Ignorance in America (And Beyond)

[PokerGuy]

Nope, wrong again! He said, "In heavily Faux Newz influenced America".

And again, complete fail. Not even 1% of the population watches fox news, yet we're to believe it "heavily" influenced America enough to cause general ignorance. The Fox rise to prominence in the news industry, though not even a blip in the total population numbers, is also fairly recent. Again, we're to defy all logic and believe that with less than 1% of the population watching fox, and only doing so over the last 15 or so years, fox news "heavily" influences America to create general ignorance. Not only does that defy all logic, but it completely ignores other much more likely contributing factors that I pointed out. Your hatred for all things fox apparently blinds you to simple logic. It might surprise you (and pop your preconceived notion balloon) to know that I rarely if ever watch or read fox news at all.

No need to keep doubling down on fail, just admit the logical reality and move on, OP was just trying to take a jab at the evil fox news and evil righties that has no foundation in fact or reality.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Fear-based innumeracy is a contagion undergirded by fear-based media consumption, yes. In many basic cases, people so wildly overestimate the "problem", it is by a clear ORDER OF FUCKING MAGNITUDE.

Why do you think this is?

The media is the spark - I am not disputing that - but where that spark falls (and how effective it is ) is up to the viewers and the public.

If someone runs up to me on the street and states; Oh man!! I just got mugged! And, I need to get home, because my baby need it's milk,.. and I don't have any money, because I just got mugged!! Can you give me $5?!?! - I will point them to the nearest police officer and walk away. Because, there is a good chance this man just wants my $5 and none of what he is stating is true,.. or even that severe. Which if it IS severe, yes, let the cops handle it - a crime was committed after all; I'm just some asshole on the street, I can't do anything about,.. or should I, unless I see it actually happening - but, that is another discussion..

Anyway, how you, or anyone else, reacts to an event or piece of information is entirely up to you and said anyone else.

The media is that man asking for $5 (your viewership) and it will lie to get your $5 (more on this in a moment,...).

Sorry, my heart does not bleed for people who allow themselves to be worked up in a fervor, over someone else's attempt to sensationalize something, or sensationalize something for the purposes of getting something from them (in the media's case; ratings).

I don't care how simple minded someone is - especially in today's world; because there are plenty of news sources and even 1st hand accounts of what is going on. So, it is up to the viewer to decide how influential the media is,.. because,...

it (the media) will lie to get your $5 (your viewership)

So, we somehow decide to 'curb' the media.

OK - how?

Ebola has clearly killed a few people. It is serious. Certainly no where near as serious as the media has been making out to be (i.e. helicopters following transported patients), but, there are actual people how have died from it. And, yes, it is indeed news worthy - I would like to know what has happened

So, how do you censor the media, for the intention of not working up the public into a fervor? You don't. And, you can't. It falls back on the viewer to question what is being presented to them and do some research to see what is actually going on.

Has the media 'tainted' the people's perception of what is going on? Sure - and that is because we've allowed it to. And, we should frankly be ashamed for allowing it to occur.

 

[Svnla]

I can tell ya'll this.

You can pick anyone on the street and ask them:

1) Who are the two U.S. Senators of their state.

2) Who is Kim Kadashian.


I bet more people can answer #2 correctly than #1. <sad panda>

Don't let me start on how Americans behave badly abroad. "Ugly Americans" is the term and it is not about the look.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

I can tell ya'll this.

You can pick anyone on the street and ask them:

1) Who are the two U.S. Senators of their state.

2) Who is Kim Kadashian.

I bet more people can answer #2 correctly than #1. <sad panda>

My bet is you right on the money.

Don't let me start how how Americans behave badly abroad. "Ugly Americans" is the term and it is not about the look.

I try my best to avoid even small groups of Americans when I travel abroad. Many Americans when abroad act like the people owe them something and should be able to speak English. Many also seem to think if you speak English loudly enough eventually the person will understand what's be said. Americans also tend to be obnoxious drunks as well.

I always try to learn how to say the niceties wherever I work or travel abroad. As well as try to figure out their customs so I don't unintentionally do something that is acceptable to us but would offend them.

 

[Sonikku]

Unemployment at 32%.

Thanks, Obama.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Unemployment at 32%.

