How can we educate fellow Americans when... .... ....?

Question

They do not want to be, or will not except the truth?

A few examples.

When I bring up some of the current events relevant to Americas foreign policy and the direction our country is heading. I often get a prompt response like...

A. I do not discuss politics.

B. I don't talk to friends about politics or not in public.

C. This is not the place to talk about that.

Let's look at these.

A. If one does not discuss an idea how then can he test it for faults and accuracies?

B. Do many of us really live in such fear of what others will think that we mute ourselves? How many other factors feed into this fear of that destroys the 1st amendment? Economic insecurities, (possible loss of job or status)...

C. It seems that no place is a good place to commune with our friends and neighbors. Are we incapable of discussing philosophical view points with one another without having moral bias emotionally disrupt the conversation?

Answer 1

You have a country that has been free from hard times, and as it should be. Our fathers and grandfathers died to secure our freedom. Why though, is it so many cant recall what it was we truly defeated, and what it could have been if we hadn't prevailed. I was not born till long after, 64, but if I had been born in a place that was ruled by Hitler, I'm sure the events of the past would play a little harder on ones mind knowing I was living in a post free America era and could only dream of what it was to be American.....true American Ty for your insight to ungratefully citizens of today

Answer 2

I really feel that whomever spoke of education hit the nail on the head. People need to grow up, encouraged by their parents and then teachers in school that an open dialog is possible.

However, a dialog such as this, must be based on facts, and the knowledge of CORRECT facts and their meaning to our history. What do these facts really mean. not just "rote" remembering that 'x' happened in 1620.

Many do not talk about politics. They've made this determination because many they've talked to:

1. don't know their facts, so they can't carry on a meaningful   discussion

2. won't listen; only want to YELL

3. "I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with the facts..."

Like you say, some don't talk politics because of poor experiences based on the above. So much lies in education that the exchange of ideas is a good thing, and the education of those facts.

It breaks my heart when Letterman does his "street" reporting things and asked "who is the prez" and other questions. The number of people who didn't''t know or didn't care was disconcerting.

The same went for asking individuals how/when they'd support their government. Many said, "WHAT HAS IT EVER DONE FOR ME!"

To me, this shows a complete lack of knowledge of what many fought, sacrificed and died for for generations.

Answer 3

Whatever the political affiliation knowone can deny that our beloved country is in distress.  Neither party will take responsibility for it's mistaken policies and they jockey to be "kingly" and right. The term politician is readily apparent being a public servant to their constituency is always in the background conversation with an investigation that costs us millions.  Knowone in government is held accountable for the poor decisions, it's always the other party's fault.  Imagine being in a relationship and this is the modus operandi.  We would call this denial; cognitive dissonance, perhaps we would find the fact of the matter is that the facts are stubborn.  Voters have a vested interest as a stakeholder, this vested interest is a public-private partnership with what they believe to be their "right" on the issue.  

The large majority of America is mis-informed and ignorant to the process of politics.  Politics is a process, not an anecdotal news clip that becomes a defining moment.  Your question is an informed questions that begs the question, why don't we read? Where is the independent critical thinking on the issues? Why settle for mediocrity in public office?  

My answer to you is that we suffer from a lack of leadership.  The PEOPLE have no leader coming from our government.  When you raise the set of questions as listed A-C; our neighbors are embarrased and troubled because of apparent failures in military and social policies. For example, the documented reasons to go to war in Iraq, the consequence for the PEOPLE are dead fathers, sons, mothers and daughters.  Meanwhile, people who we trusted to make such decisions do not go to jail, even if we were lied to.  Seems criminal to me. If the average person, was so wrong, they would at least lose their job. FEMA's lack of response to Mississippi, it gives you a snapshot of the haves who now have not.  Many were insured homeowners. A courageous but yet weary military with families in tow, they are now fractured moving towards broken in their marriages. The mortgage mess, some call it a market correction, well what happened to the oversight?!  Who should be held accountable?  Again, somebody should be going to jail. Anyone that is an employee, knows that lowered salaries and fewer job opportunities in the United States is a reality.

