Today I realized how isolated I am from most Americans

[bluestateguy]

This may sound condescending, but I don't care. Today, in the class I teach two remarks from students struck me as particularly disturbing. One student remarked that we overthrew the government of Iraq led by Osama bin Laden (I fixed him on that), but the other one was much worse. This other fellow said that he supported the war in Iraq (a healthy young buck of military age) because "Saddam was paying money to the <9/11> hijackers, $25,000 each." :eyes: I reminded him that he was paying money to Palestinian suicide bombers in Israel, not the 9/11 cadre. Anyway, this was one of those moments when I was reminded of how much of a bubble I live in. I am a consumate follower of American and world politics, and I get my news from many many sources. All of my friends, family and colleagues do the same. I tend to forget sometimes that most Americans are not that way. That's why the Echo Chamber is so dangerous, because people pick up echoes, not facts, when they are only devoting minimal attention to current affairs.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Is this high school or college level?

Pre-school? Just joking about the last....

[bluestateguy]

3. College

It's a intro class.

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. Even so.....

:scared: at the idea of numbskulls like this.

Sorry you weren't able to join us Sunday. I hope you enjoyed your visit to Chicago. We had a great time, about 25 of us -- booze, food, good conversation.

[anarchy1999]

27. Pretty scary stuff when you start facing it every day in the way you do.

What the hell is going on, how did we get here and where are we going from here. Education is key, but how do you even begin to educate them all in time. Major frustration.

(PS/I know how we got here and we have just a very small window to change the direction and yes, education is the only key. It requires a tremendous amount of commitment (sp?).

[Dem Agog]

2. We live among uninformed idiots...

I happened to be married to a man who (thankfully) is very educated and feels the same way I do about it. Massive, stupid, unbelievable ignorance swarms around us. Every time I find someone who reads, thinks for themselves and actually is INTELLIGENT I feel like I've stumbled across an oasis amongst a sea of bipedal cockroaches.

Yes, I know, extreme, but I truly hate it when people are ignorant and uneducated, and so I'm angry lots of the time.

[EST]

14. Your turn of phrase is astounding.

I, too, have that experience. The most frustrating element is the one you didn't mention-arrogant ignorance.

[Bluebear]

17. I beg to differ, they are VERY informed

They know who Trista the bachelorette chose and who won American Idol.

[AlCzervik]

18. come on now...priorties!

I'm sure those people are very important to the future of our country!

[jdj]

22. Well stated.

They damn well know about the semen on "the accuser's" undepanted, that was post-Kobe.

They damn well know about the floosies of Scott Peterson.

(I love Trista , by the way)

How come I know all this stuff, but I know the other stuff too?

[Green Lantern]

24. We are reaping the windstorm

of 40 plus years of the "Vast Wasteland".

[anarchy1999]

28. I thought the very same thing a thousand times today.

We are reaping the wind.

[alcuno]

4. Stupidity and ignorance are virtues.

We are a nation that sneers at the academics and hails the dumb jock mentality.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

5. That's why your job is so important. n/t

[XanaDUer]

6. At my last job

(I worked in the South, but I feel this is a problem all over the nation) I was told by a co-worker, and she was as serious as a heart attack, that "everyone knows" that man did not land on the moon and that was all done is a movie studio.

She was a second-year college student.

:tinfoilhat:

[WMliberal]

9. maybe she read Omon -Ra

and thought it was the truth. Then she's not ignorant, just post-modern :silly:

[XanaDUer]

10. Could be

to her credit, she seemed to lean more towards the liberal side of the spectrum, and also seemed open minded about hearing others' opinions on things.

But I thought that was amazing.

[skooooo]

11. Well, did you know that the child labor during the Industrial Revolution..

...came about just because people wouldn't use birth control and take responsibility for their kids? Learned that from a college student.

[ilovenicepeople]

20. "Well did you know that a duck's quack does not echo."

I don't actually know the truth of that statement,but I read it under a Snapple lid.(it must be true):hi:

[napi21]

12. My son and I argued about that same thing, and he's 35!

Well educated, and reasonably inteligent. He argued how could I explain the shadows from the lunar lander, and some pertty technical stuff. The photos he was looking at were from the NAA sight, so I couldn't argue they were altered.