Thanks, Obama.

My friend just lost his job - so, it is now 33%.



Also, it's not just the media who causes sensationalism, which results in the skewing of facts - it's also us.

People who know someone, that heard someone say that there was once a guy that worked with another guy that once saw that someone said hur dur dur.

Just fact-less drivel that perpetuates a false impression on everything.

 

[CPA]

I never said it had nothing to do with the rest of the media.

Here's what I said, bolded and underlined for your reading comprehension:



If you really don't think Fox News is a heavy influence in promoting American ignorance, then let me shove just today's instance in your face: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2407800

Most all mass media promotes fear, promoting ignorance, but Fox New is THE WORST, HANDS DOWN, amongst major media players.

Your either stupid or intellectually dishonest twisting of what I wrote is a prime example of such arrant ignorance.

Thank you Perk for insinuating I'm stupid. You're such a charm.

CNN is the grandfather of ignorance.

 

[PokerGuy]

Thank you Forum Director for insinuating I'm stupid. You're such a charm.

CNN is the grandfather of ignorance.

No no no, only the evil fox news can be at fault for such influence. Obviously his link to a story about someone who has nothing to do with fox news (Ted Cruz making a statement) demonstrates beyond any doubt that it's the fox news influence that's at fault. Get with the program, you clearly need more re-training comrade

 

[doubledeluxe]

My bet is you right on the money.



I try my best to avoid even small groups of Americans when I travel abroad. Many Americans when abroad act like the people owe them something and should be able to speak English. Many also seem to think if you speak English loudly enough eventually the person will understand what's be said. Americans also tend to be obnoxious drunks as well.

I always try to learn how to say the niceties wherever I work or travel abroad. As well as try to figure out their customs so I don't unintentionally do something that is acceptable to us but would offend them.

This is unfair.

Yes a group of Americans overseas is annoying but I personally think that's the case with pretty much all nationalities. Americans might be louder but each nationality has their bad traits when in a group overseas. Maybe they're brash, loud, and rude. Maybe they're being obnoxiously drunk. Overly patriotic. Disrespectful to the local culture. Spitting everywhere. Smoking like chimneys indoors. Hogging all the beach chairs. Whatever it might be I find it best to keep mixed company to avoid it.

I have traveled a lot and really ugly Americans are relatively rare. Saw one in Prague 20 years ago. One in phnom phen. Maybe another one somewhere else. Could say the same thing about every other nationality. The difference being that its much more embarrassing for me when it's an American.

If anything where Americans fail isn't in being ugly but in the way they dress and te things they say. Showing up to the Vatican in a Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts and only knowing that Michaelangelo is a ninja turtle is where the foreigners really roll their eyes.

 

[ivwshane]

Reading comprehension fail number two! I even explained how fox's influence works and you are still too stupid to comprehend what is being said!

And again, complete fail. Not even 1% of the population watches fox news, yet we're to believe it "heavily" influenced America enough to cause general ignorance. The Fox rise to prominence in the news industry, though not even a blip in the total population numbers, is also fairly recent. Again, we're to defy all logic and believe that with less than 1% of the population watching fox, and only doing so over the last 15 or so years, fox news "heavily" influences America to create general ignorance. Not only does that defy all logic, but it completely ignores other much more likely contributing factors that I pointed out. Your hatred for all things fox apparently blinds you to simple logic. It might surprise you (and pop your preconceived notion balloon) to know that I rarely if ever watch or read fox news at all.

No need to keep doubling down on fail, just admit the logical reality and move on, OP was just trying to take a jab at the evil fox news and evil righties that has no foundation in fact or reality.

 

[zinfamous]

wait, who thinks unemployment is, much less ever was, at >30%?

That's worse than, well, anywhere else, ever.

 

[rudder]

lol, so you're saying that the ignorance is due to Fox News, but nothing to do with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, or MSNBC? That's rich. (don't pretend that's not what you meant by using the term Faux Newz)

But, you are right on one thing, American is stupid. Obama's own team even banked on the stupidity.

And absolutely nothing to do with the public education system in this country. A system, which by the way, is the crown jewel of liberals.... made all the better by common core.

 

[Fern]

This was written as a serious statement?

