You Are Teh Dumb
By absentee Posted in Culture — Comments (56) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
AcademicElephant has two items up in Redhot that, paradoxically, got me thinking.
It is a certified KnownFact™ that Americans are dumb, dumber, and dumbest. The two articles in question, from the New York Times and the Washington Post, are essentially belaboring the theory. Apparently the MSM was running short on anti-conservative screeds.
Both articles are based largely on work by Susan Jacoby; the New York Times article because it mostly references her book, and the Washington Post one mostly because she wrote it. Although she makes effort to hit all of the left-wing stereotypes about Americans, it's hard not to detect a Luddite's voice in her frequent pejorative use of such heinous Americanisms as American Idol or X-Box.
Read on . . .
It's not mere technophobia, though, that prompts my neanderthal ire. As the New York Times article notes, "Ms. Jacoby also blames religious fundamentalism’s antipathy toward science," which is, of course, totally out of left field for, well, the left field. For those of you who are American, that was me being sarcastic.
Predictably, the left-o-sphere is all too anxious to jump on this (wooden, ox-powered) bandwagon. Over at the reprehensible Americablog, Chris in Paris (quelle surprise) latches onto both stories, lamenting that "Only last night we had a similar discussion with a Franco-American group over dinner. How do you move a country forward when that country is debating creationism versus evolution?"
Why, who would have guessed they'd be all over an indictment of faith? Americablog, incidentally, is where one can find such intellectually challenging fare as this cryptic excerpt, "Still, rather than just asking for marriage from the beginning, I still think it's much smarter to push for civil unions, then work your way to marriage as society increasingly becomes accustomed to those civil unions (no locusts) and thus is increasingly willing to give gave couples more." Give gave? You didn't think thought before you write wrote that.
In what is surely small comfort for churches nationwide, it's not just religion that is keeping the richest and most powerful nation in the world incongruously medieval. Our failure to be sufficiently enamored of the rest of the world is another apocalyptic omen.
It's a meme that travels well. I can't tell you how many times I've been told by Europeans that Americans don't own passports. I've been told this while in Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Munich, Paris, Venice, and New Delhi.
It is believed that Americans don't understand or appreciate art, history, poetry, or science. What we know about the Mona Lisa is thought to be entirely the result of that cinematic Sweet'N Low The Da Vinci Code. We are crassly McDonald's and Starbucks and insufficiently MoMA and Poe.
Is this really so? Does the fact that we blog about Idol and idolize blogs mean something about us? Are Americans the dumb creatures that Ms. Jacoby and her liberal literati compatriots paint us as at their latte-driven Two Minutes Hate sessions? Are we Kellie Pickler, dumb and proud of it?
Of course not. It is absurd that an indictment of American intellect is delivered by such preposterous anecdotal evidence. She bemoans "arrogant anti-rationalism and anti-intellectualism" in a lamentation of what once was, as if the idea that we are less educated than our ancestors is an established truth. No effort is required to prove it, though she does mysteriously point out that maps across the country sold out in 1942 as radio listeners apparently required visual aids to understand that there was a war in the South Pacific. These days, we pull up Google; which among academics is evidently the equivalent of lobotomizing ourselves.
Television and the Internet are oft-cited gremlins chipping away at our collective IQ base and leaving us drooling, pliant slaves in their wake. I find this to be a wholly counter-intuitive perspective. To put it in the simple terms that we Americans obviously require, the argument is that an abundance of readily available information makes us dumb. That we can read the Iliad online means we don't read it on parchment and this, obviously, does not satisfy the appearance of erudite scholarship that Ms. Jacoby would have us project.
It is hard to escape the inevitable implication of the imprecating impresarios of intellect who comprise the upper crust of our institutions of education in this era: Americans know how to use the internet but not the abacus, therefore they are morons.
I couldn't disagree more, even if I weren't a drooling, knuckle-dragging faith based American evolutionary throwback. The fact that I both know how, and have the desire to outfit the interior of my PC with cold cathode neon tubes doesn't mean I don't appreciate the moody romance of Dickens' gas-light London. Knowledge can be cumulative and combinative, it doesn't have to be segmented and snobbish.
