Why Are So Many Americans Afraid of Educated People?

Question

It seems that every time a politician with any decent tertiary qualifications comes along critics swarm out of the woodwaork claimimg that their education has led them to develop "dangerous" opinions and policies.

Why do you not want a leader who is smarter than you? Personally I would like my leader to be a lot smarter than me. Governing a country appears to be a complex operation and I would like to know that someone bright is at the helm. Eight years of a none too bright leader has done your nation great economic and politcal damage. Wouldn't the change be refreshing?

Answer 1

Smarter people talk funny. Most Americans want a leader they can have a beer with.

Answer 2

There is also this to consider which is that people do pick their leaders by consumer ballot and by conventional ballot.

People vote for corporate leaders by their choice of product.

Another thing to consider is that while people consider having a job necessary suppose they were to make their own currency for their personal shops and such. If question not a wind up then perhaps such a system without politicians could work. Run by The People instead. An attempt at such a system was done in The Cold War in Russia. People said then it did not work. Perhaps people can still get it to work though.

Answer 3

We're not, in fact we tend to reward those with higher education.  But since you are obviously referring to Senator Obama let me remind you that simply having a Law Degree from an elitist school does not make you qualified to hold the Highest Office in the Land. In fact this country would be much better off if we did not allow lawyers to hold ANY political office.

Answer 4

Well Spoken Stella........I personally would have put

it in the same light.

Although i feel so strongly about certain issues, i try

to stay clear of that section of the site, for those reasons.

Absolutely a Leader needs to be very clever, very learned,

and very astute and diplomatic.  There is nothing to be

frightened of there !  Just lots to be admired and thankfull

Answer 5

What are you talking about?  President Bush has a higher education.  you moron liberals just don't recognize it.  Ever hear odumber try to speak without a prepared speech?  he can't even wing the topics.  You may find educated liberals, but you'll have h**l to pay trying to find an intelligent one.

Answer 6

We Americans, generally, are not "afraid of educated people".

Of course, looking through your profile, I can see you are grossly mis-informed. I'll let you in on a secret, simply because someone does not share your naive, utopian, and frankly dangerous beliefs, it does not make them un-educated.

Answer 7

Knowledge is power

Answer 8

theres alot more then education that makes a person

a human being

go to any college and talk to some of the 6 figure college

professors and find out for yourself whats wrong with this country

Answer 9

They are intimidated because they know intellectual people pose a greater threat to their survival. If martial law broke out tomorrow, smart people would probably fair better than those with less intellect. Only the strong shall survive, but that could mean mind strength too.

Answer 10

We aren't.

Why do you put the self-righteous rhetoric on your profile about not liking bigots when you spend half your time on here spewing bigtory at Americans?  Do you think that makes you enlightened?

Answer 11

Have you ever been inside of the modern Ivory tower complex in the United States?  It is scary how closed minded some of the professors our especially the liberal arts ones.

I want my next President to be smart and a real leader which doesn't necessarily mean the "brightest".

Answer 12

Because the populous seems intent on voting for someone like them, as opposed to someone better than them.

This mentality has been present since after world war two, where curiosity, and the quest for knowledge and discovery were replaced with wanton arrogance.  Look no further than a couple of the previous posts to prove my point.

Answer 13

Watch the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and you will see that a lot of Americans aren't afraid of educated people.

And this ain't spam, Yahoo. :)

Answer 14

Its fear, frear to freedom.But its not their fault.

Answer 15

I don't think they are.

Answer 16

Anti-intellectualism has been a common phenomenon throughout world history. Education helps lead to independent and critical thought, not popular ideas with leaders desiring power and obedience. The uneducated masses are not hard to whip up against the eggheads and the liberal colege professor types who think outside the box and challenge their black and white notions of the world. Just spend some time on this forum for evidence.

Answer 17

Its to bad they dont have a way of teaching "common sense" in our schools too.