No matter the stripe, people are stunned and really don't know what to do. The media is charged with fair and balanced reporting, so they report a mixed picture, it doesn't add clarity and purpose to the discussion.  They provide point and counter point, which is counter productive.  When we suffered the 911 tragedy, the news reporting galvanized America.  It did not source conflict with ratings.  We had a leader, President Bush.  

The public is lead down the prim rose path and told what to think and told what should be done almost like a lightweight state run media.  In hindsight, it would seem that the media was in collusion with the government in the run up to the Iraq war.  If I knew their wasn't any weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein was not an imminent threat to this nation's security, the media failed to champion the best interest of the families who would make the ultimate sacrifice with their cozy relationship with government. I did not see any tough minded reporting.  The independent thinking that you refer to has it's remnants on college campuses and public radio.  Our fellow Americans must want to be educated, if we do not we will continue to pay the price with our own bodies and taxes.  Their is an old saying, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink."  This saying rings true with educating the American public.

Answer 4

And what "education" do you propose?  Not some nut-job conspiracy theory dealing with September 11, 2001.  

I used to be a teacher and I encouraged my students to discuss issues.  I talk to friends and colleagues about political issues all the time, in a respectful manner.  

However, I do not (and will not listen to who do) rant unsensically about stupid conspiracy theories.  If you want an educated discussion, educate yourself on basic science, from school not looney websites.

Answer 5

I know what you are saying .I am so concerned with our future but all  of my friends could care less. Many of the do not even keep up with it, So even if they did want to talk about it they wouldn't know the latest. I get sick of talking about their fake b***s and new shoes. I would rather talk about current events to include politics.

Answer 6

People who refuse to discuss these things or play dumb are either being dishonest or they really are dumb on the subject. Although there are quite a few who play dumb to hide their dishonesty.

Answer 7

He's right. Some people just don't care because they don't even know why they should. The other side of it is you can't force anyone to look at anything and the more you try to more they're gonna close their mind to it immediately. The government hasn't forced people to think the way they do. The have just "conditioned" them by slowly introducing thing repetitively over a long period of time. Once people begin to think their way and think it is their own original idea, they will defend that idea against anyone trying to tell them otherwise.  It is a matter of personal choice and awareness to disconnect from false realities and outside stimulation, becoming a free thinker.

It's not information itself that is important. All information that I find is filtered through my habitual way of thinking. If I get information from someone else, it has gone through their filter and my own. Now counting how many people that info went through to get to me, it could be a totally different message when I get it. Especially when you realize that all words are only a small representation of the essence they pertain to. Reality is not something that can be confined to words. Our words come from a deeper, abstract source within us. Some think it to be God, some to be just an abstract base in our mind. Whatever it is, the fact is we can trust any absolute thought or idea about reality, which is to big to be reduced to the human mind.

When we stop seeking the answers themselves and instead seek to always question, then we learn and broaden our perception of reality. When you find something you stop looking for it right? When you get an answer and think "this is it" you are closed to other possibilities. When you ask a question you are open to any possibilities and have a broader scope of things. This is why many people can't see the things you're talking about here. They have their answers and all the problems that go with it and they don't have room for anymore.

Answer 8

How about D.  Politics brings out a lot of passion and its not worth arguing with most fools.

Answer 9

You may need to explain your question. Your account reflects you have only asked one other question and it was not related to this one. So...what are you asking?

Answer 10

You should have been at my house for Thanksgiving with neighbors, church members and old friends that we have not seen in years (no family members). We ended up yelling at each other about the illegal Mexicans (we live in Arizona). I finally stood up and nearly screamed "Look at yourselves and your racism. You are so full of hatred and your faces are all contorted and ugly. We are the richest country in the world and we have enough to share. I also added that if those crossing the border were blond hair-blue eyed Canadians that we would not be making such a big fuss over it." I added, "Furthermore, this used to be their country and we stole it from them by not honoring a treaty/tricking them. Shame on all of you". One person said, "It doesn't matter what we did two hundred years ago." But, for the most part everyone quieted down (they were guests in my house after all) and the subject was changed--mostly to other races--the Muslims building mosques here and strategically planning a takeover, etc., etc., etc. It is a shame to think that several of us are professional, educated people and were the loudest and most asinine (even me while defending the underclass). Does that answer your question? Not everyone chooses not to talk about things. However, after heated arguments like we had, we probably wont discuss this again next year. The socioeconomic mix of this group was not conducive to a mature philosophical discussion. A couple of them were staunch Rush Limbaugh fans for Christ's sake! UGH!!!

