Education doesn’t stop at your school’s door. I’m almost 70, graduated from high school with honors in 1972 and started college in ‘78. Life intervened so I wasn’t able to graduate. But over the past 44 years, I’ve never stopped learning.
So many people have similar histories- high school, maybe junior college or like me got married way to young. Got an ordinary job and then slogged through daily life. Work, home, TV, bed and repeat until you die.
I would say the vast majority of Trump’s cult members can’t remember the last time they read a newspaper or opened a book. Their news intake consists of at least one Social Media platform, Fox News (or another TV source for more misinformation) and a right-wing podcast or talk show. They probably really hate that antagonist Rush Limbaugh died. This highly slanted media has left them unable to recognize fact from fiction and all ability to think logically is gone. That’s why online and phone scams are so profitable and hate groups grow like weeds.
Combine a head full of propaganda and conspiracy theories that make people so afraid that they have to own a closet full of guns, refuse life saving vaccines and attend an Evangelical church heavy on right-wing politics with a fatalistic view of the world and their place in it.
Now they are already primed for a evil con man more than willing to tell you anything you want, sell you crappy gold tennis shoes (oh well, we can skip paying the utility bill this month) and convince you he is a savior sent from god.
It’s the perfect combination to start a fascist regime. There are only two solutions. Both are pretty unlikely. 1. Find a charismatic leader and “steal” Trump’s followers or 2. Find a way to educate them. Education is the best solution as it lasts til death. I told you these solutions were unlikely.
Since the Democrats couldn’t find a younger, more dynamic leader for this election cycle, we must be looking ahead, working with more than one possible candidate and start leadership training. Yes, with the right basic characteristics one can be trained for the presidency.
Education starts at preschool and never ends. We must fine-tune our public school system to excite kids on learning, broaden the available subjects and teach critical thinking. “No Child Left Behind” has been a disaster. For one, Civics is gone and History has been so watered down that high school graduates only know a few highlights of white history. History is so much more that Wars and dates. History should inform us of how people lived, flourished, behaved badly, started violent uprisings, protested, improved the lives of others, overcome obstacles, created great art, music, books, made scientific discoveries, learned to live in a changing world and how we got here.
They say you cannot teach an old dog, new tricks, but why not? If we could unlock adult minds to the pleasures and advantages of being a lifetime learner, we would be able to tell our story, belief systems and develop ways to work together to build a better world. Yes, it is to make America great again but not the MAGA version of abandoning the rule of law and throwing out democracy. You don’t need to steal people rights, imprison anyone who disagrees with you, act with hate, be afraid of people who don’t look like you, be intolerant of others or condemn people who march to the beat of a different drummer. We already have the foundation in our government, judicial system, educational system, patriotism and people who want to make our country better. We have just dug the Grand Canyon between us. Good democracy is were we work together. MAGA must stop being victims, surrender to love not hate and learn that everyone has the right to their own religious beliefs or none. But NO ONE has the right to dictate the beliefs and rights of others. You do your thing, i’ll do mine. Also, you cannot catch being gay, nor will the Black rub off. You give us room to live and we’ll do the same for you.
Going down the road to fascism isn’t the answer. Just look at history and the many countries with current authoritarian leadership. No American would even want to vacation there, much less live in a country like that. Don’t turn our country into the awful things Trump says about others.
I agree education doesn't have to be in-school, and that it's a tall order to educate people. Taking away cellphones in the classroom may be the best we can do for now.
I so agree with what you said. I have a similar history. Graduated high school in 1970. Attended college but didn’t graduate. Didn’t know what I wanted to be. Took an intro to political science class as a general education credit. The teacher had us subscribe to a news magazine. Time or Newsweek. I forget which one. We had to read it cover to cover as he quizzed us on it every week.I still subscribe, although I don’t always get it read.
You nailed it sister. I listened to you on Mr. Hartmann's program and though I generally agree with Thom, as an intellectual, I disagree with his assertion that television was not the advent of intellectual decline. It was/is called the idiot box for a reason. When one "watches" as opposed to listens, parts of the brain are shut down. Music videos are a perfect example. For instance, when I listen to Reelin in the Years by Steely Dan, I imagine certain things: "your everlasting summer and you can see it fading fast..." I think of what my adolescent summers looked like, smelled like. Ergo my brain is active. On the other hand, if I see fixed images of those words, my brain becomes narrowed and limited.
Sorry to nerd out, but great piece. I wasn't hip to you before Thom had you on; I'm a subscriber now!
yes, we are in agreement on this one for sure. re TV, the complexity of the plot line has also degraded, almost to grade school level.
Glad to have you aboard! I’m fairly new on Substack, so I’m grateful for the subscription. My plan is to continue doing it free of charge until the election- after that I’ll go do something constructive😉
cool beans. I subscribed to you just now, but unfortunately, I don’t generally pay for subscriptions sunce I don’t charge for my own. Not looking to make money, but I can’t afford to lose money either. Keep up the good work looks like we’re both in the resistance.
Well, Ms. Haake, I don't think Thom will take issue with my divulging that he is a mentor of mine. In fact, though I had listened to him prior to the Ferguson uprisings, it was during that period when I regularly called into his radio program. The fury of almost half a century being a Black Man in the United States (and having lived a very, very unusual, almost unbelievable, life) simultaneously exploded and imploded.
Thom Hartmann gave me an outlet; people responded. In an irony of ironies, I have an interesting background in the Administration of Justice (pertinent to your resume) as well as a considerable time in corporate America. Suffice it to say I've been writing all of my life, but from a very sterile place. I am non-partisan, because I am an intellectual.