Let me tell you what the age of information has given to me. I can identify Puccini's La Bohème by ear, Rubens' Last Judgement by sight, and Diet Coke Plus by taste. I can sing along with Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini and The Dope Show by Marilyn Manson. I can pick out Timbuktu on a map and 50 Cent in a lineup. That's not unusual, I'm no oddity. I use the same Discovery Channel and Wikipedia that we all, possibly to the exclusion of Ms. Jacoby, have at our fingertips.
Perhaps it is a matter of valuation. After all, the salient point of Ms. Jacoby's premise is that the problem isn't mere buffoonery, but rather a disturbing in-your-face, WWE, we don't need no education attitude that troubles her so. Is there a devaluation of knowledge in this country?
Hey, I'm the first to point out the foibles of bloggers. Yes, sometimes haste makes the net seem defaced with poor grammar, worse spelling, and often despicable reasoning. Yet it is also clear that learning is an increasingly popular pastime. The abundance of informative and educational programming on television is indicative. Arguably, Hollywood and fiction television have upped their game as well, posing storylines often worthy of deliberative examination. Websites dedicated to the sharing, sorting, and presentation of gargantuan volumes of information are among the most popular sites online. Perhaps the valuation problem is not on our end. Maybe Ms. Jacoby simply can't appreciate the digital flow. Maybe understanding how to troubleshoot Windows isn't sufficiently scholarly for her (and if not, she obviously hasn't given it a fair try).
Look, far be it from me to suggest that America is a nation of studious philosophers sorting out the mysteries of the universe. No one can deny that the WWE does exist, and people do watch. I'm simply suggesting that perhaps we are a little more multi-dimensional than the New York Times and their Euraudience may wish to give us credit for. There is a crassness to American culture, but I believe it peaked at some point in the last 15 years. Considering the degree to which we were distracted I can't give a date. Maybe it was Y2K. Suffice it to say, things are changing. The world is changing, which I understand it has a tendency to do of occasion.
When it comes down to it, Ms. Jacoby is another liberal elitist taking a stab at the old liberal strong-arm technique, Argumentum ad Populum [snob appeal]. Why is the left so interested in convincing you that you are part of an idiocracy?
Unlike Ms. Jacoby, I'm pretty sure you can figure it out all by yourself.
absentee
lack of education.
Rewritten below with the parts I struck left out. Apologies.
Let me tell you what the age of information has given to me. I can identify Diet Coke Plus by taste. I can sing along The Dope Show by Marilyn Manson. I can pick out the Pacific Ocean on a map and 50 Cent, Britney Spears AND Jessica Simpson in a lineup.
The simple truth is a majority of this nation cannot name the elected officials of their state, nor the justices on the supreme court of their nation. They know less about history than pop culture and they make decisions based on what they see on Oprah.
Sadly, you my friend are indeed the minority.
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and just delete the above comments.
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Loved this! Let me tell you, the world of blogging has forced me to do more research than I ever would have. I try to be very careful and research my points carefully before I post them. Unlike in talking face-to-face, I know the guy on the other side is in fact on his computer and if I don't look it up-he will.
The biggest point of stupidity I see today comes from Ms. Jacoby's friends who are mindlessly following a man ("we are the thing we have been waiting for") and know nothing of his issues. What's worse, they don't care about the issues?
My bet is Jacoby could tell you everything that happened on Project Runway last night. She however could not give you any of the scientific findings that back up creation. The fact that the left refuses to call Dawinism what it is-a THEORY and be so un-willing to look at the scientific basis to Intelligent Design, is extremely close-minded and ignorant.
MelZ
Whenever I blog I try to do the same thing you do. I remember which tools the other person has at their disposal and try to make sure I use them first.
absentee
Maybe I can make it simple enough for even a dumb internet user like me can understand....
All work and no play makes Homer something something Jack a boring liberal.
___________________________________
Two thirds of the world is covered by water,
the other third is covered by Champ Bailey.
