30/5/2016

AgeofIgnorancebyCharlesSimic|NYRDaily|TheNewYorkReviewofBooks

AgeofIgnorance
CharlesSimic

Widespreadignoranceborderingon
idiocyisournewnationalgoal.Itsno
usepretendingotherwiseandtellingus,
asThomasFriedmandidintheTimesa
fewdaysago,thateducatedpeopleare
thenationsmostvaluableresources.
Sure,theyare,butdowestillwant
them?Itdoesntlooktomeasifwedo.
Theidealcitizenofapoliticallycorrupt
state,suchastheonewenowhave,isa
gullibledoltunabletotelltruthfrom
bullshit.

ChipSomodevilla/GettyImages

FairgoerscheerforSarahPalinwhilesheappearsonthe
SeanHannityShowattheIowaStateFair,August12,2011

Aneducated,wellinformedpopulation,thekindthatafunctioningdemocracy
requires,wouldbedifficulttolieto,andcouldnotbeledbythenosebythevarious
vestedinterestsrunningamokinthiscountry.Mostofourpoliticiansandtheir
politicaladvisersandlobbyistswouldfindthemselvesunemployed,andsowould
thegasbagswhopassthemselvesoffasouropinionmakers.Luckilyforthem,
nothingsocatastrophic,eventhoughperfectlywelldeservedandwidelywelcome,
hasaremotechanceofoccurringanytimesoon.Forstarters,theresmoremoneyto
bemadefromtheignorantthantheenlightened,anddeceivingAmericansisoneof
thefewgrowinghomeindustrieswestillhaveinthiscountry.Atrulyeducated
populacewouldbebad,bothforpoliticiansandforbusiness.
Ittookyearsofindifferenceandstupiditytomakeusasignorantaswearetoday.
Anyonewhohastaughtcollegeoverthelastfortyyears,asIhave,cantellyouhow
muchlessstudentscomingoutofhighschoolknoweveryyear.Atfirstitwas
shocking,butitnolongersurprisesanycollegeinstructorthattheniceandeager
youngpeopleenrolledinyourclasseshavenoabilitytograspmostofthematerial
beingtaught.TeachingAmericanliterature,asIhavebeendoing,hasbecomeharder
andharderinrecentyears,sincethestudentsreadlittleliteraturebeforecomingto
collegeandoftenlackthemostbasichistoricalinformationabouttheperiodin
whichthenovelorthepoemwaswritten,includingwhatimportantideasandissues
occupiedthinkingpeopleatthetime.
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AgeofIgnorancebyCharlesSimic|NYRDaily|TheNewYorkReviewofBooks

Evenregionalhistoryhasgottenashortshrift.StudentswhocomefromoldNew
Englandmilltowns,asIhavediscovered,haveneverbeentoldaboutthefamous
strikesintheircommunitiesinwhichworkerswereshotincoldbloodandthe
perpetratorsgotawayscotfree.Iwasntsurprisedthattheirhighschoolswerewary
ofbringingupthesubject,butitastonishedmethattheirparentsandgrandparents,
andwhoeverelsetheycameincontactwithwhiletheyweregrowingup,never
mentionedtheseexamplesofgrossinjustice.Eithertheirfamiliesnevertalkedabout
thepast,ortheirchildrenwerenotpayingattentionwhentheydid.Whateveritwas,
oneisconfrontedwiththeproblemofhowtoremedytheirvastignoranceabout
thingstheyshouldhavealreadybeenfamiliarwithasthegenerationsofstudents
beforethemwere.
Ifthislackofknowledgeistheresultoftheyearsofdumbingdownofhighschool
curriculumandoffamiliesthatdonttalktotheirchildrenaboutthepast,theres
anothermoreperniciouskindofignoranceweconfronttoday.Itistheproductof
yearsofideologicalandpoliticalpolarizationandthedeliberateeffortbythemost
fanaticalandintolerantpartiesinthatconflicttomanufacturemoreignoranceby
lyingaboutmanyaspectsofourhistoryandevenourrecentpast.Irecallbeing
stunnedsomeyearsbackwhenIreadthatamajorityofAmericanstoldpollstersthat
SaddamHusseinwasbehindSeptember11terroristattacks.Itstruckmeasa
propagandafeatunsurpassedbytheworstauthoritarianregimesofthepastmany
ofwhichhadtoresorttolaborcampsandfiringsquadstoforcetheirpeopleto
believesomeuntruth,withoutcomparablesuccess.
Nodoubt,theInternetandcabletelevisionhaveallowedvariouspoliticaland
corporateintereststospreaddisinformationonascalethatwasnotpossiblebefore,
buttohaveitbelievedrequiresabadlyeducatedpopulationunaccustomedto
verifyingthingstheyarebeingtold.Whereelseonearthwouldapresidentwho
rescuedbigbanksfrombankruptcywithtaxpayersmoneyandallowedtherestof
ustolose$12trillionininvestment,retirement,andhomevaluesbecalleda
socialist?
Inthepast,ifsomeoneknewnothingandtalkednonsense,noonepaidanyattention
tohim.Nomore.Nowsuchpeoplearecourtedandflatteredbyconservative
politiciansandideologuesasRealAmericansdefendingtheircountryagainstbig
governmentandeducatedliberalelites.Thepressinterviewsthemandreportstheir
opinionsseriouslywithoutpointingouttheimbecilityofwhattheybelieve.The
hucksters,whomanipulatethemforthepowerfulfinancialinterests,knowthatthey
canbemadetobelieveanything,because,totheignorantandthebigoted,lies
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alwayssoundbetterthantruth:
Christiansarepersecutedinthiscountry.
Thegovernmentiscomingtogetyourguns.
ObamaisaMuslim.
GlobalWarmingisahoax.
Thepresidentisforcingopenhomosexualityonthemilitary.
Schoolspushaleftwingagenda.
SocialSecurityisanentitlement,nodifferentfromwelfare.
Obamahateswhitepeople.
Thelifeonearthis10,000yearsoldandsoistheuniverse.
Thesafetynetcontributestopoverty.
Thegovernmentistakingmoneyfromyouandgivingittosexcrazedcollege
womentopayfortheirbirthcontrol.
Onecouldeasilylistmanymoresuchcommonplacedelusionsbelievedby
Americans.Theyarekeptincirculationbyhundredsofrightwingpoliticaland
religiousmediaoutletswhosefunctionistofabricateanalternaterealityfortheir
viewersandtheirlisteners.Stupidityissometimesthegreatestofhistoricalforces,
SidneyHooksaidonce.Nodoubt.Whatwehaveinthiscountryistherebellionof
dullmindsagainsttheintellect.Thatswhytheylovepoliticianswhorailagainst
teachersindoctrinatingchildrenagainsttheirparentsvaluesandresenttheoneswho
showabilitytothinkseriouslyandindependently.Despitetheirbravado,thesefools
canalwaysbecountedontovoteagainsttheirselfinterest.Andthat,asfarasIm
concerned,iswhymillionsarebeingspenttokeepmyfellowcitizensignorant.
March20,2012,10:55am

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AgeofIgnorancebyCharlesSimic|NYRDaily|TheNewYorkReviewofBooks

InTeaPartyCountry

SarahandHerTribe
JonathanRaban

TimothySnyder

SomethingNewontheMall
MichaelTomasky

19632016NYREV,Inc.Allrightsreserved.

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