Nonetheless, Thom and I became kindred spirits as intellectuals and, if you will pardon my forward language, the M.F. is a brilliant thinker (damn his politics), author and historian. A direct result was his encouragement and, indeed, tutelage in my becoming a better writer...and thinker. And though I appreciate and thank you for subscribing to LookingNWords, you'd best know: it ain't for everybody. Because it is not about a group grope, echo-chamber or star chamber. It is about the goddamned brutal, ugly T-R-U-T-H.
totally looking forward to reading your stuff. I’ve had an unusual life as well, my Mother’s Day post to survivors (from Saturday) pretty much lays it out. glad to make your acquaintance and look forward to chatting going forward after I’ve had a chance to read your stuff.
Well done! Great article. I went to work at 15, graduated HS in 1976, took me four years to get a 2-year technical degree in “computer programming” all on my own. No smart phones, no internet, learned various learning cheats for all manner of things, all on my own or by researching at the library. Have been a lifelong student; always had a sense of curiosity, which made people notice me. It’s never been WHAT I knew, so much as my ABILITY to learn, discern, and innovate. But I am seeing less and less of that in the middle class from which I came. It’s interesting though that when I knew less I was a Republican, then at some point around age 40-45 after advancing my career, traveling the world and meeting so many people, I leaned moderate and then more liberal. I have seen that happen with many of my peers in age who continue to learn. But as I meet new people nowadays, I agree more and more with the idea that social media has created a lot of garbage, like eating inert matter, filling our minds with fluff that not only serves no purpose, it actually stifles cognitive growth/discernment. It’s both sad and dangerous for our society. Thanks again for your article. Vote BLUE!
I started out as a republican as well. Are used to work for a Republican administration. Today’s morally bankrupt Republicans are nothing like the old GOP.
Sabrina is right that many voters are voting against their own interests. History suggests it is not because of low IQ but rather the fact that most Americans are financially traumatized.
Before WWII Europe was an intellectual powerhouse with Jung, Freud and Einstein. Europeans did not vote for fascism because they had low IQ. It was the financial trauma of the depression that created a free floating anxiety that allowed a strong man to appear to be a savior. This is were dictators come from. The traumatized are looking for a way to feed and house their loved ones today in America as many Europeans were before WWII.
Thaddeus ... good comment ... I, too, have given this a lot of thought this past couple of years, as to why people don't seem to protest Trump and protest the horrible MAGA actions like people would have done 'in the old days', and I came to the conclusion that it wasn't just the 'dummying down of America' (although I have been accused of saying that expression a couple of times in the last few years to some friends of mine) ... BUT RATHER, it's probably because people are so darn busy with their extremely stressed-out lives these days, that they just don't have the time to get politically active, such as contacting their representatives in Washington, or joining political activists groups, or protesting, etc. And, of course, our stressed-out lives are being caused by constant barrage of problems, whether they be financial, or otherwise, not to mention we have all been suffering from 'information overload', thanks to people like Donald Trump using his 'flooding the zone' tactics he used from reading all the Nazi party propaganda (just Google his late wife's comments about how Donald Trump always had a copy of one of Hitlers propaganda publications on his bedside table for years ... BEFORE she passed away from 'mysteriously falling down her stairs')! Anyway, what you are saying in your post is precisely what I finally figured out was happening to people nowadays, and causing a lot of this sheep-like apathy on the part of democracy-loving people (such as most Democrats these days). I have also been known to tell some friends of mine in the past few years, that they are acting like naive sheep, especially beginning with Donald Trump's regime in 2016! BTW, I've also pointed out to my friends that the new MAGA republicans just LOVE to see most people struggling financially, because they know that we will be just too tired & stressed out to even find the time or energy to fight back against them or even protest their deplorable actions!
It is becoming alarmingly apparent, that the public and the media either do NOT recognize the 'mortal danger' of the alarming unconstitutional actions that have just been forced upon the citizens of this country by the Supreme Court along with the life-long ramifications of those alarming and unconstitutional Supreme Court recent actions against our nation's long 'fought-for' democracy; OR, maybe the media and the public are just too afraid to appear (or sound) like 'alarmists', which they might think would cause widespread panic and even bloodshed! ... But I say, "the time for hesitation is through" (like the song says)! ... It is now time to sound the '5-alarm fire bell' for democracy, even at the risk of starting a dangerous panic across the country, because this is now our 'D-Day' for 'pushing back' in order to save our own country's democracy (for which our fathers and forefathers have so valiantly and unselfishly fought for, died for, been captured for, or been crippled for, during the last 250 years on the battlefields of our nation and the world), from the 'democracy-hating' extreme right-wing MAGA Republicans and especially the Federalist Society/Foundation, who plan to transform our 'democratic republic' into an 'authoritarian state' (all 6 of those Republican Supreme Court justices who recently 'voted NO to democracy' are either members of, or supporters of, the Federalist Society/Foundation)! Any future (or past) President of the United States has just been given (by the Supreme Court) 'complete immunity and impunity for lawless authoritarian actions', and will not hesitate to implement the Federalist Society's "Project 2025" ... which, if implemented, will be the permanent end of our country's democracy for many decades to come, if not permanently! Think about it ... If someone like Donald Trump is allowed back into the Whitehouse, he could either cancel or postpone future elections, or could even do what Putin does in Russia, by having 'sham' elections (just so he can gaslight the public and say he's 'all for' having elections), in which he could now 'rig/select' the person who would oppose him (with absolutely no fear of prosecution), and put on a 'sham' election (just 'for show'); and, Donald Trump would then hold on to the office of the Presidency until his death, upon which he would have already setup the appointment of his successor (probably one of his sons) to replace him as President! ... So, good people of America, WAKE UP NOW! Do not hesitate to take action against this recent unconstitutional 'takeover' staged by a 'democracy-hating' and 'extreme-right' Supreme Court, that turns our democratic republic into an authoritarian state! Immediate action is needed now, to save our democratic republic! The first thing that needs to be done is to 'spread the word' quickly about this 'little-known' (until now) plan called "project 2025" that the Republicans/Federalists intend to immediately implement 'if or when' donald trump is allowed back in the Whitehouse (or with any other 'authoritarian-loving' or 'extreme right-wing' future President of the United States)! ...
