I have been saying this all along. The root cause of Trumpism, book banning, and the anti-woke movement, is failure of our public educational system to teach critical thinking! We have mistakenly taught WHAT to think … and not HOW to think.
Good post, Mark. It’s not just public schools. The most ardent MAGA non thinkers were taught in religious schools or were homeschooled using religious curricula like that produced by Bob Jones University. Excluding them from baseline educational standards was a mistake.
It really shouldn't be close at all, there is no choice for reasonable people. An articulate, intelligent, conscientious, energetic, successful person with a vision for moving America forward in excellent ways vs. a convicted felon who instigated a lethal insurrection against the country/Constitution he took an oath to protect as well as defying the espionage act with the theft of top secret documents and who has nothing to offer America except cozying up to dictators, advancement of white supremacy, division and tax cuts for the very wealthy.
During Democrats, lower & middle class increase standard of living. During Republicans, billionaires become richer and lower and middle class Americans needs are ignored. That's a fact.
Can't wait to celebrate Harris/Walz victory wearing this funny "We the People means EVERYONE" shirt on November 5th 👇
Mark, you are much closer to the "mark" than is Marc. Marc's imagined discussion is cute, but not nearly as trenchant as is yours.
"A disturbingly large sector of the public is ill-equipped [more like disinclined and can't be bothered] to evaluate the veracity of the information that inundates it on a daily basis.... We have all seen the mindless opinions offered up by Trump supporters. Whether they are brainwashed or obtuse [they are susceptible to brainwashing because they are obtuse], the fact remains that they have abjured their obligation to think logically."
"In the political realm, rational discourse is replaced by outrageous sensationalism and outright lies bought wholesale by voters who can’t tell the difference between reality and... fiction." It takes mental work and critical thinking, and the majority of people can't be bothered, or are incapable. It's not just in politics. Most people's personalities are consistent with being followers. Some people's personalities are consistent with being leaders. Leaders aren't right. They're just self-imposed to be leaders.
"Without the ability to think critically, citizens are left on their own to make sense out of what they hear." It's not so much a failure to think critically. It's a willingness to accept without skepticism. Suppose each candidate tells the public that his or her administration had a lower crime rate, or better economy. Only government analysts know which is true. The issue about Trump is that he is patently ridiculous, lies conspicuously and constantly, and doesn't address questions. But the followers will accept that if they experience him as a more persuasive leader.
"Civic engagement becomes nearly non-existent as people lack the desire to read policy analysis and in-depth investigative journalism (to the extent the latter is on offer at all anymore). Misinformed by charlatans and outrageously dishonest political ads, people grow increasingly disengaged and cynical. Difficult issues are reduced to sloganeering." You have hit the nail on the head. But it's not only the laziness to "read policy analysis and in-depth investigative journalism." It's the inability to understand it, and the absence, as you rightly say, of the availability of it, except in selected places. And it's impossible to know which is correct. Are you and Substack correct, or is Fox News correct? Both present alleged data and analysis. It takes a courageous and independent reader to form an opinion about which is more likely correct. Most people (the followers) aren't that courageous and independent.
I agree with you that religion is belief, and not fact, but "education" is a touchy area. You probably know that the school book industry keeps itself going by changing the content of the school books. So school boards and jurisdictions are always pressured to buy the newest and most "correct" school books, not to mention the prevailing political leanings of jurisdictions, that are more receptive to some "facts" than they are to others. It is true that Michael Rose's comment is most true: the issue is "HOW," not "WHAT," to think, but the vast majority of people don't have verifiable data (the "WHAT") to form reliable opinions and conclusions (the "HOW").
All of us get e-mails all day, every day, asking for money. Sometimes, the requests are very direct, and say that so-and-so is winning, because he or she has more money. What these requests really mean is that advertising/exposure is more important than substance, platform, or quality of argument. Voters are portrayed as more influenced by the former (TV ads and yard signs) than they are by the latter. That's very telling about the public, the voters, and what moves or influences them. Far too many of them make no effort to evaluate, think through, or even pay attention to content. The immediate example is that more than half a dozen people in the country would vote for Trump. Polls, if they can be believed, suggest almost half of voters -- several tens of millions -- of voters will vote for him. "Evaluate...veracity?" Focus on "rational discourse?" "Think critically?" Not even close. Trump is, as Biden called him twice in a debate four years ago, a "clown." And yet, tens of millions of people will mindlessly accept what he tells them to be true, and vote for him.
I feel compelled to note that, among civic institutions, libraries by and large remain devoted to fostering critical thinking, and in universities might be the only place where a specific curriculum to promote information evaluation is available to all students. Additionally of course libraries assure democratic access to writings and media of all types and points of view. No wonder libraries, too, come under attack in an age of intolerance.
If half of them did any thinking at all, critical or otherwise, this would be a landslide a la Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
I have been saying this all along. The root cause of Trumpism, book banning, and the anti-woke movement, is failure of our public educational system to teach critical thinking! We have mistakenly taught WHAT to think … and not HOW to think.
Exactly!
It’s why the evangelicals were such fertile ground for trumpism to take hold. Tell me what to believe and never question anything.
Many thanks!
This is true, and it is becoming worse I’m afraid.
