Why are there so many ignorant Americans on yahoo answers?

Question

I can't believe the answers I am getting in response to this question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnwNFpEQX19ERqyr8_r4CbTsy6IX?qid=20061003162604AAqTEfz

People, other nations attack America because it represents greed and totalitarian rule all over the world. America is not an innocent, not by a long shot. The U.S.A. is no longer operating under the principles upon which it was founded. America's primary concern at this time is to protect the interests of wealthy shareholders, whose interests do not reflect those of the public at large, or the global environment itself. If you can't see that, than you have been brainwashed by American propaganda, and you would do well to educate yourself about what is happening in our world. The environment is quickly deteriorating, the poor are needlessly suffering, and the fat cats are smoking their cigars with no concern for the future of humanity or this world. WAKE UP!

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2006/2006-10-02-02.asp

Answer 1

What explains the gullibility of Americans, a gullibility that has mired the U.S. in disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that promises war with Iran, North Korea, and a variety of other targets if neoconservatives continue to have their way?

Part of the explanation is that millions of conservatives are thrilled at the opportunity to display their patriotism and to show their support for their country. Bush's rhetoric is perfectly designed to appeal to this desire. "You are with us or against us" elicits a blind and unquestioning response from people determined to wear their patriotism on their sleeves. "You are with us or against us" vaccinates Americans against factual reality and guarantees public acceptance of administration propaganda.

Many Americans find the government's message much more reassuring than the actual facts. The government's message is: "America is virtuous. Virtuous America was attacked by evil terrorists. America is protecting itself by going to war and overthrowing regimes that sponsor or give shelter to terrorists, erecting in their place democracies loyal to America."

Sugarcoated propaganda doesn't present Americans with the emotional and mental stress associated with the hard facts.

Many Americans have turned a blind eye to the administration's illegal and unconstitutional spying on the grounds that, as they themselves are doing nothing wrong, they have nothing to fear. If this is the case, why did our Founding Fathers bother to write the Constitution? If the executive branch can be trusted not to abuse power, why did Congress pass legislation establishing a panel of federal judges (ignored by the Bush administration) to oversee surveillance? If President Bush can decide that he can ignore statutory law, how does he differ from a dictator? If Bush can determine law, what is the role of Congress and the courts? If "national security" is a justification for elevating the power of the executive, where is his incentive to find peaceful solutions?

Emotional appeals to fear and to patriotism have led close to half of the population to accept unaccountable government in the name of "the war on terrorism." What a contradiction it is that so many Americans have been convinced that safety lies in the sacrifice of their civil liberties and accountable government.

If so many Americans cannot discern that they have acquiesced to conditions from which tyranny can arise, how can they understand that it is statistically impossible for the NSA's mass surveillance of Americans to detect terrorists?

Floyd Rudmin, a professor at a Norwegian university, writing at CounterPunch.org applies the mathematics of conditional probability, known as Bayes' Theorem, to demonstrate that the NSA's surveillance cannot successfully detect terrorists unless both the percentage of terrorists in the population and the accuracy rate of their identification are far higher than they are. He correctly concludes that "NSA's surveillance system is useless for finding terrorists."

The surveillance is, however, useful for monitoring political opposition and stymieing the activities of those who do not believe the government's propaganda.

Another reason for the gullibility of Americans is their lack of alternative information to government propaganda. The independence of print and TV media disappeared in the media consolidations of the 1990s. Today a handful of large corporations own the traditional media. The wealth of these corporations consists of broadcast licenses, which the companies hold at the government's discretion. Newspapers are run by corporate executives, whose eyes are on advertising revenue and who shun contentious reporting. The result is that the traditional media are essentially echo chambers for government propaganda.

The Internet and the foreign news media accessible through the Internet are the sources of alternative information. Many Americans have not learned to use and to rely on the Internet for information.

In National Socialist Germany, by the time propaganda lost its grip, Germans were in the hands of a police state. It was too late to take corrective measures. Not even the military could correct the disastrous policies of the executive. In the end, Germany was destroyed. Does a similar fate await Americans?

Answer 2

Sadly most Americans are happy in their little bubbles, the last guy on your other question who talked about jobs and hot chicks is right on the money. Many Americans are short sighted and do not want their way of life interrupted. When oil was at $3 a gallon then Bush was evil but now that the prices have gone down his ratings have improved...it's amazing how little the American people care about the rest of the world.

