An Uneducated Electorate Promotes Democracy’s Demise

Richard Dreyfuss suggests that the current inattentive, apathetic and uninterested nature of our citizenry will eventually doom US republican democracy. He discusses Jeffersonian views and how the future survival of our freedom and democracy is dependent upon an educated and inquisitive citizenry, not those who accept administration rhetoric, or Fox News propoganda.

25 Responses to “An Uneducated Electorate Promotes Democracy’s Demise”

  1. karlmarx80

    I have the entire episode.. However, youtube will most likely remove it like they seem to do with all the important posts I put up even when I use a work cited.

  2. DandAinTac

    Wow. Dreyfuss really impressed me with his thoughtfulness. If more Americans were so thoughtful, we would be in far better shape. Face it–it’s not the Democrats, it’s not even the Republicans, for that matter, the real threat is not even Al Qaida. The biggest problem we have is ourselves. Americans have become lazy, self-absorbed, greedy and selfish, unable to understand the concept of a common good, and profoundly, even willfully, ignorant. The hard cold truth.

  3. BirthofCharlie

    I loved what Richard Dreyfuss said and he was spot on about it. But the tragedy is you can teach all you want but this generation is not willing to learn it. They’re more concern about putting a wacky video on youtube so they can get their 15 minutes of fame. The Monster of Fame is more important than teaching and maintaining what Dreyfuss was saying. When people like The Kardashians, the Jersey shore, and Sara Palin are considered mainstream entertainment then we are fucked for good.

  4. shervman

    Beautiful! That’s what my prof told me the first day of school! Not a lot of critical thinkers out there in the world!

  5. abdulmismail

    @jstoecker53: I see you’re a fan of the late George Carlin. Good for you! (If you never heard of George Carlin, check out 1min 10sec into this video on YouTube: “George Carlin ~ Owners of the country”)

  6. dazzagazza6969

    It’s funny when Americans praise their wonderful freedom….’the USA greatest country on earth’.

    This is the country which was founded on slavery, mass genocide, capitalist greed, empire building, racial segragation in ghettos, insular fearful foreign policies, and ‘Nazi’ like patriotism.

    The USA caused this global depression and the great depression. Has caused more wars in the last 50 years than any other country and is bombing civilians at this very moment.

  7. xaviqaz

    @riksw2 Masses in any country are ignorant. That´s why the powers of government must be limited.

  8. rns13

    our educational system is a wreck because our society doesn’t value education.

    we talk a good game about it, but in school the smart kids are the ones who are made to feel inferior to the people who are good at sports.

  9. RationalPrejudice

    As a liberal, it should be NO WONDER to you that our schools perform so poorly. It is the liberal mentality that erodes the need for structure, the need for morality, the need for intolerance of those that would break an integral structure so vital to learning. You ARE free to think – however, you are NOT free to act, if said action violates the freedom of others. THAT is what a liberal ALWAYS FAILS to accept, FAILS to understand. Free thinking – SURE! Free acting – not without consequence.

  10. jstoecker53

    It is horrific that children are underachieving, but that’s what the powerful (Dems and Republicans) want. They don’t want a population that is capable of critical thinking.

  11. PapaMagnum

    This statement really makes you wonder about people who always talk about how the “educated elites” are the bad guys and the ones who go on and on about how you don’t *really* need education to make lots of money.

  12. myheartskry

    The first step to get this back is to realize we’re not a democracy. We are a republic.

  13. 177602

    Perhaps rather then decrying supposed corporate misues of the 1st Amendment, people need to understand what the 1st Amendment means. Without the right of expression, both of interest and of conscience and the right to debate ideas, our knowledge is limited, hence our rights are limited. While corporations may attempt to concentrate their voice, enabling the government to silence voices either of individuals or institutions, the court found, presents the greater threat to freedom.

  14. AmericansWakeUp

    The most recent Supreme Court decision to give corporations 1st amendment rights (See my video Supreme Court Death Blow to Democracy) that will drown out the rights of citizens, is one clear example of how our uneducated and uninformed electorate, is enabling and/or causing the death of our democracy.

  15. tallcoolone1

    The thing that Dreyfuss leaves out is that the task is more difficult than he lays it out…we can hardly work on these virtues of democracy when half our young students can barely read. As a liberal i think its a tragedy how poorly our schools are performing.

  16. tallcoolone1

    truer words never spoken, this was four year ago. and things have not gotten better.

  17. crawford18

    Richard Dreyfuss suggests that the current inattentive, apathetic and uninterested nature of our citizenry will eventually doom U.S. republican democracy. He discusses Jeffersonian views and how the future survival of our freedom and democracy is dependent upon an educated and inquisitive citizenry, not those who accept administration rhetoric, or Fox News propoganda.

  18. 177602

    With civic education, it’s vital to integrate a hands-on learning structure, so that the abstract governmental subjects seem directly relevant and concrete to students and engage their energies. Through that, innovative approaches can be applied to a multitude of disciplines.

  19. clockworkninja09

    I have a feeling the U.S gvmt would rather issue martial law and become a totalitarian state than fall. Then and only then, will the american ppl understand. It will be too late by then tho. we will have handed them all our rights on a silver platter and people like us will be unheard of

  20. LeoMikey80

    Dreyfuss hit the nail on the head! He was also incredible as dick Cheney in Oliver Stone’s movie “W”. The scene where Cheney is infront of a map of the world, and explains his plan for American domination, is worthy of an Oscar and the best reason to see this movie.

  21. billrah

    This is one of the most intelligent statements I’ve heard in a long time.
    I believe that all of these subjects are the most necessary elements of improving the education system in the world.
    Teaching our children to apply logic to their thought processes, and as much as possible removing emotion would be most beneficial.
    Also teaching, and promoting compassion is an essential part of education.
    Improvement in technology will eventually
    CHANGE the world.

  22. Asilaydyingfan15

    Its true man, but most places based their democracies on america in some way. Im not saying this as a patriotic thing, I am not even american. But the two great beacons of light and hope in history are Rome (at the start) and America.

  23. Stonemansteve

    True, there are some places Western Europe) that are even freer today. But America was the first to start what today has become fairly commonplace.

  24. Stonemansteve

    Amen!

  25. clockworkninja09

    This is what SHOULD be known as a true AMERICAN! Everyone thinks that being good little boys and girls, and supporting your Officials no matter what, and praying to Jesus is what being American is all about. WRONG! Question your government! WAKE UP. We have been slowly lulled to sleep as a people by our 24 hour fast food, and our safety, and Television! Just about anything they can get us to do to take the focus off of them (the powers that be). FIGHT THE POWER EVERYDAY

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