Is this the "Age of Ignorance"?

Charlie Simic thinks so.

"Where else on earth would a president who rescued big banks from bankruptcy with taxpayers’ money and allowed the rest of us to lose $12 trillion in investment, retirement, and home values be called a socialist? "

www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2012/mar/20/age-of-ignorance/

 

When did the Age of Ignorance begin? I'd say it's when life occurred.

 

There have always been stupid, uninformed people who vote, and there always will be stupid, uninformed people who vote.

 

Fixed.

 

Yes. What could Charles Simic know?

www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/27

 

Have you read that book? It's more about the social media age and how the Internets are diminishing intellectual development rather than adding to it. Pretty dry and academic at times, but interesting nonetheless. There's a whole subgenre of these books out there: "The Swallows," "Alone Together," etc., etc. I would say that Charles Pierce's "Idiot America," aka "Why I Hate Republicans, Part 4,535,928," aka "I Am the Smartest Person Ever Born, Part 5,385,294," is more in line with the idea that we are living in an age of ignorance.

As for the initial quote from the column, according to the very good Atlantic piece on Ben Bernanke this month, the bailout money has been returned to the tax payers at this point, with interest. So there's that.

 

Dick, yes. I liked it. A little cranky and unforgiving at times, but accurate. People use the Internet to seek what they already know, and are free to go find something else if they feel the least bit challenged. It's a world that harvests ignorance.

 

I give him credit for going ahead and writing it, because if you say a harsh word about the Internet in 2012, you are inviting tons and tons of blowback. The common refrain is something along the lines of: "This is exactly what they said about Gutenberg/radio/TV!"

 

There have always been people who declare the young stupid and uninformed, and there always will be people who declare the young stupid and uninformed.