Folks- We Has Been Dumbed Down

"Dude, anybody seen my kat?"



For years, many of us have been complaining about what we refer to as "The dumbing down of America", which refers to the sad state of education in our country and the resultant lack of knowledge on the part of so many of our citizens. Even among college-educated people, we find those who have been fed 4 years of popular social issues with a healthy dose of how bad America is. Today, I read a piece by a liberal writer who used the expression to refer to religion which taught creation at the expense of science, a form of co-opting in my view-but I digress.

As an example of my version of dumbing down,I would point out the recent phenomenon of the 9-11 Truthers-folks who think 9-11 was carried out by the Bush Administration in order to provide an excuse to go to war, get oil and make their rich friends richer. Not surprisingly, many of the top Truthers are university professors.

A few days ago, I wrote a post on the 9-11 Truthers which has provoked a response from three believers. I have posted all of their comments because, first, I don't want to censure disagreeing positions, and second, because I think their comments only reinforce my own arguments. Anyway, let the reader decide that point.

There are also some other reasons for this tendancy to believe in conspiracies-our individualism and our (healthy) distrust of government. Yet, the idea that so many people in America believe in UFOs, black helicopters, activities by the CIA that are beyond their wildest capabilities is a little troubling. For example, one of my co-respondents, a gentleman named Preston, opines that one of the reasons for 9-11 was the government's desire to destroy Pentagon records that pertain to the mysterious loss or waste of trillions of dollars (by crashing an airplane into the Pentagon). I suggest you read Preston's comments, which go into more details than I care to here.

Actually, this posting has generated more responses on my blog than any other posting (a grand total of 7 so far). I guess I'm coming up in the blogosphere. But enough is enough. There is a point where you realize you cannot seriously debate with folks who are......, well, never mind. You get my drift.

Another gentleman, named Kenneth, says that I am living in a fantasy world. Well, I guess when you really think about it, I am. I could have sworn I saw planes flying into buildings on 9-11. Just a fantasy according to Kenneth.