Some say this is the most talked about book this summer.
“The extent of Americans’ ignorance is underestimated.
“To take one example that will give you an idea of the vast ignorance with which policy makers must come to terms: A majority of Americans do not know that it was their own country which dropped the atomic bomb.”
“Twenty-five per cent of Americans believe that the sun revolves around the earth.
“Encouragingly, today the number of Americans who can correctly identify and name the three branches of government is up to 40%.”
Half believe Saddam Hussein was behind the Sept. 11 attack. 1 in 5 know that we have 100 US senators. 2 out of 5 citizens can name the three branches of the federal government.
“If facts don’t drive our politics, what does? Shenkman says it’s myths. Politicians tell people what they want to hear. They tell us we’re smart, better than others, and God’s favorites. To win us over they pretend to be just like us, belting back shots of whiskey and playing pool, in a crude exploitation of the myth of the common man.
“Decade after decade Americans have been getting more and more schooling while our politics have been getting dumber and dumber.”
Just How Stupid Are We?
Facing the Truth About the American People
Rick Shenkman’s blog