Ignorance -vs- Stupidity

What is the difference between Ignorance and Stupidity?
 
The dictionary says: Ignorance is simply “Lack of Knowledge”
It says that Stupid is: unintelligent; foolish. Obtuse; lacking in sensibility.
 
My own interpretation is that Ignorance is simply, “Not knowing”.  Education is a cure. As for Stupidity, it is knowing, but refusing to accept knowledge of the truth.
 
Our recent election showed evidence of both ignorance and stupidity.  People believe what they choose to believe.  The weak are not willing to think for themselves and allow others to think for them.  They are vulnerable to lies that repeated often enough, become truth for them.
The promoters are smart and weight in on these human weaknesses.  Sheep follow.  Many are like processionary caterpillars that follow the one in front.  If one goes over a cliff, the others follow.  I’m not aware of any cure for stupidity.  Trying to shed light on a subject with a stupid person is a waste of time and energy.  I find that some of the most educated, or claiming to be educated, have become stupid.  They reach a conclusion, true or false, and close their minds even when there is evidence to the contrary.   
 
As for security, America provides for those who are evil.  They give you food, shelter; clothing and full medical care and you get to live in a secure gated-community.  You even get have recreational facilities.  It is called a prison. 
 
There are those in politics that want to take away the money you earned for old age.  They want to deprive you of medical care and the ability to make your own way.  They don’t want to pay for the right to live an honorable life, but will support you if you become destitute and turn to crime.  What a country!

Hope they, the ignorant, are unsuccessful.

Me too, Alice

I'm afraid I am just going to go about my daily life and hope President Obama doesn't give up and keeps his veto pen well-inked.  It looks like he and Senator Bernie Sanders are the only ones left who care about me.

The ones who care, are few. I have high regard for President Obama. He wanted to do much for the citizens of this country and his efforts were blocked. I hope he uses that pen liberally before he is out of office. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is working hard and is making his voice heard. He already has a big following.

As an outsider who occasionally watches American news, with how often elections happen and how long campaigns go for, it feels like U.S. politicians are always working at being re-elected instead of working to improve things.

This is a little bit of a dissenting point of view - alittle bit.

I personally know quite a few people who term themselves moderately conservative, and who have the best interests of the citizens of the US in mind.

I think that is a good thing. They help to maintain a balanced outlook, and keep us progressives from pushing change simply for the sake of change. The extremists on "our" side tend to want that, just as the extremists on the conservative end fear change.

One of those moderate conservatives is my younger daughter. She is also her father's daughter, and gets some of her perspective from him. Unlike her father, or her husband for that matter, she voted for Obama in both elections. (Heard that from her lips just day before yesterday,)

Her husband is a fine man - one of our veterans. As a chief working in naval intelligence, he served two tours in Iraq. He is now on disability retirement. He had a bout with bone cancer, and had surgery done that replaced a part of his femur as well as his knee. fortunately, he has now been cance free for more than 5 years. Since his retirement, he has worked at similar jobs through the private sector. We don't get into his work much, for obvious reasons. The main thing is, he know himself pretty well, and knows wht he believes. He is neither ignorant nor stupid. He just looks at the situation from a different angle. In that light, he remind me of a couple of men who post here regularly, other men of honor who have their own perspectives, too.

Personally, based on my own life experiences, I tend to favor a more progressive outlook, and vote accordingly, but we do live in a free country, still, though some might say otherwise these days, and there are many Republican voters who vote based on careful consideration of options, based on their own perspectives and priorities.

People who disagree with us are not necesarily ignorant or stupid.

Just me.

K.S. Crooks wrote:

As an outsider who occasionally watches American news, with how often elections happen and how long campaigns go for, it feels like U.S. politicians are always working at being re-elected instead of working to improve things.

KS, I would say that there are more than a few politicians who are too focused on being re-elected, but from my own observations, I would also say that the same holds true for any democratic country today.

Welcome to the motley crew, BTW. Expressing opinions is always a good thing. Everyone who participates adds something that helps to broaden the over-all perspective.

Annie

11/8

                  To me the politicians in this country have become so bad all they care
       about is getting re-elected they have it made all the benefits, free everything
       and screw the public and it's their fault because they keep electing the same
       jack asses to power, we need a smaller govt. , our military on the border to 
       protect this country from terrorists, and if anyone says wether it's a politician 
       or an idiot citizen our borders are secure they need to be horse whipped, ask
       any border guard and they will tell you the truth not like the politicians and that
       goes from the highest to the lowest ones who will lie through their teeth..as they
       say don't get me started, I have already contacted the British Embassy about 
       living in England as a resident...
                                                           Cheers............Joe

So, Joe, does that mean you approve the election results?

I think, if we must place blame, a good part of it has to go to officials within the Democratic party leadership, especially at the state levels.  Instead of focusing on what Obama has accomplished over the last 6 years, they allowed the "Red State Scare" to dominate the ads and coverage.

This Facebook photo was shared by Betty, Alice, and myself, among others.



So why wasn't that the focus of the ads, rather than running scared and allowing the media to control the situation with false and misleading news and polls?  In their efforts to disown the President, they lost more support than they might have gained.

People generally vote according to the focus of the campaigns.

It always amazes me that the people who are supposed to be so smart - are not.  They are up in their ivory towers where they think they know it all with their polls and their surveys being paid for their political genius while it's volunteers carrying out the real work among the voters. 

So long as campaigns are run by big money that pays for media ads, people like the governor of Florida will continue to be elected.  Both he and former governor Christ ran "bad ads" against each other and neither promised anything different than the other. 

Governor Scott was elected based on one statement, "Let's get to work."  That's all he ever said - in person and in his original campaign adds.  Obviously, people are more moved by one word slogans than by facts.

I vote Democrat because they seem to me to be the most inclusive party.  They don't try to exclude voters, they don't try to eliminate the rights so hard fought and won by women, they don't try to legislate religious doctrine, they seem to have compassion for those who are less able to participate in the mainstream economy.  They are not in favor of "big government" but rather seem to believe that we joined together in society to use our joint efforts to help the most people succeed. 

Wealthy, elite may be of either party.  They vote with their money.  Their individual party affiliation is only relevant based on how much money they spend to support the candidates that help them grow their wealth.

I see the Republican party as a party hanging on to  bigotry, superstition, white supremacy in leadership and reducing government intervention so big business has a free reign to make even more profit than they already make.  They want to incorporate religious dogma into law in a country where religious freedom and tolerance are ideals.  They create religious laws while claiming to reduce government.  They make voting laws to reduce the number of voters while claiming to reduce government.  They claim to seek reduction of the deficit but reduce the number of people who can participate in the economy thus forcing the continuation of social services.  And worse, they don't need their social security and medicare so they are ready to eliminate it for those who do.

My views summary certainly is full of gaps with room for arguments, but I remember of Republican party of my youth that fought for conservation of resources (yes!), encouraged efficient rather than smaller government, provided for the impoverished and supported small business growth and infrastructure (roads, bridges, public buildings) to create jobs.  Many young, bright people were in the Republican party with ideals that would help make the U.S. strong.  They are gone!  They turned into angry old white men bent on destroying the first black president because the country had the gaul to put a black family in the White House.

A writer on Facebook suggested that those of us who wish to sell books ought not profess our political views.  Then who will?  It is those who write who have a civic duty to use their skills to inform since no one else is.  It was the reporters of the past who gave the truth to the pubic.  They, too, are gone.  Now it's the bloggers who provide real news, if you can find a true reporter there.