You are absolutely right.
No it shouldn’t and I’m sorry you’ve had to experience it first hand. Many of my educator friends say the same thing.
Alas, as dead as critical thinking!
Thank you so much Glenn!
That is the sad truth.
These are all valid points and I have to confess that I don’t have nearly enough answers as questions.
An excellent point, as always.
Good post, Mark. It’s not just public schools. The most ardent MAGA non thinkers were taught in religious schools or were homeschooled using religious curricula like that produced by Bob Jones University. Excluding them from baseline educational standards was a mistake.
It really shouldn't be close at all, there is no choice for reasonable people. An articulate, intelligent, conscientious, energetic, successful person with a vision for moving America forward in excellent ways vs. a convicted felon who instigated a lethal insurrection against the country/Constitution he took an oath to protect as well as defying the espionage act with the theft of top secret documents and who has nothing to offer America except cozying up to dictators, advancement of white supremacy, division and tax cuts for the very wealthy.
During Democrats, lower & middle class increase standard of living. During Republicans, billionaires become richer and lower and middle class Americans needs are ignored. That's a fact.
Can't wait to celebrate Harris/Walz victory wearing this funny "We the People means EVERYONE" shirt on November 5th 👇
https://libtees-2.creator-spring.com/listing/wtpmelb
Mark, you are much closer to the "mark" than is Marc. Marc's imagined discussion is cute, but not nearly as trenchant as is yours.
"A disturbingly large sector of the public is ill-equipped [more like disinclined and can't be bothered] to evaluate the veracity of the information that inundates it on a daily basis.... We have all seen the mindless opinions offered up by Trump supporters. Whether they are brainwashed or obtuse [they are susceptible to brainwashing because they are obtuse], the fact remains that they have abjured their obligation to think logically."
"In the political realm, rational discourse is replaced by outrageous sensationalism and outright lies bought wholesale by voters who can’t tell the difference between reality and... fiction." It takes mental work and critical thinking, and the majority of people can't be bothered, or are incapable. It's not just in politics. Most people's personalities are consistent with being followers. Some people's personalities are consistent with being leaders. Leaders aren't right. They're just self-imposed to be leaders.
"Without the ability to think critically, citizens are left on their own to make sense out of what they hear." It's not so much a failure to think critically. It's a willingness to accept without skepticism. Suppose each candidate tells the public that his or her administration had a lower crime rate, or better economy. Only government analysts know which is true. The issue about Trump is that he is patently ridiculous, lies conspicuously and constantly, and doesn't address questions. But the followers will accept that if they experience him as a more persuasive leader.
"Civic engagement becomes nearly non-existent as people lack the desire to read policy analysis and in-depth investigative journalism (to the extent the latter is on offer at all anymore). Misinformed by charlatans and outrageously dishonest political ads, people grow increasingly disengaged and cynical. Difficult issues are reduced to sloganeering." You have hit the nail on the head. But it's not only the laziness to "read policy analysis and in-depth investigative journalism." It's the inability to understand it, and the absence, as you rightly say, of the availability of it, except in selected places. And it's impossible to know which is correct. Are you and Substack correct, or is Fox News correct? Both present alleged data and analysis. It takes a courageous and independent reader to form an opinion about which is more likely correct. Most people (the followers) aren't that courageous and independent.
I agree with you that religion is belief, and not fact, but "education" is a touchy area. You probably know that the school book industry keeps itself going by changing the content of the school books. So school boards and jurisdictions are always pressured to buy the newest and most "correct" school books, not to mention the prevailing political leanings of jurisdictions, that are more receptive to some "facts" than they are to others. It is true that Michael Rose's comment is most true: the issue is "HOW," not "WHAT," to think, but the vast majority of people don't have verifiable data (the "WHAT") to form reliable opinions and conclusions (the "HOW").
All of us get e-mails all day, every day, asking for money. Sometimes, the requests are very direct, and say that so-and-so is winning, because he or she has more money. What these requests really mean is that advertising/exposure is more important than substance, platform, or quality of argument. Voters are portrayed as more influenced by the former (TV ads and yard signs) than they are by the latter. That's very telling about the public, the voters, and what moves or influences them. Far too many of them make no effort to evaluate, think through, or even pay attention to content. The immediate example is that more than half a dozen people in the country would vote for Trump. Polls, if they can be believed, suggest almost half of voters -- several tens of millions -- of voters will vote for him. "Evaluate...veracity?" Focus on "rational discourse?" "Think critically?" Not even close. Trump is, as Biden called him twice in a debate four years ago, a "clown." And yet, tens of millions of people will mindlessly accept what he tells them to be true, and vote for him.
Please watch George Carlin on freedom of choice: https://youtu.be/yt49DsfKDMc
More lengthy and in depth take on the topic: https://youtu.be/2qkadx_x02U
And George Carlin on education and critical thinking: https://youtu.be/ILQepXUhJ98
I feel compelled to note that, among civic institutions, libraries by and large remain devoted to fostering critical thinking, and in universities might be the only place where a specific curriculum to promote information evaluation is available to all students. Additionally of course libraries assure democratic access to writings and media of all types and points of view. No wonder libraries, too, come under attack in an age of intolerance.