So you believe that books in print are necessarily true and accurate?

Remind me of your position here the next time a religious thread pops up. The Bible, the Koran and the Torah are all written published books.

Be sure to run out and pick up a copy of Atlas Shrugged too.

Fern

 

[Fern]

LOLing at the people who think the medium validates the content.

Fern

 

[werepossum]

Really? Now you've jumped the shark.

Tongue in cheek, dude.

A prime candidate for self-ownage of the year.

The most pathetic part is that he'll never understand why that's so, and his ideological buddies will likely prove in subsequent posts that they don't get it, as well.

Nah, we get it. You hella hate conservatives and you're enraged that your side lost so badly, so you're looking for things that make America look bad so that you can blame them on conservatives. We get it, we just can't take it seriously.

 

[doubledeluxe]

My bad. You guys know each other and I still can't figure out when someone is serious since some are so extreme.

 

[werepossum]

My bad. You guys know each other and I still can't figure out when someone is serious since some are so extreme.

Yeah, I need an emoticon for sarcasm and one for just silly.

 

[HeXen]

Truth hurts doesn't it.

 

[brianmanahan]

honestly, i dont mind that people are stupid

the more stupid people we have, the more elite the intelligent jobs are

hence the more i can get paid for said job

 

[Fern]

wait, who thinks unemployment is, much less ever was, at >30%?

That's worse than, well, anywhere else, ever.

Might want to tell the Dept of labor how wrong they are: http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...6820dc-16ef-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html

Government data showed that only 63.2 percent of working-age Americans have a job or are looking for one, the lowest proportion since 1978.

That's over 30% unemployed. Not sure how much over since the 63.2% includes people who are unemployed but looking for a job.

Might be helpful for some to be aware of, say, E3 versus E6 unemployment numbers and what they mean.

Fern

 

[Fern]

honestly, i dont mind that people are stupid

the more stupid people we have, the more elite the intelligent jobs are

hence the more i can get paid for said job

Wrong strategy IMO.

"Sell to classes, live with the masses. Sell to the masses, live with the classes".

I.e., make the multitudinous stupid people your customers if you want to be really rich.

One of my all time favorites is the guy who advertised and sold a bug trap that was 100% guaranteed to kill bugs. Inside the box were two blocks of wood and instructions saying "place bug between blocks and squeeze".

He made a ton.

Fern

 

[werepossum]

Wrong strategy IMO.

"Sell to classes, live with the masses. Sell to the masses, live with the classes".

I.e., make the multitudinous stupid people your customers if you want to be really rich.

One of my all time favorites is the guy who advertised and sold a bug trap that was 100% guaranteed to kill bugs. Inside the box were two blocks of wood and instructions saying "place bug between blocks and squeeze".

He made a ton.

Fern

He's probably not the same or only guy, but my ex-sister-in-law's boyfriend's father did exactly that and lost his ass. 1. Place bug on red block. 2. Strike sharply with blue block. The feds brought mail fraud charges against him, and he not only had to refund ever single penny but paid a comparatively large fine as well to avoid prosecution. Plus he was out for the wood and the paint. lol

 

[doubledeluxe]

http://www.snopes.com/business/market/taterbug.asp

 

[Fayd]

Author of the article herself might have a problem with being "incredibly ill-informed".

Viz:



Compared to:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...6820dc-16ef-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html

The 36.8% number above is from 2013 which might be a tad high considering some improved employment numbers recently. So, I'd say those in the survey were far more accurate than the author.

If she wanted the E3 number she should have phrased it much differently.

And numbers 8 & 9 shouldn't even be on a "fail" list as those are pretty damn accurate.

Edit: I didn't check the other numbers she cited.

Fern

Additionally, with regard to female teen pregnancy, she may have phrased the question differently than she interpreted the response.

if the question is what percentage of girls aged 15-19 have babies, that's a very different question than what percentage of girls aged 15-19 have babies per year.

 

[schmuckley]

LOLing at the people who think the medium validates the content.

Fern

I'm just going to make a point here..
Text in books cannot be altered very expediently once it is in a person's possession.
The same holds true for newspapers.
I guarantee (some) Facts contained in a 1999 World Book Encyclopedia will vary from Wikipedia.