I mused about this very thing (Cohen's NYT article) a couple of days ago at my own blog. Curiously, one respondent was quite agitated by my dismissal of Ms. Jacoby's (and Ms. Cohen's) work. But there is so much ignored in the NYT piece that it borders on intellectual kitsch, a sort of bauble for the brain.
What people seem to forget is that it is our technology -- which is indisputably the product of our knowledge -- that has given us the freedom to be dumb. This paradox goes unnoticed by Ms. Jacoby, or so I will bet.
T.S. Eliot's "Choruses from 'The Rock'" speaks to this, albeit indirectly.
Another thing missing from the NYT piece by Cohen is any exploration of the necessity of knowledge: Why IS knowledge important, particularly the sort of knowledge lauded by Cohen and Jacoby? Why many folks never even think to ask this question is perhaps the only question worth exploring. Why learn? Why is it necessary for Kellie Pickler to be able to locate Hungary on a map?
Surely there is knowledge, and learning is a good thing. But we don't know why learning is a good thing, or why certain types of knowledge are valuable, from this rather vapid (and self-serving?) NYT article.
Peace,
Bill Gnade
‘It will never be known what acts of cowardice have been motivated by the fear of not looking sufficiently progressive.’ - Charles Péguy
And in the case of Liberals intellectual abilities the AGW argument shows that conservatives have a better grasp of logical argument.
______________________________
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
NYT and WaPo circulations would be used as primary exhibits that Americans are dumm.
Good blog, absentee. In 2005 NYT columnist Thomas Friedman revealed a great deal about his (and the NYT's) historical literacy when he wrote:
"Columbus reported to his king and queen that the world was round, and he went down in history as the man who first made this discovery."
This myth is premised on the view that medieval Christian thought was ignorant and superstitious, which probably explains why it is a favorite of pseudo-intellectuals and journalists everywhere. So when they compare us Redstate residents to medievals, we should take heart. At least the medievals already knew the earth was round, and weren't waiting on Columbus to discover it. I wouldn't expect Friedman to read a whole book about the flat-earth myth:
http://www.amazon.com/Inventing-Flat-Earth-Columbus-Historians/dp/027595...
But he could just look it up on Wikipedia. Apparently none of the NYT editors caught the error in Friedman's article. Too bad they didn't have an early Dominican monk to run a fact-check.
...to the world that I am a dumb man walking among the dumb. But if I am not mistaken, Ferdinand and Isabella were NOT Columbus' "king and queen." Since they were both monarchs of Spain, and Columbus was merely a nautical mercenary who hailed from Italy, it is wrong of Friedman to suggest Columbus was "reporting" to Ferdinand and Isabella as his lord and lady.
Of course, I may have this all wrong; at best, perhaps I am majoring in minors. By virtue of my not having ever been on the NYT's payroll, I am quite convinced that I must defer to the transcendent Friedman in matters of world history. What else can I do? After all, we are talking about two eminent and invincible explorers here: the Great Columbus, who discovered that the world was NOT flat, and Friedman -- the Great Columnist -- who discovered that it was.
I, alas, am one of those red state mouth breathers convinced the world has but three worthy poles: Daytona, Bristol and Martinsville.
Peace and mirth,
Bill Gnade
‘It will never be known what acts of cowardice have been motivated by the fear of not looking sufficiently progressive.’ - Charles Péguy‘It will never be known what acts of cowardice have been motivated by the fear of not looking sufficiently progressive.’ - Charles Péguy
but I wish you could have used shorter words. I had to keep referring to my online dictionary.
(Saddled with the dual misfortune of being American and military, and thus obviously mentally deficient.)
There's nothing quite so exhilerating as being shot at... and missed. Winston Churchill
i luve eatin possum n tater tots when i read the ol gray laddy
FLY NAVY!
Of course fully 50% of Americans are of below average intelligence.
But to those who would exhibit "Do you know ___________?" answered in the negative as proof of American stupidity, I would suggest "What is the value, the usefulness of knowing _________ to the average American?"