M.B.R.
(full name withheld due to fear of hateful and harmful retaliation from right-wing violent people, who don't mind giving up their freedoms for a chance of having a dictator control our country and people ... go figure!)
NOTE: After I finished writing the comments (above), I came across an article that not only expresses similar comments to mine (above), but the author of the article articulates it much better than I did (in my comments above), and the author is much more knowledgeable than I am ... In fact, I looked up that author and she happens to be a distinguished attorney/litigator and columnist of 25 years, and her name is Sabrina Haake (may God bless her)! Here is a link to that articulate and astute article of hers which I just found:
i totally agree— its time for the gloves to come off. i wondered most of my life how hitler happened. not what, but rather how did germans emotionally allow it? now i know.
and i don’t give a fuck if i sound alarmist. anyone who’s not alarmed isn’t paying attention.
last, you’re an excellent writer- keep it up, we need all the clear and loud bells we have.
However, this even claims also, Aloha also und Thanks also to M. R. for that this i of his/hers said responses to this i of Ms. Haake's said columns for hers said account as ' ' ' ' ' ' admin ' ' ' ' ' ' for hers said account as EditorinChief for ' ' ' ' ' ' Substack, Ms. Haake's Take ' ' ' ' ' ' on that und it with it with it now here STILL counters also SCARILY lamentingly also that in this case also, " Too 'tis now time to sound its fivealarm ( 5alarm ) ( valarm ) FIRE bell for democracy, even at its RISK of starting a DANGEOURS PANICKING across the nation's homeland, because this is now our ' ' ' ' ' DDay ' ' ' ' ' for ' ' ' ' ' pushing back ' ' ' ' ' in order to save our own nation's homeland's democracy ( for which our fathers' people also and forefathers have so valiantly and UNSELFISHLY fought too for it, DIED too for it, been CAPTURED too for it or been CRIPPLED too for it, during the last almost exactly three thousand ( 3,000 ) ( mmm ) months ( mos. ) on the BATTLEfields of our nation and the world ), from the ' ' ' ' ' democracyHATING ' ' ' ' ' EXTREME RightWing Republican followers also of wanting to mAgA ( for SHORT ) and especially this Federalist Society und/or Foundation, whose members also plan to transform our ' ' ' ' ' democratic republic ' ' ' ' ' into an ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' AUTHORITARIAN ' ' ' ' ' ' state ' ' ' ' ' ( und plus, ALL six ( 6 ) ( vi ) of those Republican Supreme Court's Justices who recently voted ' ' ' ' ' NAY ' ' ' ' ' to democracy are either members of, or supporters of, this Federalist Society und/or Foundation )! " for herself for herself, for him/herself for him/herself too as well to boot, for ANYONE of those six ( 6 ) ( vi ) said Justices His/Hers Honour's ( spelling in Canadian und plus N. Zealander English style ) self for His/Hers Honour's ( Canadian und plus N. Zealander style spelling ) self, for ANYONE whoso accepts also that this even claims also, Aloha also und Thanks also to M. R. for that this i of his/hers said responses to this i of Ms. Haake's said accounts for hers said account as ' ' ' ' ' ' admin ' ' ' ' ' ' for hers said account as EditorinChief for ' ' ' ' ' ' Substack, Ms. Haake's Take ' ' ' ' ' ' on that und it with it with it now here STILL counters also SCARILY lamentingly also that in this case also, " Too 'tis now time to sound its ' ' ' ' ' fivealarm ( 5alarm ) ( valarm ) ' ' ' ' ' FIRE bell for democracy, even at its RISK of starting a DANGEROUS PANICKING across the nation's homeland, because this is now our ' ' ' ' ' DDay ' ' ' ' ' for ' ' ' ' ' pushing back ' ' ' ' ' in order to save our own nation's homeland's democracy ( for which our fathers' people also and forefathers have so valiantly and UNSELFISHLY fought then for it, DIED then for it, been CAPTURED then for it or been CRIPPLED then for it, during the last almost exactly three thousand ( 3,000 ) ( mmm ) months ( mos. ) on the BATTLEfields of our nation and the world ), from the ' ' ' ' ' democracyHATING ' ' ' ' ' EXTREME RightWing Republican followers also of wanting to mAgA ( for SHORT ) and especially this Federalist Society und/or Foundation, whose members also plan to transform our ' ' ' ' ' democratic republic ' ' ' ' ' into an ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' AUTHORITARIAN ' ' ' ' ' ' state ' ' ' ' ' ( und plus, ALL six ( 6 ) ( vi ) of those Republican Supreme Court's Justices who recently voted ' ' ' ' ' NAY ' ' ' ' ' to democracy are either members of, or supporters of, this Federalist Society und/or Foundation )! " him/herself for him/herself, for ' ' ' ' ' ' Phans, ' ' ' ' ' ' for OUTSIDERS, for readers, for visitors, for others also und even for us, too....
P.S.: Also note the astute paragraph that Sabrina Haake wrote in her article (link shown in my comments above): “Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation and chief advocate of 'Project 2025' (Trump’s plan to turn the United States into a right-wing dictatorship), declared that “we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the Left allows it to be.””
So, remember, this is not hypothetical - this is reality, and it happened on Monday, July 1, 2024 at the Supreme Court of the United States!
