# Our Ignorance is no Accident **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 2, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332 "2008-12-02T12:55:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/61 "2008-12-03T21:23:13Z")
Judging from my mother-in-law’s emails, it is primarily the ignorant that are behind this ingenious conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/62 "2008-12-04T06:01:19Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Books suck. I trust only the things I read on the internet. Then read about [rationalism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalism) and apply it to the [social structure](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_structure). ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/63 "2008-12-04T06:49:35Z")
> [@](#): > > **Sage Rat** : Thomas Jefferson and Jesus were both fans of the individual farmer supporting himself, his family, and his community, but if you look at the statistics of the results of places that are like that, you’ll find that people who _don’t_ live like that are happier and in general kinder and more well-learned. Nope. The last statistics that I saw had Denmark at the top of the list. They are a Constitutional Democracy, but very socialistic. > [@](#): > > **coberst**? We are maintained in a semi sophisticated state of ignorance in order to prevent us from critically evaluating our institutions and changing them in a manner that is less alienating to our nature. What in hell is a “semi sophisticated state of ignorance”? And why should “we” all be in the same state? Utter nonsense! I am in total ignorance of any meaning that expression might have. > [@](#): > > **coberst** : (quoting from another source) they examined the other 11 institutions that exert just as powerful a shaping influence, although somewhat more subtle: The Industrial, Corporations, Utilities and Communications, Banking, Insurance Investment, Mass Media, Law, Education Foundation, Civic and Cultural Organizations, Government, and the Military. Now you have mentioned two of my “DANGER!” words. When I see the words _Banking_ and _Mass Media_ surrounded by lots of nonsense, a tendency toward echolalia, and encouragement to read more of the same, I know that the subject is **not** going to be about the brotherhood of all mankind. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/64 "2008-12-04T07:20:31Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Nope. The last statistics that I saw had Denmark at the top of the list. They are a Constitutional Democracy, but very socialistic. I didn’t say socialisticism is bad, I said that socialism is bad. Plus how much have they added into the world in the last century? What percentage of the decreased child mortality rate came out of Denmark and what percent came from the US, if you follow the technology back? Taking technology from another culture isn’t hard. Cuba has well-trained medical staff by all reports, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given anything to the world. It’s creating new technology that makes life better, not social care programs. Sure, those aren’t bad if they aren’t getting in the way of the other, but the current evidence is that somewhere between robber-baron and martyrism is the ideal, but probably leaning more towards robber-baron. Denmark isn’t a socialist country by any means. You work hard and you get a greater reward in goodies. Work less and your life won’t be fun. You might not die, but that doesn’t mean that your life is just as good as anyone else in the country. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/65 "2008-12-04T16:26:06Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I didn’t say socialisticism is bad, I said that socialism is bad. I like to call it social safety-net vs. socialism, myself. Capitalist countries are (generally) wealthy enough that nobody within them has to starve or suffer complete lack of medical care, but that only works as long as the government doesn’t overly interfere with what the capitalists are doing. ---
**Author:** ![haymarketmartyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@haymarketmartyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haymarketmartyr)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/66 "2008-12-04T16:50:25Z")
I find it most illuminating that someone will post their idea and then criticize the lack of critical thinking skills among the populace while their original post fails to define their own terms, fails to quantify the problem using any authoritative evidence or outside sources, and fails to demonstrate any harm from their belief of a problem. Critical thinking indeed! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/67 "2008-12-04T17:57:42Z")
You want critical thinking? Talk to my mother-in-law. ---
**Author:** ![coberst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@coberst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coberst)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/68 "2008-12-05T14:20:49Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Books suck. I trust only the things I read on the internet. Give us the list. I cut your meat into bit size portions but I am not your mother, you shall have to learn to feed yourself. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/69 "2008-12-05T15:20:04Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Well…I think I’ll take modern society over primitive society any day. I mean, it was all well and good for the best hunters to give up the choicest cuts of meat to The People and take only the scraps for themselves (total bullshit IMHO, but it’s a nice fantasy), but most likely those mighty hunters would be lucky to live to their 30’s…as would the rest of their society. I’ve been reading that this is mostly a false impression. The move from hunter-gatherer to farmer constituted a massive decrease in lifestyle. Death rates increased and diet quality decreased, both from a nutritional and a caloric viewpoint. Most recent book I’ve read discussing it is “The Third Chimpanzee.” Hunter gatherers had good health and much free time. Lacking the internet was problematic, though. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/70 "2008-12-05T15:25:03Z")
> [@coberst](#): > > I cut your meat into bit size portions but I am not your mother, you shall have to learn to feed yourself. The problem is you’re only offering junk food. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/71 "2008-12-05T15:52:43Z")
> [@coberst](#): > > I cut your meat into bit size portions but I am not your mother, you shall have to learn to feed yourself. If I eat the meat, then can I have some pudding? ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/72 "2008-12-08T01:46:48Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I responded on the other two boards where you posted this. [Two](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&fkt=1228701626380&fsdt=3130&q=%22Our+Ignorance+is+no+Accident%22+%22suspect+the+depth%22&btnG=Google+Search)? I’m just surprised that he missed [TalkRational](http://www.talkrational.org)… ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/73 "2008-12-08T02:35:06Z")
> [@coberst](#): > > You can find such detail in the book I referenced. Why am I having flashbacks to a thread about occult anatomy and the Sacred Marriage? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332/74 "2008-12-08T13:47:21Z")
I think it’s more isolation is no accident, ignorance is just one such tool used. Isolation is, IMHO, by far the cruelest thing you can do to a fellow human. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-ignorance-is-no-accident/475332.md?page=3)