The News

A young man who lives up the street with his parents, works for me on occasion.  It seems like only a couple of years ago, he was walking to the school at the end of the street, and now he is in college and driving a used pick-up truck.  He's quite factitious about his truck, learning what he can about how it works, and keeping it immaculate.  He seems bright and inquisitive; his major is Marine Biology.

On one of his days where he was earning some money to take his girlfriend to the prom (she is a senior in high school), we were discussing something, and I mentioned the name Kadafi.   His response shook me, "who is that?" I asked if he knew there was a war going on in Libya, whereupon he replied that he'd vaguely heard something about it.

Two things struck me.  First, how can a college student in the age of the internet "flash it all past you" not know about the headlines in all of the media?  Then I decided to take a very unscientific survey of my grandchildren, neighbors, and gardener,  all were aware of 'something' none could define Arab Spring  (Of course, this wouldn't apply to my reading audience).
 Second, as I thought more about my own life, I realized that I had signed up for the Marine Corps right out of high school, and knew nothing about Viet Nam.  Gulf of Tonkin hadn't happened yet, but we had 'advisors' there assisting the south. I watched Huntley-Brinkley and sometimes Cronkite on TV for the full fifteen minutes every night.  I took Civics and Current Events my senior year, and still I knew nothing about what was emerging in Viet Nam.  Of course as most of you know, I ended up there, protested upon my return, and have read quite a considerable amount since then.  The problem with knowledge is that one has a difficult time pinpointing the acquisition of a fact in relationship to an event.

Upon pondering this realization, I wonder what people do to determine who to vote for.  I am beginning to believe that no one watches the nightly news, and programs like 60 Minutes are for entertainment, not a basis for determining who may be best to vote for or support.  Not that one news report should do that, but with a spike in the current popularity polls for Obama since the assassination of Osama (you did hear about that?) one wonders.  Just how fragile is the whim of a public that knows so little of the events. How can 10%-15% of the public suddenly thin Obama is doing a better job, simply because of the assassination of one man.  Is it really the entertainment of the news?

Here from the rather conservative Cato Institute:

When Ignorance Isn't Bliss: How Political Ignorance Threatens Democracy

Democracy demands an informed electorate. Voters who lack adequate knowledge about politics will find it difficult to control public policy. Inadequate voter knowledge prevents government from reflecting the will of the people in any meaningful way. Such ignorance also raises doubts about democracy as a means of serving the interests of a majority. Voters who lack sufficient knowledge may be manipulated by elites. They may also demand policies that contravene their own interests. more...

So here we are headed into this year of delusions, diatribes and disinformation from all corners of the political spectrum. it behooves us to consume enough to avoid the manipulation of the elites.