How Stupid Do You Have To Be?

Part of the continuing series of "how stupid do you have to be?"

Looks like the conservative circles are buzzing with stories of Canada, their imaginary communist country next door, is sliding into totalitarianism.

The issue:

Canada is drafting legislation to authorize the seizure of real estate held by RUSSIAN oligarchs, and their proxies.

While responding to questions regarding the seemingly unlawful seizure of property owned by Russians, Liberal Justice Minister David Lametti said that people don’t have an “absolute right to own private property” in Canada.

Justice Minister: “You don’t have an absolute right to own private property”
“I’d just like to ask you about Bill C-19 — any idea of seizing and selling off Russian assets. There are some who say that’s on shaky ground. How do you respond,” a reporter asked the Justice Minister.

“Well, look. We’ll obviously tailor the provisions so that it can withstand a court challenge. You don’t have an absolute right to own private property in Canada,” Lametti said.

“There are steps that are taken when expropriations happen at whatever level of government, and we’ll be sure to stay within those boundaries.”

They only quoted the following:

You don’t have an absolute right to own private property in Canada

And tried to push it as as it's about Canadian citizens.

So, how stupid to do you have to be? You either let others do the thinking for you, and you regurgitate their bullshit, or you're too stupid to comprehend.

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SomeMichGuy · M

I think you have encapsulated exactly what I have experienced much of my life, but with a very pronounced peak during the pandemic:

people want

• a simple, short, jingo-istic, often rhyming little catch phrase/sound bite;

• they want that to entirely encompass the truth, without detail, nuamce, caveat, limitation, etc.;

• they want others to do their thinking for them;

• in fact, they often do not have the practical tools necessary to check claims (don't understand real research, primary sources, opinion/misrepresentation/lies v. attempts at objective reporting, or even how to look up unfamiliar words), nor the intellectual tools (skepticism, testing claims/knowledge/facts, logic, flaws in reasoning, ...) in order to ACTUALLY understand arguments and judge them;

• ultimately, they don't care as much about the truth of the sound bite as the fact that it tells them they were right all along;

• it is more important to get back at/"own" people who know more, understand more, are educated, etc., etc., etc., than to get it right.

There is no way to deal with an ocean of intentionao, studied stupidity.

Wol62 · 51-55, M

@SomeMichGuy You mean they would believe something like "Climate change activists want to reduce the population of the World by 90%"?
Even though would surely check that one!