# Why are people so damn stupid?!? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 10, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911 "2011-02-10T17:02:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/1 "2011-02-10T17:02:55Z")
Calgary’s City Council voted on Tuesday to end the fluoridation of our water. Idiots. [Calgary removing fluoride from water supply](http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2011/02/08/calgary-fluoride-city-water-supply-removal.html) > [@](#): > > Calgary city council has voted 10-3 to remove fluoride from the city’s drinking water. > > Two members of council, Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Brian Pincott, were out of town during Tuesday’s vote. > > Earlier in the day, city council considered and rejected by a vote of 8-5 putting the fluoride issue to a plebiscite in the 2013 municipal election. Not surprisingly, actual experts on health are not happy, including Dr. Richard Musto, Calgary’s medical officer of health. However, the small but vocal group of wing-nuts who have been lobbying council to remove fluoride since it was introduced by plebiscite in 1989 apparently won over most of the morons in council this time around, mostly on the notion that it is immoral to force the entire population to be “medicated” with this “poison.” One of the nice little ironies of all this for me, of course, is that we will still be getting fluoridated water after the city stops adding it to the supply. According to the [City’s website](http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_784_203_0_43/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Water+Services/Drinking+Water/Fluoride.htm), “Fluoride naturally occurs in the Bow and Elbow Rivers, in concentrations varying throughout the year, between 0.1 and 0.4 mg/L.” That’s less than the .7 mg/L the City’s water treatment plants have standardized at, but now I’m wondering if the anti-fluoride lobby will start demanding a massive and expensive de-fluoridating upgrade at the plants to protect us from levels that have been in the water since before people ever settled here. It simply boggles my mind that lobby groups like this can force this kind of thing on the rest of us using a combination of misinformation, disinformation and unsubstantiated fear. And even worse, that our politicians will go along with it, even in the face of a whole mess of expert testimony that clearly demonstrates that the lobbists are wrong. I also have to say that I’m disappointed in our new mayor for staying far away from the whole debate and choosing not to provide some sober, rational leadership on this subject, which is kinda why we voted him into that position in the first place. I’m already hearing whsipers that this change for Calgary will be used by other anti-fluoride protestors as proof of their cause, for why would a major metropoloitan area like Calgary drop water fluoridation unless it was the most horribly bad thing ever? It pains me to know that our council’s bad example will probably result in other bad decisions being made in the future. Such is the circle of life… ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/2 "2011-02-10T17:26:46Z")
\*Edwards: Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it. Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. \*[RIGHT]-- _Men In Black_[/RIGHT] Stranger ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/3 "2011-02-10T18:37:12Z")
So, the Dentist’s Mafia has made it’s move. Interesting. This is how it starts you know. No fluoride means more cavities, more cavities means more dentist bills, more dentist bills means rich and powerful dentists, and one day you’re getting dragged to see the Dental Don by two really big guys in blue scrubs cuz your dental insurance payments are behind. Mark my words. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/4 "2011-02-10T19:11:56Z")
How big a difference does fluoridation make to the people who brush their teeth daily anyway ? And to the people who don’t, their teeth coated with sweet crap ? ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/5 "2011-02-10T19:13:32Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > \*Edwards: Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it. > Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. > \*[RIGHT]-- _Men In Black_[/RIGHT] > > Stranger **Stranger** , I think you just explained most of human history. Thanks for this. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/6 "2011-02-10T19:25:01Z")
My favorite case of City Council ignorance came a few years ago when a city in California wanted to make Dihydrogen Monoxide illegal. A few years prior to that, an email was floating around stating how harmful this substance was: prolonged exposure could lead to death; was the leading component in acid rain; was a major byproduct of industrial processes; etc… Of course, dihydrogen monoxide is just water, but this shows how easy it is to deceive people even if everything you say is 100% true. The city in California was actually wanting to ban foam, but amongst the reasons for doing so was the use of dihydrogen monoxide during its manufacturing process. Link to article: [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4534017/ns/technology\_and\_science-science/](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4534017/ns/technology_and_science-science/) ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/7 "2011-02-10T19:27:20Z")