Answer 11

you forgot one thing, some people just don't care. Like myself.

Answer 12

The answer lies in the education system. A study, quoted in "Education and Jobs, The Great Training Robbery" by Ivar Berg, shows this quote, "When education is treated as a dichotomous variable - that is when discrete levels of educational achievements are considered simply, such as "high-school graduate" versus "non high-school graduate, it may do some violence to education". What this is taken to mean by educationalists is that when assessing the level of education in the population it is purely the ability to obtain educational qualifications, many at very low levels of pass percentages, that produce a class of person who can pass exams, but does not think as an individual. They have had the critical awareness educated out of them. Government is not really concerned about the level of independant thought that the population is capable of, ( in my opinion they would prefer people not to think) but in the figures that show, to a limited degree, the educational system produces products that will be capable of servicing the needs of the job market and that is good enough. Maybe 9/11 was a conspiracy, or not, but the discussion of it is valid, and the level of personal abuse by some of your answerers is not justified in a well balanced, well educated, open-minded society. Which I think is what the USA considers itself to be?

Answer 13

Let me answer this question as factually and simply as I can put it.

Upon reading what I have to say, promise me you will give Babe the ten points...God knows, I have enough.  

Anyone who argues with anyone else about politicians, who is right and who is wrong, is a fool.  

I have solved 911 for myself, and I feel confident that my exploration of the facts that I painstakenly spent hours upon hours into the wee morning hours, resolved it once and for all.

Now all I do is laugh my heart out at the ignorance out there.

All one has to do is follow the money trail, and for me it was relatively easy.

My roots are in N.Y.C., and I went to that very foundation where the Twin Towers stood as a kid with my dad, by subway, to see all the stores that carried imported goods.  

This new millenium with the 911 tragedy to start us off with, has produced nothing and all we do is replay the last century.

That is why I have to laugh at the fake economy we have, the ballooning deficits that the people tolerate, and the inepititude of the politicians...just about all of them.  

My advice to you friend is forget discussing 911 with people, they have sooo many problems and could care less about what happened six years ago.  

Just solve it in your mind, for yourself, and feel good that you know the facts like I do... just like a great lawyer who doesn't ask questions he doesn't already know the answers to.  

View the populace as sheep, like I do.

Answer 14

hammer square

hard swing

pow!!!

Nail slammed

It is called conservative think tanks

They study people and attach an issue with their judgments

it is brilliant, the roots of this sociological research came from communist russia

now we have better research than ever before to control people..

The internet is a venue for true information to be shared, and it is our last hope

we must keep it uncensored..

i am also a 9/11 conspirator

also the media is what most people call reality, it is controlled by these same people....

funny that we are reality, not the news,,,,lol...

Answer 15

Some contributors to this site like to criticise 'conspiracy theorists' as disloyal or insane. What they forget is that there is a difference between conspiracy 'theories' as such and 'evidences' towards a conspiracy.

Such a distinction was shared in the controversial documentary; '9/11 - in Plane Site'. This film provided challenging 'visual' evidences and revealing 'testimonials' that should at least make any rational person look into these issues further.

Nobody relishes having their world view shattered. It therefore takes courage and openness of mind to think for your own survival. Do we all have such bravery to expose a possible 'Wizard of Oz'?

Answer 16

Maybe they don't want to talk to you because you are a 9/11 conspiracy theorist cutcase.  And as with most conspiracy theorist nutcases, you will not listen to anything that is not pro-conspiracy and may actually accuse those who present you with hard facts that contradict your crazy theories of being part of the conspiracy.  People just don't like you.

Answer 17

Some people really do have their insterests elsewhere. I used to be obesessed with national politics, but they've taken a back seat to local politics and downtown revitilization for the past year and a half. If asked an opinion on a topic, I WILL give it, but I don't seek out political debate with everyone.