There is no value in knowing just to know--knowledge must have a use despite however many Bar Bucks you rack up at the local pub.
That people know different things is not proof of greater intelligence. Certainly, Ms. Jacoby has no idea how to remove the transmission from her car, could not begin to tell another where to start--let alone how to repair such transmission. But, there are millions of Americans who can do so, without risking life and limb and who do so every day--who's stupid now?
Dubito Ergo Cogito
Cogito Ergo Sum
A friend from Europe taught me that...I still don't know what it means.
I doubted I would ever learn but then I started thinking, and I thought HEY!... I am smart enough to figure it out some day!
FLY NAVY!
I doubt, therefore I think
I think, therefore I am
"No matter how much lipstick you put on the taxation pig, it's still a pig... and it's currently snout-down in your wallet." - Michael Fisk
I'm crackin myself up...I better quit while I'm ahead :)
FLY NAVY!
I may be just an ordinary, dumb, anti-intellectual 'merican, but at least I know the difference between Republican and Democrat Senators in The South in 1964 (whether TX is actually part of "The South" is another debate).
___________________________________
Two thirds of the world is covered by water,
the other third is covered by Champ Bailey.
...you requested. Try "Is Knowledge Midwife to Ignorance?"
(I hope that works.)
Peace,
BG
‘It will never be known what acts of cowardice have been motivated by the fear of not looking sufficiently progressive.’ - Charles Péguy
...when looking at how the rest of the world views the United States...and who sometime have the concept of American exceptionalism foisted in front of them...well...I am reminded of an analysis that I read regarding American foreign policy that ended with a quote from a John Dryden poem that was set in Biblical times:
"When the chosen people grew more strong, the rightful cause at length became the wrong."
but I still hate American Idol :) I guess I am just getting old.
___________________________________________________________
Molon Labe!
The left, the "intelligentsia," have always looked down on others, trying to make themselves appear greater by convincing themselves that others are lesser. Plus, I think many are unnerved by the exceptionalism of the US, thinking they can't or just don't want to live up to what that entails. They think by degrading, by saying the lowest is the norm, they won't have to be bothered by an exceptional country.
...for the most diaries to hit #1 on the Recommended hit parade. Stellar writing, as usual.
The Unofficial RedState FAQ
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say. ” - Martin Luther
that: The British walked around like they owned the World, the Americans walked around like they didn't care who owned the World. I like the idea.
The elites seem to put enormous stock in mulitlingualism and diss Americans because so few of us speak any language but English - and often not even that very well. The simple fact is we don't need to speak any other language, and they all speak English BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO!
I've endured Latin, Spanish, and French classes. I owned enough German cars and read enough WWII history to feel my way through a little German. I spend a little time in Mexico every year, so I can get around in Spanglish if I have to, but I refuse to spend any time developing any real skill in any foreign language; they're simply of no use to me.
It is of great concern to me that so few Americans, especially younger Americans, know anything about our Country and our heritage. But ironically, this is the work of the same elites that complain of American ignorance. The elites are the ones who elevated self-esteem above actual accomplishment and thereby have all but destroyed our educational system.
And "argumentum ad populum" is the appeal to the mob, not the snob, unless you were just trying to be snobbish by using it at all.
In Vino Veritas
Snob appeal is a variation of Argumentum ad Populum (popular appeal or appeal to the majority) -- "Snob Appeal": the fallacy of attempting to prove a conclusion by appealing to what an elite or a select few (but not necessarily an authority) in a society thinks or believes.
Great comment, I forgot about the multi-lingual thing. Also, excellent point about the elites being the ones crippling education. Thanks!
absentee
argument to be an appeal to authority, argumentum ad verecundiam, or even a sort or resort to force, argumentum ad baculum, by holding up the elites as the standard and ridiculing those who don't adhere to that standard.
In Vino Veritas
But it's technically a variant of ad populum.
It's like, instead of "everyone is doing it" you say "all the cool people are doing it".
absentee
Argumentum ad valorum.
That's an appeal to impose a value added tax. In Arkansas Latin. Just in case you were going to carry this any further.