Great piece! The component of intelligence that we're increasingly losing is the ability to think critically and analytically. People think of intelligence as "what you know", but what's really important is being able to apply what you know to various situations.
For example, pundits always say that the economy is the key element that drives voters' decisions on who they want to vote for, but there are other considerations that are more important than the economy - that require voters to think more deeply about what the future holds if different candidates win. Because let's face it, the ups and downs of the economy are transitory whether a Republican or a Democrat is in charge. But when the Supreme Court makes a ruling, it's permanent. You can bet your bottom dollar that if Trump is elected, within his first year in office Justices Alito and Thomas will resign, allowing Trump to appoint two more new, young, Federalist Society-approved, hyper-conservative Justices to the Supreme Court. That will cement a 5-vote ultra-conservative majority on the SC for the next 25+ years. I don't hear anyone talking about this scenario, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that it if likely to happen. If you didn't like the Dobbs decision, or the Chevron deference decision, or the essentially unlimited Presidential immunity decision, there will be a whole lot more of that if Trump is re-elected - not just for the next four years, but for the next six or seven Presidential terms! Voting to protect further erosion of your basic rights and freedoms vs whether the price of eggs is a dollar higher today vs five years ago is the kind of analytical thinking we really need to promote.
I totally agree. Regarding SCOTUS, there will come a point, already begun, when people no longer respect their decisions because they are so blatantly political. I don't want to see that, bc without the rule of law we have nothing but oligarchy. So I'm betting on court reform including expanding the number of justices to 13, one for each appellate district. If trump gets back in, all bets are off, and many of us will emigrate. It will take decades, perhaps centuries, to rebuild what he and musk are destroying.
I am not sure that the answer is as simple as cellphones or computer games, and I don't think people are getting stupider (although that is the theme to one of my SF novels!). I suspect that the use of advanced technology is causing greater extremes in 'good' knowledge on the one hand or 'bad' knowledge on the other. 'Good' knowledge is based on facts whereas 'bad' knowledge is based on opinion. Psychologists have something called 'Conviction Bias'. That is the inclination for people to believe what fits in to their prejudices. We must all beware of that pf course, but the misuse of modern media devices creates greater division between 'good' and 'bad'. Opinions become more extreme and intractable. That is the danger to Democracy and we are beginning to see that in not just in the USA but throughout the world with Putin fooling the Russian people, the Chinese dictatorship, the tragedy between the Jews and Palestinians and the rise of extreme political parties in Europe and in many other countries. The future of Humanity may be at stake here; is our technology becoming too powerful for us? Are we little children playing with a dangerous machine?
Cellphones are allowed in the high school where I work - and, despite teachers pleas to disallow them there is no appetite for the parental disapproval that probably would follow. And as you say, Sabrina, it then becomes the pacifier for the unruly student so - maybe - others will be able to learn … if they put their phone aside.
Excellent article. There should be more like it. Perhaps there would be if it didn't go straight for the jugular of capitalism. At the least, it's uncommon common sense. I'm glad there are finally studies to confirm it. Children who have seen that horrible cartoon Charlotte's Web do not want to read the wonderful book it was torn from. Their language development and cognition suffer as a result. As for Trump people, they're much worse than impaired. They're haters. The few I know personally have high IQs, good educations, are prosperous, and not fooled one bit by sensory stimulation. They are greedy and racist. They hold fascist beliefs. They are just bad people. They love Trump because they are just like him.
Evil haters- that's even darker than thinking they're just ignorant... it's pretty obvious that CEOs and the top 1% support him just for the tax cuts and regulation breaks; you'd think they'd have a care for their children and grandchildren inheriting a barely inhabitable planet.
Bravo! Great article. My husband and I have been involved in educational development for quite some time. His PhD disertation was about how people learn and what tests indicate. We aren't arm chair quarterbacks! Each month, it seems "things" can't get much worse and yet, day after day, there is ral evidence to support your writing. People ARE getting less educated by the day. However, it's not just lack of knowledge needed to pass a test, write a paper or give a speech but also, how to deal with ambiguity, how to express oneself and certainly the total disregard for civility
It seems the bell shaped curve is flattening! So, what do we do about this? Unraveling ignorance is tough. We need better informed parents to develop a childs full potential and that's not done by watching tv or playing online games. We need better teachers to EXPAND the knowledge of each student so they will become better parents. So, where do we start? Rules matter! Separation of church and state matters. Investing in public schools matters. Forget private schools because they are just a front to hide bigotry and religious fanaticism. Invest in teachers, not in Bulliten Board 101 but in philosophy, history, literature and science. We need braided minded people to become a "thing" again. Thanks for your words Sabrina!
I admit to being addicted to my computer. But I also take breaks, go for walks, work in the garden, cook meals from scratch. During those times, I think about what I've read or watched. I don't think my IQ has fallen (not that I've tested it). Maybe there's a way to integrate tech with enough time away that overall there is benefit. After all, we can take in a lot more information with a computer!
There is no critical thinking anymore. People react instantaneously and usually incorrectly to whatever stimulus last hit them. This is an uninformed electorate which explains 75 million people who supported Trump in 2020 and, in most cases, continue to support him today. Any level of critical thinking and they would run for the hills, except for those who share his malignant view of the world.
Education doesn’t stop at your school’s door. I’m almost 70, graduated from high school with honors in 1972 and started college in ‘78. Life intervened so I wasn’t able to graduate. But over the past 44 years, I’ve never stopped learning.
So many people have similar histories- high school, maybe junior college or like me got married way to young. Got an ordinary job and then slogged through daily life. Work, home, TV, bed and repeat until you die.