I am an American, I do my research, I vote, I write my Congressman and Governor, I support environmental causes...I thought that maybe 9/11 would wake up America, but apparently they just thought that the terrorists are jealous...and many still believe 9/11 is why we attacked Iraq...

Answer 3

CCC sounds like the KKK, Your an ***, Spouting off opinion about all Canadians because we don't attack the world along side you.. Canada doesn't need your protection we haven't pissed off the world. We have taken part in every peace keeping operation since the advent of the UN..until your wars, started by you stretched our forces as well.
I wonder if that helped the US just a bit Due to the fact that you don't, Unless there is something in it for you .But the US knows how to make War and Guns bye golly

I wonder if your Black community would agree with your claims that you treat your minorities better.Seems like you lock a hell of allot more of them up then we do ..I wonder if your husband who is a canuck as you say wears the pants.. He seems to be a bit of a pussy letting you call his country men all that bad stuff.

Canada has a proud history, loved the world over for our contribution, and not because we were getting something from it .

I love the US citizens I have many relatives that are US citizens but I think for you to try to compare our problems to your own in a manor that favours you, Is futile.. I would never ever trade being a Canadian to be an American, 10 years ago maybe I would have, but the US politics are alienating the world . You can say you could care less, and that your right. but a fact is a fact and you cant be prosperous without trade.

Answer 4

When people cannot comment on the merits of an issue, they attack the speaker or hurl mindless labels. It takes less time and effort than thinking about the problem, and much less effort than doing research on it.

Sadly, this type of mindlessness appears to be a contagious mental disease, spreading not just in the US but around the world.

Answer 5

You the ignorant ones. I am a middle age mom and do you know how many times, BTW I am married to a Canuk, and you all come her lazy kids mostly, who cannot do thier own history reserarch. THey post it here?

Many of your avg Americans own stocks in the corps they work for and then some. The US has done more good and dontated more money and goods than anyone else ever. The American public dontated nearly 300 billion out of the their own pockets. The world two richest men have given away most of their billions. All Americans. Canadians barely donated a few t
thousand dollars when the worlds worst natural disaster hit. You canuks antied up ONLY when your govt matched the money. When the matching stopped so did the donations. SHAME ON YOU!

Then, you take in only a fraction of the refugees we do. From wars we have nothing to do with then when we do nothing your people whine to US.

I am so sick of whining Canadians who know so much about the US but so little about their own nation. HINT your natives are far far worse off than ours will ever be.

SO bad of a nation we give you billions in business. So bad we let so many of you come to school and work. We gave out over 1 mil in perm resident cards not those of refugess either, or students. Shame shame on you. We treat immigrants far far better than Canada.

here. read on www.canada.gc.ca read up and learn and try statscan.gc.ca too.

Answer 6

Perhaps you want to be the world's only super power. Oh that's right you can't because you are Canada and you are oh so much better than every where else. Perhaps you should do more for the poor and for the environment we at least try and we don't whine about what you do and don't do. Just stay away and shut the hell up about my country it is my country and I love it perhaps that you can understand.

Answer 7

People here in America have become arrogant from what was learned in history class, from the success of the nation. Well the nation needs to get its act together because it has lost its prosperity. America does not acting anything like it was when it was young. I wish this was not happening in my life time.

This seems like a nation based on greed. Too many people think just because they are American they can live the good life. People here will often not have any concern for others, just get stuck on themselves to see how good they can make themselves. Not all people, just too many. Middle-class is beginning to become nonexistent here.

George Bush, perfect example. He thinks whatever he does is the right thing to do until he realizes he really ****** up. How did he ever get passed 5th grade?
People here in America all need to go back to 5th grade for lessons in common sense.

Answer 8

I personally liked this answer in your last question "You're not a US citizen so what the US does is non of your business."...... Obviously a highly educated American, that has a sound understanding of how American foreign policy affects the entire world.

Answer 9

I agree.
To any of those who say leave if you don't like it. We don't have to leave. This is the country that I was born in, I love the USA. I have just as much right to live here as you do. I also have the ability to see that what the asker is saying to be true. Sticking one's head in the sand, ignoring the truth will not change the facts.

Answer 10

Are you Osama Bin Lauden? You sure sound like his spokesmen if your aren't him. Now start Living by the Koran and Blowing things up and be-head people in the name of ALLAH all the while you tell us How peaceful you are.