The "Third Worst Person in the World" and aiming higher.
ut shapely - and naked- babes in their national newspapers. Then we can discuss High Culture!
Great stuff, absentee, as usual.
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. " -James Madison
Some of us can even identify elements of classical Greek theater in the productions.
For those of us who are out of the loop--What does the "Teh" in "Teh Dumb" stand for?
The "Third Worst Person in the World" and aiming higher.
It's one of those chat-isms. I ar teh roxorz and all that. It's based on teh fact that spelling the as teh is a ubiquitous typo.
absentee
Hah! I only asked becasue you used it yesterday, too, and I thought it might mean something cryptic.
As you my have noticed, my favorite typo is "becasue."
I guess it would really be dumb to mention "roxorz." (Already Googled it.) And, referring all the way back to the no-no diary, I wish those people on the radio would quit throwing up in their mouths, "just a little." If they're going to do it, why not go all the way?
The "Third Worst Person in the World" and aiming higher.
As usual, not much to disagree with here. How about if I just make some comments as if we'd been having a conversation?
"give gave(sic) couples more"
Should have been, "give gay...." Just a typ-o.
as if the idea that we are less educated than our ancestors is an established truth
I guess it has become sort of an established truth, at that. For evidence, we laymen have to rely on anecdotes. I didn't get the greatest public school education, but I know a lot more than the folks on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-grader and Millionaire. Maybe smarter than many on Jeopardy. But I have never been close to the folks that were on $64,000 Question or Twenty-one. Just anecdotal, but it's part of the reason it's an established truth.
That, and the fact that I've been able to observe the education my son received in the '70s and '80s, and my daughter is receiving now. More advanced on the math side, but less general knowledge is being taught (apparently).
My current thought is that it's up to the individual to become educated in spite of the available school system. I probably did it by reading magazines and novels, and watching some TV, too. In "my day," what was promoted as educational on TV mostly was educational. That is, the facts were indeed facts, not opinions or half-truths.
Which brings up the Discovery Channel and Wikipedia, and the Learning Channel and PBS and the History Channel and the National Geographic Channel and the Weather Channel too, for that matter. A lot of what they put forth as fact is actually their opinion. (I guess that's my opinion, eh?) I try real hard not to get my information about important issues from those sources. (Side note: At the local community college, it's an automatic "F" if Wikipedia is used as a source.) Heck, I'd believe you first if you disagreed with them.
BTW, have you read the Iliad online? I have a hard time reading these comments. A whole book (or epic poem) would be more than I could handle. And what's Diet Coke Plus? And WWE--wrestling? Guess I'd better start Googling. (^.^)
The "Third Worst Person in the World" and aiming higher.
"Should have been, "give gay...." Just a typ-o [sic]."
Yeah, I know knew what they mean meant. But I think thought it was funnier my mine way.
The television and internet sources above are still indicative of a desire to learn, even if accuracy is less than total. Remember that Ms. Taylor suggested the pernicious element of the problem is being "anti"-knowledge. The popularity of these sources is at least troubling for her hypothesis.
The game shows I can't take into evidence. In older shows people were interested in the winners. Culturally these days we often take more joy from the losers, so they aren't exactly fishing for Ken Jennings when looking for Fifth Grader contestants. It is not bragging to say I'd smoke that show. I'm smarter than a fifth grader, as I'd venture to guess most normal adults are.
I also can't totally dismiss the whole of television and the internet as mere opinion sources. There is an abundance of factual information available in both places. Discerning judgement will help sort the wheat from the chaff, of course.
I actually read the Iliad in elementary school, but they don't do that anymore. Not from anti-intellectualism, but rather because it isn't part of the make-liberal curriculum.
Ms. Taylor's biggest problem is confused terms. She says anti-intellectual but means anti-leftist or anti-elitist, and she blames conservative religious folks for not knowing enough, instead of blaming liberal, left-wing propagandist educators for not teaching enough.
Either way, though, Americans aren't a nation of dunces. We've got some cultural ... let's say irregularities, and they aren't beyond our ability to correct.
