Are We Being "Dumbed Down" Deliberately?
posted May 18, 2008 - 4:40pmI'm not one who is prone to taking very much stock in conspiracy theories. Truth is a very hard thing for the average person to uncover, and I don't generally expend a great amount of mental energy embracing theories that can't be proven. But there is one notion I've been entertaining as of late: Is the dumbing down of Americans deliberate?
I was watching a bit of George Carlin on YouTube some months ago -- a brilliant spot -- where he basically asserted that the true owners of the US (the corporate elite, bankers, etc) don't want a citizenry capable of "critical thought". They want stupid citizens who just follow along and don't question what they're told.
There is no doubt that our educational system is in serious crisis. With the abysmal failure of No Child Left Behind, the problem continues to get worse. It's a simplistic approach to a complex issue. By simply setting a standard schools are required to meet -- without giving them the resources needed to accomplish this goal, not taking into account the inequalities of our educational facilities -- you can be assured that the standard will get continually lowered, and the level of education for all plummets. It was doomed to failure from the start.
When George W. Bush leaves office next year, his greatest legacy is likely to be the effective use of fear propaganda and simple minded rhetoric to sell a dangerous agenda. That it worked well enough to get him elected to a second term is an embarrassment this country will not shake off for a long time to come. Patriotism has been equated with blind obedience. If the intelligence of the average American were higher, could this have been possible? Not likely.
The media, of course, figures into this scenario as well. They bombard us daily with fluff news pieces guaranteed to slowly erode your brain cells, and keep you blissfully pacified.
So it's understandable how one might be compelled to believe this "dumbing down" process is no accident. We'd better start nurturing "critical thought" before we, as a nation, lose the capacity entirely.

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A pretty face with some great perspectives:
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Dumbing down... not a new concept by any means
Sad But True
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watches
That's scary
Telling Time
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Good points
Thnak you for the rating
Dumbing Our People
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Great Critical Thought
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