowmee Nov 19 #160