Mildly Interesting

CATO Institute

Why do people keep posting articles from these hacks?

A Cato Institute survey of 2,253 Americans, conducted with Morning Consult on June 25-26, found that 46% of respondents couldn’t identify what America’s 250th anniversary commemorates on July 4th, while 53% correctly linked it to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Because Americans regularly confuse the Signing of the Declaration (Independence Day) with the Signing of the Constitution (September 17th, officially Constitution Day, but rarely celebrated as such), as they are both foundational documents held up in the jingoistic zeitgeist as foundational documents.

This is the same tired "man on the street" interview that mostly gets people because they're not prepared for the question, not because they're uneducated or innately stupid. In the same way, ambushing someone on the street and demanding they tell you the answer to "12x16" will produce an unusually large number of wrong answers. That doesn't signify "X% of people don't know multiplication". These PolySci Pop Quiz questions sift people for headline-making statistics to work the audience into an "Everyone is dumb but me" libertarian-brained lather.

CATO is run by professional liars. And the real failure of modern poly-sci education is not throwing up a red flag the moment you see their name associated with any kind of journalism.

To be fair if the Cato institute asked me a question I'd lie to them on principle.

But if course. We can't teach civics! That's not patriotic. The schools need more bible and Ayn Rand, less Jefferson and Voltaire. /s

would love to see the Venn diagram of "patriots" who know nothing about the country's history vs Christians who have no idea what Jesus said vs people who unironically use the word "sheeple" (i.e. who accuse others of blindly following without thought or knowledge)

57% of Americans didn't know why the colonies declared independence from Britain

By design so that those in power could orchestrate the same offenses

I know for a fact that the significance of July 4th was part of the curriculum when i was in school. At least for a millennial we got that e education. Whether or not that information was retained by others or taught appropriately is another thing.

These people not to be educated. Please make it affordable for everybody.

ok I reallllllyyyy want to make a satirical reply but as usual im worried about creating a new web cult.

This is how conservatives want it. Dumb masses are easily controlled.

46% of Americans unaware

Every single time I think my fellow citizens couldn't be any dumber, a new thing to read comes out and pushes my expectations so far into the bedrock I can't imagine finding it again.

It's the day after important provisions were struck out of the Declaration of Independence by committee.

Just rename it "Explosion Day"

I guess that to understand the concept of independence you'd also have to conceptualise other countries and there lies the problem.

I'm not surprised.

I mean I don't really need more proof that Americans are dumb.