> [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > **Why are people so damn stupid?!?** Because they were born that way. They can’t help it, poor things. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/8 "2011-02-10T20:02:13Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > So, the Dentist’s Mafia has made it’s move. Interesting. > > This is how it starts you know. No fluoride means more cavities, more cavities means more dentist bills, more dentist bills means rich and powerful dentists, and one day you’re getting dragged to see the Dental Don by two really big guys in blue scrubs cuz your dental insurance payments are behind. Mark my words. Damn you, Dentist’s Mafia!!! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/9 "2011-02-10T21:35:41Z")
Eh, at least Calgary doesn’t appear to have a pit bull ban, like some Canadian provinces. Breed bans are stupid fearmongering, and proven not to reduce the incidence if bites, but they’re a popular choice for lazy demagogue politicians. Maybe that’s what they’ll work on next in Calgary. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/10 "2011-02-10T22:02:14Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Eh, at least Calgary doesn’t appear to have a pit bull ban, like some Canadian provinces. Breed bans are stupid fearmongering, and proven not to reduce the incidence if bites, but they’re a popular choice for lazy demagogue politicians. > > Maybe that’s what they’ll work on next in Calgary. No need to ban the pit bulls. Their teeth won’t be strong enough to do damage without the fluoride in their water! ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/11 "2011-02-10T23:50:18Z")
I seriously do think that people in general are getting dumber. Stupid, careless people have kids left and right because they never stop to think of the consequences. Meanwhile intelligent, reasonable people often end up delaying childbearing or never have kids at all. Plus most people are ignorant about science. Too many people in power benefit from people just blindly following so most people never are taught true critical thinking skills. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/12 "2011-02-11T01:03:54Z")
I have never been as disappointed in our city council as I am now. Making decisions on public health based on junk science and sensationalism is a terrible, dangerous precedent. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/13 "2011-02-11T02:28:07Z")
Sorry to hear that - I’ll still trade you mayors, though! ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/14 "2011-02-11T02:45:14Z")
I’m disappointed, so far not one Doctor Strangelove or Idiocracy reference in relation to this thread 😉 at least their precious bodily fluids will be pure… ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/15 "2011-02-11T03:25:45Z")
Our water is not fluoridated, hasn’t been for some time (ever?). As I understand it, it has everything to do with cost, and not so much to do with paranoia. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/16 "2011-02-11T03:50:57Z")
Why are people so damn stupid? Well, you know what George Carlin said: You wouldn’t believe how stupid the average person is, but what’s worse is that half the people are even dumber than that! ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/17 "2011-02-11T07:09:38Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > I’m disappointed, so far not one Doctor Strangelove or Idiocracy reference in relation to this thread Well, the water obviously doesn’t need fluoride, since it already has _ **electrolytes** _. ---
**Author:** ![seanchai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@seanchai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seanchai)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/18 "2011-02-11T07:13:58Z")
I remember an editorial cartoon from many decades ago. The caption: “And to the group opposing fluoridation, stop clicking your damn false teeth!” an seanchai ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/19 "2011-02-11T07:14:31Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > I’m disappointed, so far not one Doctor Strangelove or Idiocracy reference in relation to this thread > 😉 > > at least their precious bodily fluids will be pure… I was on my way to do it–honest! ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911/20 "2011-02-11T14:22:04Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > I’m disappointed, so far not one Doctor Strangelove or Idiocracy reference in relation to this thread > 😉 > > at least their precious bodily fluids will be pure… Miss post #11? OK it’s kind of obscure, but the whole “dumb people make more dumb people and smart people make fewer smart people” meme was the beginning of Idiocracy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-so-damn-stupid/570911.md?page=2)