The average adult American has the reading comprehension level of a 5th grader.
Less than 10% (possibly less than 5%) of adult Americans are capable of objectively reading multiple stories about the same topic in different newspapers and being able to figure out which bits of info are objective, which parts are editorialized, what information is left out… and why different sources include or disclude those elements.
Turns out if you destroy public education, you get idiots, and idiots are very easy to mislead, responding almost entirely to pathos, misjudge ethos, and actually become angry when presented with logos.
We are a largely, functionally illiterate society.
Don’t forget that a lot of people are working extremely mentally or physically exhausting jobs, often raising families or caring for children or just scrambling to SURVIVE. After working 12+ hours, the last thing I’d want to do is actually go through ANY news article.
People like us are the abysmally small minority.
The average adult American has the reading comprehension level of a 5th grader.
Less than 10% (possibly less than 5%) of adult Americans are capable of objectively reading multiple stories about the same topic in different newspapers and being able to figure out which bits of info are objective, which parts are editorialized, what information is left out… and why different sources include or disclude those elements.
Turns out if you destroy public education, you get idiots, and idiots are very easy to mislead, responding almost entirely to pathos, misjudge ethos, and actually become angry when presented with logos.
We are a largely, functionally illiterate society.
Don’t forget that a lot of people are working extremely mentally or physically exhausting jobs, often raising families or caring for children or just scrambling to SURVIVE. After working 12+ hours, the last thing I’d want to do is actually go through ANY news article.
Brexit, Boris and all the shit that is happening in countries all over the world—suggest is not a uniquely American problem.
We’ve always had idiots. The problem is they appear to me voting more than they used to.