I would say the vast majority of Trump’s cult members can’t remember the last time they read a newspaper or opened a book. Their news intake consists of at least one Social Media platform, Fox News (or another TV source for more misinformation) and a right-wing podcast or talk show. They probably really hate that antagonist Rush Limbaugh died. This highly slanted media has left them unable to recognize fact from fiction and all ability to think logically is gone. That’s why online and phone scams are so profitable and hate groups grow like weeds.
Combine a head full of propaganda and conspiracy theories that make people so afraid that they have to own a closet full of guns, refuse life saving vaccines and attend an Evangelical church heavy on right-wing politics with a fatalistic view of the world and their place in it.
Now they are already primed for a evil con man more than willing to tell you anything you want, sell you crappy gold tennis shoes (oh well, we can skip paying the utility bill this month) and convince you he is a savior sent from god.
It’s the perfect combination to start a fascist regime. There are only two solutions. Both are pretty unlikely. 1. Find a charismatic leader and “steal” Trump’s followers or 2. Find a way to educate them. Education is the best solution as it lasts til death. I told you these solutions were unlikely.
Since the Democrats couldn’t find a younger, more dynamic leader for this election cycle, we must be looking ahead, working with more than one possible candidate and start leadership training. Yes, with the right basic characteristics one can be trained for the presidency.
Education starts at preschool and never ends. We must fine-tune our public school system to excite kids on learning, broaden the available subjects and teach critical thinking. “No Child Left Behind” has been a disaster. For one, Civics is gone and History has been so watered down that high school graduates only know a few highlights of white history. History is so much more that Wars and dates. History should inform us of how people lived, flourished, behaved badly, started violent uprisings, protested, improved the lives of others, overcome obstacles, created great art, music, books, made scientific discoveries, learned to live in a changing world and how we got here.
They say you cannot teach an old dog, new tricks, but why not? If we could unlock adult minds to the pleasures and advantages of being a lifetime learner, we would be able to tell our story, belief systems and develop ways to work together to build a better world. Yes, it is to make America great again but not the MAGA version of abandoning the rule of law and throwing out democracy. You don’t need to steal people rights, imprison anyone who disagrees with you, act with hate, be afraid of people who don’t look like you, be intolerant of others or condemn people who march to the beat of a different drummer. We already have the foundation in our government, judicial system, educational system, patriotism and people who want to make our country better. We have just dug the Grand Canyon between us. Good democracy is were we work together. MAGA must stop being victims, surrender to love not hate and learn that everyone has the right to their own religious beliefs or none. But NO ONE has the right to dictate the beliefs and rights of others. You do your thing, i’ll do mine. Also, you cannot catch being gay, nor will the Black rub off. You give us room to live and we’ll do the same for you.
Going down the road to fascism isn’t the answer. Just look at history and the many countries with current authoritarian leadership. No American would even want to vacation there, much less live in a country like that. Don’t turn our country into the awful things Trump says about others.
I agree education doesn't have to be in-school, and that it's a tall order to educate people. Taking away cellphones in the classroom may be the best we can do for now.
I so agree with what you said. I have a similar history. Graduated high school in 1970. Attended college but didn’t graduate. Didn’t know what I wanted to be. Took an intro to political science class as a general education credit. The teacher had us subscribe to a news magazine. Time or Newsweek. I forget which one. We had to read it cover to cover as he quizzed us on it every week.I still subscribe, although I don’t always get it read.
Beautifully written and well said Sharon, also spot on! Dumb down a population and they are easy to control.
This is a killer piece, Sabrina! I don't even know where to begin with commentary on this contextual marvel - so I won't.
Thank you as always for your successful efforts decrypting the content of our seemingly persistent pandemonium.
Precisely!
You nailed it sister. I listened to you on Mr. Hartmann's program and though I generally agree with Thom, as an intellectual, I disagree with his assertion that television was not the advent of intellectual decline. It was/is called the idiot box for a reason. When one "watches" as opposed to listens, parts of the brain are shut down. Music videos are a perfect example. For instance, when I listen to Reelin in the Years by Steely Dan, I imagine certain things: "your everlasting summer and you can see it fading fast..." I think of what my adolescent summers looked like, smelled like. Ergo my brain is active. On the other hand, if I see fixed images of those words, my brain becomes narrowed and limited.
Sorry to nerd out, but great piece. I wasn't hip to you before Thom had you on; I'm a subscriber now!
yes, we are in agreement on this one for sure. re TV, the complexity of the plot line has also degraded, almost to grade school level.
Glad to have you aboard! I’m fairly new on Substack, so I’m grateful for the subscription. My plan is to continue doing it free of charge until the election- after that I’ll go do something constructive😉
You are already doing it.
Our content @LookingNWords is free as well (most of it). I leave it up to those who support my work to do so financially if they choose to.
cool beans. I subscribed to you just now, but unfortunately, I don’t generally pay for subscriptions sunce I don’t charge for my own. Not looking to make money, but I can’t afford to lose money either. Keep up the good work looks like we’re both in the resistance.
Well, Ms. Haake, I don't think Thom will take issue with my divulging that he is a mentor of mine. In fact, though I had listened to him prior to the Ferguson uprisings, it was during that period when I regularly called into his radio program. The fury of almost half a century being a Black Man in the United States (and having lived a very, very unusual, almost unbelievable, life) simultaneously exploded and imploded.
Thom Hartmann gave me an outlet; people responded. In an irony of ironies, I have an interesting background in the Administration of Justice (pertinent to your resume) as well as a considerable time in corporate America. Suffice it to say I've been writing all of my life, but from a very sterile place. I am non-partisan, because I am an intellectual.