Oh by the way, Diet Coke Plus is Diet Coke plus minerals and vitamins. How unhip of you!
absentee
I think we only have Diet Coke Minus here. We don't even get fluoridated water. Anti-science to the max. The primary anti-fluoride mover is a chiropractor.
I tried to read the articles, but I think I followed the wrong links. I'll try again.
I have to admit I haven't watched any of those quiz shows more than a couple of times, except for Jeopardy, which I've watched since the Art Flemming days (just not recently).
My problem with TV in general as a source of knowledge is the same problem I have with CBS News and the NYT. 80% of their information might be accurate, but there's no way to know which 80%. But of course, whatever the source, you still have to be judicious in what you accept.
The "Third Worst Person in the World" and aiming higher.
It's been known to happen. We're melting fresh snow again tonight.
The "Third Worst Person in the World" and aiming higher.
Jeez! I forgot about the Battle of the Jaywalk All-Stars. Those contestants are awesome.
The "Third Worst Person in the World" and aiming higher.
... with something.
In ¶12 of your original post, you refer to a "Ms. Taylor." From that point on you continue to refer to her, even in the comments thread. Have I missed something, or do you mean to refer to Ms. Jacoby?
If you meant Jacoby but typed Taylor, then the pertinent question becomes, "Who the hell is this Ms. Taylor who holds such sway over you?"
Many Blissings,
Bill Gnade
‘It will never be known what acts of cowardice have been motivated by the fear of not looking sufficiently progressive.’ - Charles Péguy
OK. I read the articles, but not the book. (I guess that somewhat proves Jacoby's point, doesn't it?)
Since time is of the essence, these are just some disjointed observations.
Maybe it's because I'm a little bit older than Ms. Jacoby, but I think she makes some good observations. She may be a little overboard (I don't think we've really travelled all the way to anti-intellectualism and anti-rationalism), but we certainly seem to be heading toward a higher level of obliviousness.
As much as we'd like to believe differently, we've never been a nation filled with Adamses, Madisons, and Monroes. Bypassing an easy reference to Marilyn Monroe, I just point out that those leaders have always been the exception, rather than the rule. There are a lot more Jacksons than there are Jeffersons, more Ron Reagans than Ronald Reagans. It's always been that way.
Maybe it's just that we used to have the humility to keep our mouths shut when we didn't know something. And there weren't TV reporters out asking our opinions about world events.
Regarding the map incident and FDR, I don't find anything wrong with her implications. They seem to be (1) FDR believed that if he explained the big picture, the public would take the time and obtain the resources (maps) to understand it. (2) We wouldn't do that today. (3) There is a basic intellectual divide between a public with an 80% component that would take the time to listen to the President, and today's public. Of course, there are many other differences as well. (Right now, I am watching a news report that has employed a 'body language expert' to help them determine if John McCain is lying or not. Is that 'rational' or 'anti-rational?' The latter, I think.)
As people, we probably are no different mentally from our ancestors. Socially and culturally, there have been big changes. I don't intend to say more than 'unionized education,' 'upward mobility,' 'feminization of the workforce,' and 'political correctness.'
Maybe my comments here simply prove Ms. Jacoby is correct.
The "Third Worst Person in the World" and aiming higher.
you are one of the best but I actually agree with Ms. Jacoby although for altogether different reasons than those she cites.
While we have more knowledge and education in our society than ever before we have less insight and good judgment.
Even you must admit that for the average American your statement above should be modified to read "Let me tell you what the age of information has given to me. I can identify
Puccini's La Boheme by ear,Rubens' Last Judgement by sight, and Diet Coke Plus by taste. I can sing along withIl Barbiere de Seville by RossiniThe Dope Show by Marilyn Manson. I can pick out the Pacific Ocean on a map and 50 Cent, Britney Spears AND Jessica Simpson in a lineup.The simple truth is a majority of this nation cannot name the elected officials of their state, nor the justices on the supreme court of their nation. They know less about history than pop culture and they make decisions based on what they see on Oprah.
Sadly, you my friend are indeed the minority.