Post by Roland of Gilead on Aug 13, 2009 12:50:59 GMT -5
Last week, when Bill Maher was interviewed on CNN, Wolf Blitzer asked him if he believed that Sarah Palin could be elected to the Presidency. Bill responded by saying, “I hope not, but I wouldn’t put it past this stupid country.” This led to a series of attacks by the right-wing media and with Bill O’Reilly, usually friendly toward him, calling him a “pinhead.” Fox News, Newsmax, and other groups worked up the wing nuts and they blasted networking sites like “Twitter.” Bill says they must have been angry, since it seems like all of them were typing in caps only.
So, is America really a stupid country? Bill made quite a serious point at the state of public education and how these “Town Halls,” ought to be converted to study halls. Ignorance has consequences, and it’s important to remember that on the eve of the Iraq War, 73% of Americans believed Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11 and today, 6 years later, 34% still do.
In South Carolina at a Town Hall meeting, one woman screamed at her Congressman, “Keep your Government Hands off my Medicare!” (Note: I’d say let’s abolish subsidies for Medicare Advantage and tell the private insurers “Keep your profiteering hands off my Medicare!”) Protesting government involvement in Medicare is sort of like driving cross-country to protest highways!
Like a college girl after 2 Long Island Ice Teas, we can be talked into anything like wars, or talked out of anything, like health care.
A majority of Americans can’t name a single branch of the Federal Government or describe what the Bill of Rights is.
24% of Americans cannot name the country we fought in the Revolution.
2/3 of Americans don’t know what Roe v Wade is.
2/3 of Americans don’t know what the Food & Drug Administration does.
Now, some of this stuff you’re supposed to know about just by being alive, even if you have no formal education.
50% of Americans don’t know that states have 2 Senators.
50% of Americans can’t name their Congressman.
Among Republican Governors, only 3 got their wife’s name right on the first try.
The average voter thinks foreign aid is 24% of the Federal Budget. Actually, it’s less than 1%.
1/3 of Republicans believe Obama is not a citizen.
1/3 of Democrats believe George W Bush had prior knowledge of 9/11. This is especially absurd, since it combines the words “Bush” and “Knowledge” in a single sentence.
18% believe the Sun revolves around the Earth. This is something I specifically remember being corrected on in the 1st Grade when I was 6 years old!
These people are not stupid, according to Sarah Palin. They’re “interplanetary mavericks.”
And, finally, on the subject of religion, 50% of Americans believe Christianity is older than Judaism and can’t figure out whether the New or Old Testament came first!
So, is America really a stupid country? Bill made quite a serious point at the state of public education and how these “Town Halls,” ought to be converted to study halls. Ignorance has consequences, and it’s important to remember that on the eve of the Iraq War, 73% of Americans believed Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11 and today, 6 years later, 34% still do.
In South Carolina at a Town Hall meeting, one woman screamed at her Congressman, “Keep your Government Hands off my Medicare!” (Note: I’d say let’s abolish subsidies for Medicare Advantage and tell the private insurers “Keep your profiteering hands off my Medicare!”) Protesting government involvement in Medicare is sort of like driving cross-country to protest highways!
Like a college girl after 2 Long Island Ice Teas, we can be talked into anything like wars, or talked out of anything, like health care.
A majority of Americans can’t name a single branch of the Federal Government or describe what the Bill of Rights is.
24% of Americans cannot name the country we fought in the Revolution.
2/3 of Americans don’t know what Roe v Wade is.
2/3 of Americans don’t know what the Food & Drug Administration does.
Now, some of this stuff you’re supposed to know about just by being alive, even if you have no formal education.
50% of Americans don’t know that states have 2 Senators.
50% of Americans can’t name their Congressman.
Among Republican Governors, only 3 got their wife’s name right on the first try.
The average voter thinks foreign aid is 24% of the Federal Budget. Actually, it’s less than 1%.
1/3 of Republicans believe Obama is not a citizen.
1/3 of Democrats believe George W Bush had prior knowledge of 9/11. This is especially absurd, since it combines the words “Bush” and “Knowledge” in a single sentence.
18% believe the Sun revolves around the Earth. This is something I specifically remember being corrected on in the 1st Grade when I was 6 years old!
These people are not stupid, according to Sarah Palin. They’re “interplanetary mavericks.”
And, finally, on the subject of religion, 50% of Americans believe Christianity is older than Judaism and can’t figure out whether the New or Old Testament came first!