Nonetheless, Thom and I became kindred spirits as intellectuals and, if you will pardon my forward language, the M.F. is a brilliant thinker (damn his politics), author and historian. A direct result was his encouragement and, indeed, tutelage in my becoming a better writer...and thinker. And though I appreciate and thank you for subscribing to LookingNWords, you'd best know: it ain't for everybody. Because it is not about a group grope, echo-chamber or star chamber. It is about the goddamned brutal, ugly T-R-U-T-H.
totally looking forward to reading your stuff. I’ve had an unusual life as well, my Mother’s Day post to survivors (from Saturday) pretty much lays it out. glad to make your acquaintance and look forward to chatting going forward after I’ve had a chance to read your stuff.
I read the Mother's Day piece.
Well done! Great article. I went to work at 15, graduated HS in 1976, took me four years to get a 2-year technical degree in “computer programming” all on my own. No smart phones, no internet, learned various learning cheats for all manner of things, all on my own or by researching at the library. Have been a lifelong student; always had a sense of curiosity, which made people notice me. It’s never been WHAT I knew, so much as my ABILITY to learn, discern, and innovate. But I am seeing less and less of that in the middle class from which I came. It’s interesting though that when I knew less I was a Republican, then at some point around age 40-45 after advancing my career, traveling the world and meeting so many people, I leaned moderate and then more liberal. I have seen that happen with many of my peers in age who continue to learn. But as I meet new people nowadays, I agree more and more with the idea that social media has created a lot of garbage, like eating inert matter, filling our minds with fluff that not only serves no purpose, it actually stifles cognitive growth/discernment. It’s both sad and dangerous for our society. Thanks again for your article. Vote BLUE!
I started out as a republican as well. Are used to work for a Republican administration. Today’s morally bankrupt Republicans are nothing like the old GOP.
Sabrina is right that many voters are voting against their own interests. History suggests it is not because of low IQ but rather the fact that most Americans are financially traumatized.
Before WWII Europe was an intellectual powerhouse with Jung, Freud and Einstein. Europeans did not vote for fascism because they had low IQ. It was the financial trauma of the depression that created a free floating anxiety that allowed a strong man to appear to be a savior. This is were dictators come from. The traumatized are looking for a way to feed and house their loved ones today in America as many Europeans were before WWII.
https://youtube.com/@CommonSpiritualGround?si=0Xp3Bf6rWgFssX88
Thaddeus ... good comment ... I, too, have given this a lot of thought this past couple of years, as to why people don't seem to protest Trump and protest the horrible MAGA actions like people would have done 'in the old days', and I came to the conclusion that it wasn't just the 'dummying down of America' (although I have been accused of saying that expression a couple of times in the last few years to some friends of mine) ... BUT RATHER, it's probably because people are so darn busy with their extremely stressed-out lives these days, that they just don't have the time to get politically active, such as contacting their representatives in Washington, or joining political activists groups, or protesting, etc. And, of course, our stressed-out lives are being caused by constant barrage of problems, whether they be financial, or otherwise, not to mention we have all been suffering from 'information overload', thanks to people like Donald Trump using his 'flooding the zone' tactics he used from reading all the Nazi party propaganda (just Google his late wife's comments about how Donald Trump always had a copy of one of Hitlers propaganda publications on his bedside table for years ... BEFORE she passed away from 'mysteriously falling down her stairs')! Anyway, what you are saying in your post is precisely what I finally figured out was happening to people nowadays, and causing a lot of this sheep-like apathy on the part of democracy-loving people (such as most Democrats these days). I have also been known to tell some friends of mine in the past few years, that they are acting like naive sheep, especially beginning with Donald Trump's regime in 2016! BTW, I've also pointed out to my friends that the new MAGA republicans just LOVE to see most people struggling financially, because they know that we will be just too tired & stressed out to even find the time or energy to fight back against them or even protest their deplorable actions!
This is very disturbing! Many are sleepwalking through the fiasco
It is becoming alarmingly apparent, that the public and the media either do NOT recognize the 'mortal danger' of the alarming unconstitutional actions that have just been forced upon the citizens of this country by the Supreme Court along with the life-long ramifications of those alarming and unconstitutional Supreme Court recent actions against our nation's long 'fought-for' democracy; OR, maybe the media and the public are just too afraid to appear (or sound) like 'alarmists', which they might think would cause widespread panic and even bloodshed! ... But I say, "the time for hesitation is through" (like the song says)! ... It is now time to sound the '5-alarm fire bell' for democracy, even at the risk of starting a dangerous panic across the country, because this is now our 'D-Day' for 'pushing back' in order to save our own country's democracy (for which our fathers and forefathers have so valiantly and unselfishly fought for, died for, been captured for, or been crippled for, during the last 250 years on the battlefields of our nation and the world), from the 'democracy-hating' extreme right-wing MAGA Republicans and especially the Federalist Society/Foundation, who plan to transform our 'democratic republic' into an 'authoritarian state' (all 6 of those Republican Supreme Court justices who recently 'voted NO to democracy' are either members of, or supporters of, the Federalist Society/Foundation)! Any future (or past) President of the United States has just been given (by the Supreme Court) 'complete immunity and impunity for lawless authoritarian actions', and will not hesitate to implement the Federalist Society's "Project 2025" ... which, if implemented, will be the permanent end of our country's democracy for many decades to come, if not permanently! Think about it ... If someone like Donald Trump is allowed back into the Whitehouse, he could either cancel or postpone future elections, or could even do what Putin does in Russia, by having 'sham' elections (just so he can gaslight the public and say he's 'all for' having elections), in which he could now 'rig/select' the person who would oppose him (with absolutely no fear of prosecution), and put on a 'sham' election (just 'for show'); and, Donald Trump would then hold on to the office of the Presidency until his death, upon which he would have already setup the appointment of his successor (probably one of his sons) to replace him as President! ... So, good people of America, WAKE UP NOW! Do not hesitate to take action against this recent unconstitutional 'takeover' staged by a 'democracy-hating' and 'extreme-right' Supreme Court, that turns our democratic republic into an authoritarian state! Immediate action is needed now, to save our democratic republic! The first thing that needs to be done is to 'spread the word' quickly about this 'little-known' (until now) plan called "project 2025" that the Republicans/Federalists intend to immediately implement 'if or when' donald trump is allowed back in the Whitehouse (or with any other 'authoritarian-loving' or 'extreme right-wing' future President of the United States)! ...
