But a large majority of Americans can't read beyond elementary school level. The person you are arguing with about trump probably cannot comprehend your comments because they are unable to.
This is why so many rely on YouTube and videos for their information. If it isn't spoken, they can't understand what is being said.
This is also how YouTube videos indoctrinated so many anti-vaxers, anti-maskers, fascists and authoritarian actions like rounding up and punishing immigrants, trans and homophobia, and several other tactics previously used by the Nazis to indoctrinate people.
If you can't read at a 12th grade level, you are easily indoctrinated by propaganda because you cannot comprehend what you are reading. This makes you an asset to fascists.
It is also becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between those with genuinely low reading comprehension and those who simply have a short attention span. My boss is apparently an intelligent man, but I still have to spend time and effort creating "executive summaries" of my reports to ensure that he actually understands them 🙄
@robingoodfellow Simply being intelligent does not make anyone less prone to falling for false claims and narratives.
Critical thinking skills are necessary to evaluate information, review reliable sources, ask informed & pertinent questions to come to the best possible conclusions.
What is really scary is how tRUMP is corrupting those previously reliable sources by appointing charlatans like RFK, Jr, Dr Oz, Linda McMahon, Kegsbreath, etc. with the intent to undermine and usurp the credibility of institutions we have long been accustomed to relying on.
One of the most dangerous abuses of the Office of the Presidency ever—and he’s during this with our economy, religion, news media… this list goes on and on and on. He’s feeding his base, our country, and the whole world a steady diet of vile lies.
I can't disagree, but worse yet is those who are so filled with hate of others not like them, that they can't/won't see past their hate or be bothered with anyone who thinks differently.
@Ontheroad When one believes they know the truth, why should they seek for more beyond themselves? Their thurths may be exposed as frauds and that would cause them to rethink their beliefs. Better to insist they are correct than have to admit they may not know everything they are pontificating.
@FoxyQueen that's certainly part of it, but I think it goes much deeper. I'm convinced their hatred is rooted in fear of anything or anyone not them. Fear of the unknown is for many, insurmountable and results in hate.
The average american reads at a 7-8th grade level, meaning half the country is below that! They literally don’t have a clue what is really going on, but they think they do. It’s a wild situation we’re in. And intentional.
@FoxyQueen sorry...I didn't make myself clear... That is not my viewpoint but one I think held subconsciously by many young people.. Why read when you can have it in colour pictures on your screen?
I think that we have definitely become an instant gratification, low attention span society in America, which lends to reading being boring. Most people in school only experience reading as boring textbooks and mandatory books in english, which teachers are rather unable to express why these books may be pivotal to the experience of reading them. That is a turn off for reading, to be sure, especially when you can watch a 2 hour movie that supposedly gives all the highlights of a book that could take up to a week to read.
We really short change ourselves horribly when we refuse to read.
@FoxyQueen My opinion is that it's a desperate need to "win", regardless of facts and / or evidence. In fact all they need is to declare they've won, usually repeatedly, to satisfy themselves. It's rather sad.
@22Michelle Definitely true. i don't know whyAmerocans have this weord dichotomy of either winning or losing. Not everything done has to be a game. We shouldn't have discourse to "beat the other person", but to come together to discuss ideas and thoughts. But here we are.
@FoxyQueen My feelings exactly. If you're involving yourself on any type of exchange on here it should be about not just offering an opinion, but about learning, being open to be challenged, to having your mind changed. If not then you're wasting your own time.
Wow. And if you put this together with the constant distractions engineered by media and "social media", it is a wonder anyone can still communicate at all.
