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Stumbling Towards Idiocracy
Author: BobR    Date: 2015-04-22 10:21:20

As we stumble along well into the 21st century, the dreams of my youth - with flying cars, jet packs, and an enlightened society exploring the solar system - seem further than ever from reality. Every time I turn around (or - more accurately - refresh my browser), I see yet another story of mean stupid people doing mean stupid things. For example - the GOP congressman who threatened to "drop" a protester who touched him.

Increasingly, it seems like the movie "Idiocracy" was more prophecy than warning. FOX "News" thinks the solution for the problems in the Middle East is a more "manly" version of Christianity, not some pussy version...



Stupid is as stupid does, and we're not doing our kids any favors by "teaching to the test". We are really low on the academic scales.



As science becomes more and more marginalized, our crops increasingly become marginalized



And capital punishment is devolving into "toaster in a bathtub" territory as states try to get creative as approved drugs become scarce. Why not death by supertruck?



Science used to be respected and admired. Now it only draws attention if it means new features in consumer goods. Per Neil deGrasse-Tyson, we push science aside at our own peril
The conversation that needs to happen — here it is: you have conservatives and liberals in a room, people with power, let’s say they are representatives or senators. They shake hands and say, “ok humans are changing the climate of this planet, this is the consensus of scientific experiments being conducted, what policy and legislation should we debate in the face of the information?”

The Republican is thinking different suggestions from the Democrat, and that is the healthy political conversation that should unfold. Should there be carbon credits or not? Should there be trade regulations or not? Should we invest in solar panels rather than clean coal?

That would be a fruitful debate that could be held in the political arena. But the moment the politicians start saying they are in denial of what the scientists are telling them, of what the consensus of scientific experiments demonstrates, that is the beginning of the end of an informed democracy.

And the end of an informed democracy is the beginning of a very real Idiocracy.
 

26 comments (Latest Comment: 04/22/2015 20:43:57 by Mondobubba)
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