M.B.R.
(full name withheld due to fear of hateful and harmful retaliation from right-wing violent people, who don't mind giving up their freedoms for a chance of having a dictator control our country and people ... go figure!)
NOTE: After I finished writing the comments (above), I came across an article that not only expresses similar comments to mine (above), but the author of the article articulates it much better than I did (in my comments above), and the author is much more knowledgeable than I am ... In fact, I looked up that author and she happens to be a distinguished attorney/litigator and columnist of 25 years, and her name is Sabrina Haake (may God bless her)! Here is a link to that articulate and astute article of hers which I just found:
https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/time-to-fight-supreme-court/
i totally agree— its time for the gloves to come off. i wondered most of my life how hitler happened. not what, but rather how did germans emotionally allow it? now i know.
and i don’t give a fuck if i sound alarmist. anyone who’s not alarmed isn’t paying attention.
last, you’re an excellent writer- keep it up, we need all the clear and loud bells we have.
sabrina
However, this even claims also, Aloha also und Thanks also to M. R. for that this i of his/hers said responses to this i of Ms. Haake's said columns for hers said account as ' ' ' ' ' ' admin ' ' ' ' ' ' for hers said account as EditorinChief for ' ' ' ' ' ' Substack, Ms. Haake's Take ' ' ' ' ' ' on that und it with it with it now here STILL counters also SCARILY lamentingly also that in this case also, " Too 'tis now time to sound its fivealarm ( 5alarm ) ( valarm ) FIRE bell for democracy, even at its RISK of starting a DANGEOURS PANICKING across the nation's homeland, because this is now our ' ' ' ' ' DDay ' ' ' ' ' for ' ' ' ' ' pushing back ' ' ' ' ' in order to save our own nation's homeland's democracy ( for which our fathers' people also and forefathers have so valiantly and UNSELFISHLY fought too for it, DIED too for it, been CAPTURED too for it or been CRIPPLED too for it, during the last almost exactly three thousand ( 3,000 ) ( mmm ) months ( mos. ) on the BATTLEfields of our nation and the world ), from the ' ' ' ' ' democracyHATING ' ' ' ' ' EXTREME RightWing Republican followers also of wanting to mAgA ( for SHORT ) and especially this Federalist Society und/or Foundation, whose members also plan to transform our ' ' ' ' ' democratic republic ' ' ' ' ' into an ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' AUTHORITARIAN ' ' ' ' ' ' state ' ' ' ' ' ( und plus, ALL six ( 6 ) ( vi ) of those Republican Supreme Court's Justices who recently voted ' ' ' ' ' NAY ' ' ' ' ' to democracy are either members of, or supporters of, this Federalist Society und/or Foundation )! " for herself for herself, for him/herself for him/herself too as well to boot, for ANYONE of those six ( 6 ) ( vi ) said Justices His/Hers Honour's ( spelling in Canadian und plus N. Zealander English style ) self for His/Hers Honour's ( Canadian und plus N. Zealander style spelling ) self, for ANYONE whoso accepts also that this even claims also, Aloha also und Thanks also to M. R. for that this i of his/hers said responses to this i of Ms. Haake's said accounts for hers said account as ' ' ' ' ' ' admin ' ' ' ' ' ' for hers said account as EditorinChief for ' ' ' ' ' ' Substack, Ms. Haake's Take ' ' ' ' ' ' on that und it with it with it now here STILL counters also SCARILY lamentingly also that in this case also, " Too 'tis now time to sound its ' ' ' ' ' fivealarm ( 5alarm ) ( valarm ) ' ' ' ' ' FIRE bell for democracy, even at its RISK of starting a DANGEROUS PANICKING across the nation's homeland, because this is now our ' ' ' ' ' DDay ' ' ' ' ' for ' ' ' ' ' pushing back ' ' ' ' ' in order to save our own nation's homeland's democracy ( for which our fathers' people also and forefathers have so valiantly and UNSELFISHLY fought then for it, DIED then for it, been CAPTURED then for it or been CRIPPLED then for it, during the last almost exactly three thousand ( 3,000 ) ( mmm ) months ( mos. ) on the BATTLEfields of our nation and the world ), from the ' ' ' ' ' democracyHATING ' ' ' ' ' EXTREME RightWing Republican followers also of wanting to mAgA ( for SHORT ) and especially this Federalist Society und/or Foundation, whose members also plan to transform our ' ' ' ' ' democratic republic ' ' ' ' ' into an ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' AUTHORITARIAN ' ' ' ' ' ' state ' ' ' ' ' ( und plus, ALL six ( 6 ) ( vi ) of those Republican Supreme Court's Justices who recently voted ' ' ' ' ' NAY ' ' ' ' ' to democracy are either members of, or supporters of, this Federalist Society und/or Foundation )! " him/herself for him/herself, for ' ' ' ' ' ' Phans, ' ' ' ' ' ' for OUTSIDERS, for readers, for visitors, for others also und even for us, too....
P.S.: Also note the astute paragraph that Sabrina Haake wrote in her article (link shown in my comments above): “Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation and chief advocate of 'Project 2025' (Trump’s plan to turn the United States into a right-wing dictatorship), declared that “we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the Left allows it to be.””
So, remember, this is not hypothetical - this is reality, and it happened on Monday, July 1, 2024 at the Supreme Court of the United States!
