Enlightening the Unenlightened

The extent to which President Trump is a result of American society's failure to educate informed citizens isn't appreciated enough IMO. In some ways we're reaping what we sowed decades ago in our schools.

The same can be said for related phenomena, like climate denial.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 7, 2019

Yes, if only everybody was as smart as me!  Then we'd see some changes!

And the rise of anti-intellectualism in general, really.

— Gary M. Sarli♿️💝🎓🎲 (@GMSarli) May 7, 2019

When did it decline?  Oh, you mean the "Best and the Brightest"?  Yeah, you do know that title was ironic, right?

I’m not sure this is true. Did Germany, Britain etc also fail to educate? There’s something else behind this authoritarian tribalism.

— LadyGrey (@TWLadyGrey) May 7, 2019

Well, now you're just being reasonable!  This is Twitter, we can't have that!

Is it though?

What was the cause back in the 60s when that young generation was doing the same thing?

Or when America was first formed?@realDonaldTrump isn't the core issue, is education though?

Could it be the corruption of money and technology is exposing the depth?

— Elijah Cohen (@residetogether) May 7, 2019

You, too!  Both of you!  OUTTA THE POOL!

Trump had every opportunity to learn, and chose to bully and cheat and "make deals" instead. And was rewarded for it. We need to look at how he got stupid and mean, and at how people like me got educated...in the same decades.

— Elizabeth Moon (@emoontx) May 7, 2019

"All you're ever gonna be is mean."  A true refrain throughout human history.  Nothing against education, but knowing more does not make you a better person.  And as Trump proves, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him think.  Of course, Trump was a millionaire when he was 4 years old, and his father was apparently every bit a sociopath the son is.  Might be something there.  And not to neglect all those voters in "flyover country" who felt abandoned and overlooked, and heard Trump at least sounding like he talked their language (why else would Phil Robertson think Trump had done so much for American Christians?).  Not to mention all the people who just wouldn't vote for Hillary because "baggage."

But forget all that; let's just adopt a hyper-Enlightenment pose (which the Enlightenment itself would never have supported) as we preen our superior sensibilities and look down our noses at those not as educated as we are.