Amusing ourselves to death

[Ariovistus Maximus]

A joy for a dictator would be to have his people learn a national anthem and have them to pledge allegiance. Freedom opens up for diversity; what you describe could only work against it.

A dictator can also function quite well if the masses are too ignorant to know what he' up to or to stand up to him. ;)

Stupidity is not freedom. Stupidity lessens your freedom.

Except in the sense that if you are so ignorant that you don't know what freedom IS, I guess you wouldn't miss it...

Education is essential to the preservation of a free state.

Want to verify that with the historical record? Go ahead; it's all there.

You will notice a pattern that the uneducated people are the ones doing manual labor for the educated ones...

I don't really know what your on about other than trying to pump yourself up as the lone freedom fighter in a sea of unwashed peasants.

We gained our freedom when 90% of the country was illeterate and lacked formal schooling. So were going to lose it now?

First of all, I don't see what you're on about me being on something.

I do agree though, that argumentum ad hominem is fun. Shall we pass it around?

If, however, I have really given that impression, and you're not just out to cry "goody two-shoes" because it makes you feel good:

Then I will clarify and state that I am hardly trying to give that impression. If, however, you (that is, a general "you all") can't recite the pledge of allegiance to your country, or if you couldn't pass the citizenship test if you were required to do so, then I suggest you study up on a few things.

I hardly want to put myself on a pedestal, and I think you're making some assumptions to get there.

However, I'm hardly going to back down and say that ignorance is a good, happy thing and that we can just sit around and wait for someone else to work on our problems.

To use your example:

The thing, strike for the south, is that when BOTH you and the bad guy can't read, that's even.

However, when the bad guys start to read and the good guys STILL can't read... then I think it's time to learn a bit.