The age of American unreason

[Ardent15]

So I was reading this book by Susan Jacoby, The Age of American Unreason, and so far I find it intriguing.

But this excerpt stood out to me:

"Finally, America's idealization of the self-made man-one who succeeds by his own wit and industriousness without advantages conferred by either a privileged family background or formal education-did not easily accommodate respect for those who devoted their life to teaching and learning.

Has America made the humility of learning into something negative?

I remember this part of the Bush-Gore first debate in 2000:

"AL GORE: Under my plan, half of their costs would be paid right away. Under Governor Bush's plan, they would get not one penny for four to five years. And then they would be forced to go into an HMO or to an insurance company and ask them for coverage, but there would be no limit on the premiums or the deductibles or any of the terms and conditions.

"GEORGE W BUSH: I cannot let this go by, the old-style Washington politics of "We're going to scare you in the voting booth."

"AL GORE: Can I make one other point?

"GEORGE W BUSH: Wait a minute.

"AL GORE : They get $25,000 a year income, that makes them ineligible.

"GEORGE W BUSH: Look, this is a man who has got great numbers, he talks about numbers. I'm beginning to think not only did he invent the Internet, but he invented the calculator. It's fuzzy math. It's the scaring, trying to scare people in the voting booth."


As you can see, Bush wasn't addressing Gore's argument, but was ridiculing his tactic of using facts and figures to get his argument across.

Why does America reward politicians who go on "gut feeling", but ridicule those who actually THINK?

[anonymous171]

1. Politicians don't need to think. They need to act. Their job is to allocate power and resources

not give lectures on political philosophy. Intellectuals make terrible presidents.

[Ardent15]

3. I agree with all of that, except the "don't need to think" part

The last President we had was not a "thinker", he was someone who acted ("The Decider").

[anonymous171]

4. Yeah,I think that was a slight exaggeration on my part .

Critical thinking is absolutely necessary. However, the ability to think "deep thoughts" is not.

[fire_in_the_middle]

6. I disagree;

the job of ELECTED OFFICIALS is to ensure that they work to introduce and operate according to what the people want, BECAUSE THATS WHO THEYRE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT!

that's why it's called the 'executive' branch. theyre supposed to manage the country's affairs in an executive manner that serves the BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE. Not the corporations that give big bank bonuses and fund campaigns.

I say do away with politicans and lets have real senators and house reps.

We dont care who looks good on the vid screen. We care who's going to get things done that are in the best interest of the public. WE THE TAXPAYERS(who pay their ridiculous salaries) are owed at least that much.

Capitalism has caused america to it eat itself and then simultaneously give a nice slice to their neighbors.

" Hey Fred, what are ya doin for dinner tonight? "
" Hey Barney, I thought I'd throw myself in the stove and serve up some Fillet Flintstone. You and the missus want to come over tonight? You know, a little slice of longpig and cognac? "

We are looking into the Maw of the Reality of America as a Foregone Illusion. Wake up from the American dream and realize you live in the Corporate States of E-merkia. A Digitized, Privatized
nation where people aren't sure if they are property or not. I mean, are my Utilities providers now technically persons? what if they decide they dont feel like keeping my power on or my water running? What if they have a bad hair day and decide to cancel my garbage service? Or AUCTION MY FRICKIN HOUSE OUT FROM UNDERNEATH ME AND MY FAMILY AND THEN SELL IT OFF TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER WHOS GOING TO GET SWALLOWED UP BY THE SAME BEAST SIX MONTHS LATER??!?!?!?!?

but i digress...

after all, im just a conspiracy nut who thinks masonic corporatist decendants of aliens are plotting to take over the world and kill me in a modern holocaust. yep. wingnut.

[unblock]

7. but *disrespect for intellectuals and deep thought* makes even worse presidents

[anonymous171]

14. I would agree with that

Intellectuals have their place in policy decisions.

[Swamp Rat]

2. Listening to Dumbya makes my gut expel its contents.

I home he goes home to Jesus someday soon.

[opihimoimoi]

5. Would buy candy from him??? That asshole has cost us blood tears $$$$

[unblock]

8. we haven't figured out how to make intellectualism emotionally appealing

whenever republicans make an emotional attack, we respond intellectually.

this wins over all the intellectuals hands down, but leaves the more emotional voters cold, and the intellectuals baffled as to why that compelling intellectual argument didn't win at the polls.

until we figure out how to effectively incorporate emotional appeals into our messages, republicans will always find a way to make greed feel logical.

[trotsky]

9. And sadly, this anti-intellectual, anti-science, anti-reason movement...

has more than a few followers right here on DU. It is not confined to just one end of the political spectrum.

[alarimer]

11. Absolutely true

The left is just as ignorant as the right, although from a different perspective.

I have had numerous arguments with alternative medicine advocates, anti-vaxxers, and conspiracy theorists right here. In my opinion, the reason people believe in things that are wrong is because our education system doesn't really teach critical thinking.

[DCBob]

10. Because most people are basically ignorant and are easily duped by shisters like Bush et al.

That's why the Republicans may actually win in the end even though the vast majority are against what they represent.

[lunatica]

12. Bush always projected didn't he?

If he says someone else is IT or something else is IT we can rest assured he's projecting his own IT on others.

[kctim]

13. Why does America reward politicians who go on "gut feeling", but ridicule those who actually THINK?

Because their gut instinct is to go with the opinion they agree with and ridicule the opinion they disagree with in order to discredit that differing opinion.

[Echo In Light]

15. Official Culture - A Natural State of Psychopathy?

http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/official_culture.htm

[fire_in_the_middle]

16. people get pissed when they realize they cant get the carrot.

furthermore, they get pretty testy when they see the jerk holding the stick. I suppose at that point they use the stick rather than bait with the carrot? not a pretty idea, but something true 'americans' ought to start being ready for, physically, and mentally.

THEY COME AT YOU SIDEWAYS.

[Romulox]

17. Al Gore ran as a Centrist "New Democrat". HE worked to make our choice less stark

to diminish to contrast between he and his opponent, and, most of all, to distance himself from the Clinton administration.

He was a lousy candidate--much worse than John Kerry. And his running mate was Joe Lieberman. He failed because his campaign was a mush mouth middle of the road try to please everybody disaster.