Great piece! The component of intelligence that we're increasingly losing is the ability to think critically and analytically. People think of intelligence as "what you know", but what's really important is being able to apply what you know to various situations.
For example, pundits always say that the economy is the key element that drives voters' decisions on who they want to vote for, but there are other considerations that are more important than the economy - that require voters to think more deeply about what the future holds if different candidates win. Because let's face it, the ups and downs of the economy are transitory whether a Republican or a Democrat is in charge. But when the Supreme Court makes a ruling, it's permanent. You can bet your bottom dollar that if Trump is elected, within his first year in office Justices Alito and Thomas will resign, allowing Trump to appoint two more new, young, Federalist Society-approved, hyper-conservative Justices to the Supreme Court. That will cement a 5-vote ultra-conservative majority on the SC for the next 25+ years. I don't hear anyone talking about this scenario, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that it if likely to happen. If you didn't like the Dobbs decision, or the Chevron deference decision, or the essentially unlimited Presidential immunity decision, there will be a whole lot more of that if Trump is re-elected - not just for the next four years, but for the next six or seven Presidential terms! Voting to protect further erosion of your basic rights and freedoms vs whether the price of eggs is a dollar higher today vs five years ago is the kind of analytical thinking we really need to promote.
I totally agree. Regarding SCOTUS, there will come a point, already begun, when people no longer respect their decisions because they are so blatantly political. I don't want to see that, bc without the rule of law we have nothing but oligarchy. So I'm betting on court reform including expanding the number of justices to 13, one for each appellate district. If trump gets back in, all bets are off, and many of us will emigrate. It will take decades, perhaps centuries, to rebuild what he and musk are destroying.
I am not sure that the answer is as simple as cellphones or computer games, and I don't think people are getting stupider (although that is the theme to one of my SF novels!). I suspect that the use of advanced technology is causing greater extremes in 'good' knowledge on the one hand or 'bad' knowledge on the other. 'Good' knowledge is based on facts whereas 'bad' knowledge is based on opinion. Psychologists have something called 'Conviction Bias'. That is the inclination for people to believe what fits in to their prejudices. We must all beware of that pf course, but the misuse of modern media devices creates greater division between 'good' and 'bad'. Opinions become more extreme and intractable. That is the danger to Democracy and we are beginning to see that in not just in the USA but throughout the world with Putin fooling the Russian people, the Chinese dictatorship, the tragedy between the Jews and Palestinians and the rise of extreme political parties in Europe and in many other countries. The future of Humanity may be at stake here; is our technology becoming too powerful for us? Are we little children playing with a dangerous machine?
Common sense and logic go a Long way. Truth helps.
…words NEVER hurt any NAZIS
Hahahaha yeah cause their brain is quite small
No because they are inheirantly evil
Cellphones are allowed in the high school where I work - and, despite teachers pleas to disallow them there is no appetite for the parental disapproval that probably would follow. And as you say, Sabrina, it then becomes the pacifier for the unruly student so - maybe - others will be able to learn … if they put their phone aside.
it seems like ctu would support an outright ban if they truly cared about educating the students
This is a contract negotiation year … I will certainly ask.
Excellent article. There should be more like it. Perhaps there would be if it didn't go straight for the jugular of capitalism. At the least, it's uncommon common sense. I'm glad there are finally studies to confirm it. Children who have seen that horrible cartoon Charlotte's Web do not want to read the wonderful book it was torn from. Their language development and cognition suffer as a result. As for Trump people, they're much worse than impaired. They're haters. The few I know personally have high IQs, good educations, are prosperous, and not fooled one bit by sensory stimulation. They are greedy and racist. They hold fascist beliefs. They are just bad people. They love Trump because they are just like him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Alone#:~:text=Bowling%20Alone%3A%20The%20Collapse%20and,the%20United%20States%20since%201950.
Evil haters- that's even darker than thinking they're just ignorant... it's pretty obvious that CEOs and the top 1% support him just for the tax cuts and regulation breaks; you'd think they'd have a care for their children and grandchildren inheriting a barely inhabitable planet.
Bravo! Great article. My husband and I have been involved in educational development for quite some time. His PhD disertation was about how people learn and what tests indicate. We aren't arm chair quarterbacks! Each month, it seems "things" can't get much worse and yet, day after day, there is ral evidence to support your writing. People ARE getting less educated by the day. However, it's not just lack of knowledge needed to pass a test, write a paper or give a speech but also, how to deal with ambiguity, how to express oneself and certainly the total disregard for civility
It seems the bell shaped curve is flattening! So, what do we do about this? Unraveling ignorance is tough. We need better informed parents to develop a childs full potential and that's not done by watching tv or playing online games. We need better teachers to EXPAND the knowledge of each student so they will become better parents. So, where do we start? Rules matter! Separation of church and state matters. Investing in public schools matters. Forget private schools because they are just a front to hide bigotry and religious fanaticism. Invest in teachers, not in Bulliten Board 101 but in philosophy, history, literature and science. We need braided minded people to become a "thing" again. Thanks for your words Sabrina!
I admit to being addicted to my computer. But I also take breaks, go for walks, work in the garden, cook meals from scratch. During those times, I think about what I've read or watched. I don't think my IQ has fallen (not that I've tested it). Maybe there's a way to integrate tech with enough time away that overall there is benefit. After all, we can take in a lot more information with a computer!
yes, I think you're right. it's balance that's missing. we could benefit so much from technology used correctly.
There is no critical thinking anymore. People react instantaneously and usually incorrectly to whatever stimulus last hit them. This is an uninformed electorate which explains 75 million people who supported Trump in 2020 and, in most cases, continue to support him today. Any level of critical thinking and they would run for the hills, except for those who share his malignant view of the world.