He was quite young when we landed on the moon, and I must admit, I'm not as good as he is at esplaining the tech stuff.

It did amaize me though. I know there are a lof of scams but I don't believe that one.

[Nite Owl]

8. You got something there.

People work all day and come home and watch the news while making dinner or doing something else. I notice that myself when people are over or I'm doing something. You just catch little things. That's why the soundbites work and not the explanations of anything. People have an obligation to be informed but when some are working more than one job and want to spend time doing something this is what happens.

[Fleshdancer]

13. It's interesting that being informed can be isolating

One would think that the more you know about the world around you, the less isolating you would feel, but in my case (and it sounds like you're in the same boat) this just isn't true.

I don't understand people who don't read or watch the news.

I don't understand people who have questions but lack the drive to find the answers.

I don't understand people who believe what others tell them without either asking what their source is or researching it on their own.

I'm back in school right now and my economics professor is Russian. Last Tuesday she brought up the terrorist hijacking of the Russian school because she was obviously still shaken by the event. Other students actually asked what she was talking about. Both her and I sat there and educated the entire @#!#&* class over what she calls "Russia's 9/11" (for good reason). I was stunned and disgusted at my fellow classmates. Russians cried tears for us on 9/11 and here we are...not even paying attention to their horrific tragedy. So sad.

[Crachet2004]

15. Before the advent of the internet, I read Time, Newsweek, etc...

Watched the evening news and Nightline, and felt fairly well-informed. I cannot imagine going back to that...and I no longer bother with any of those sources. There is so much more truth available on the Internet...although a little sifting is required.

I guess a lot of people don't have the time available that I do, to keep up on things, even if they wanted to. Many are working two and three jobs, just to stay alive.

Others are simply so disillusioned, they are convinced that they can't make a difference, and don't even vote, much less follow current events.

And then, lets face it, there are a lot of uneducated people out there.

But in the long run, our new access to information is already making a difference, and I have high hopes for the future. The Netroots is in its infancy...and look at the communication we have here on DU! Already, there has been some movement towards doing more than just TALKING. I think this will be the wave of the future.

[Cleita]

16. This is why some how, some way the media has to be

made accountable for truth and accuracy in what they report. The way things are today, people who can't go into depth and question what they are being told are being fed big lies and propaganda and the truth is conveniently omitted. There is also a problem with many of the churches. Listen to some of the religious stations sometime or surf the religious sites on the web and you will see where many of these erroneous ideas are being spread as fact.

[Bluebear]

19. "Turn off the news! Too depressing!"

That's what my friends tell me when I try to discuss something of import or distressing. "You're obsessed, you watch too much." Well, maybe I do. But I know WTF is going on on planet Earth!

[jdj]

21. I am really enjoying Brigitte Nielson on "the surreal life"

it's on topic/

when they told her she couldn't smoke in the house, she turned to the camera and gave a lecture "to the americans". She said "why is it you can walk down the street with a machine gun in your arms, and thats okay, but smoke a cig-get arrested, walk around naked-get arrested..." It was so cute. Later on in the show she said she speaks 5 languages, and babbled something in Italian. Most of the time she is a drunken sod, but the few moments of clarity she's had so far have bee riveting. I long for the day when America has true European sophistication like Brigitte has, instead of this fake religious white bread simpleton psuedo pious b.s.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

26. Wondering...

Where in this country is it OK to walk down the streets with a machine gun?

[jdj]

29. what a murikan thing to say.

but I knew someone would.

[DemoChicka]

23. Keep Up the Good Work Blue State

We need good teachers in the schools to at least get the facts correct.

[Yupster]

25. I taught ninth grade history for years

One lesson was about the dropping of the atomic bombs.

We learned about how the "Little Boy" and the "Fat Man" worked, and how they were different from each other.

We read a tense passage about Bock's Car circling Kokura looking to drop the atomic bomb and then giving up and heading for Nagasaki.

We learned about the destruction of the bombs.

A good lesson until closure when a girl had a serious question.

"Are the little boy and fat man still alive today?" she queried?

It was one of those days where you realize you'll have to make a tactical retreat in front of the forces of ignorance for at least one more day.