Political Science Class (Rant)

[jp58]

First and foremost, this isn't intended to start a discussion based on politics. I am not identifying a party, nor specific political belief system.

Rant:

I've been in my American National Government class for 2 weeks, and in that small time-frame about 75% of the class has managed to tick me off. I understand fully that everyone is entitled to an opinion, but some of the stuff College educated kids believe is ridiculous. Maybe I don't understand how misinformed some of the population is, or maybe I've been sheltered in the Biology department for 3 years, but I think its time we move past ideas like: the WTC attacks were a hoax made up by Bush to attack Muslims, that the income tax is a lie, that Obama is a Muslim, etc.

Normally I fully enjoy political discussions and have them with people I know: other biology majors, friends, classmates, etc. I don't always agree with them, but I enjoy a good, well-informed debate. Hell, I talk to the extremists in the "free-speech area" sometimes when they come.

But this class is different. This class seems to be completely full of morons. I don't know if I got a bad sample or what, but if most Americans believe stuff like that, I'm afraid of their well being because basic human operations may be out of their knowledge bracket.

[DerHoggz]

Are you sure they aren't joking? I say stuff like that all the time, not that I believe it though.

[jp58]

Originally Posted by DerHoggz

Are you sure they aren't joking? I say stuff like that all the time, not that I believe it though.

Nope, they are dead serious.

Two of them are full time conspiracy theory believers. One person is in their 5th retake of the class (if that doesn't scream moron...), and one person has a political blog which is full of all kinds of goodies.

Then there are about 12 people in the class that just don't give a S___. They are completely apathetic towards politics and ask why they should care and what good will one vote do. Out of a class of 25, we have 7 registered voters including me and the professor.

We also have one person who to the best of my knowledge truly thinks that we should go back to the original constitution, slaves and all.

[Bard2dbone]

The movie 'Idiocracy' was actually a pretty good prediction of the future. People in general are just getting dumber and dumber.

[dmonroe]

I had pretty much the same experience in my political science class 3 years ago. I'm 46 and although there were a couple of people in my age group there most were of the typical college-age group.

I heard the same thing about 9-11. Although I do believe there is more to the story than we will ever be told, I don't buy the whole Muslim angle.

One guy (who actually was around my age) made the comment that this country would not change for the better till "We place the same importance on the garbageman as we do the Dr.'s"

Of course you might expect a college professor to at least make some attempt to not be totally obvious about his personal political affiliations but this guy was unreal. I believe if Bill Clinton had walked into the room all we would have seen was this guy dropping to his knees and reaching for Bill's zipper!

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by Bard2dbone

The movie 'Idiocracy' was actually a pretty good prediction of the future. People in general are just getting dumber and dumber.

i believe that technology has made obsolete the notion that the majority of the populace needs higher education......remember when the stocker at the market had to know when to order the bbq gear and how much a can of beans cost.....universities are not much more than state funded trade schools these days,and i can't recall the last time i saw any of those sincere young poly sci dudes arguing about mao in a coffee shop......

when i see the girls gone wild ads on tv it scares the hell out of me that these folks will be my doctors when i'm old,my accountants,lawyers etc.....

[jp58]

Originally Posted by dmonroe

Of course you might expect a college professor to at least make some attempt to not be totally obvious about his personal political affiliations but this guy was unreal. I believe if Bill Clinton had walked into the room all we would have seen was this guy dropping to his knees and reaching for Bill's zipper!

My professor has a known party affiliation because he has run for office before. He has, however, done a great job thus far in keeping parties out of class discussion. I don't know if that will hold up as we progress away from history and into more modern based ideas, and when we study parties.

[Rocker949]

As someone who used to teach political science as an adjunct instructor for a number of years at the community college level, I'd say it's better to not make any generalizations at all. Each class tends to be totally different from the other. One class may be filled with apathetic people; another one may have students who are brilliant. There may be as much difference between an 8 o'clock class and 10 o'clock class as there is between the Beatles and Metallica. This is no exaggeration. But I think ideology should be kept out of a class. I've had liberals who thought I was a conservative and conservatives who thought I was a liberal. This happened many times through the years.

[jmattbassplaya]

College English classes are no different. It's amazing how daft people can be to the most basic forms of symbolism.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by jp58

the WTC attacks were a hoax made up by Bush to attack Muslims, that the income tax is a lie, that Obama is a Muslim, etc.

Stop trying to stifle their creativity man!

[MakiSupaStar]

What's a 'free speech' area? Is that some part of campus that they've allowed free speech? Like a smoking section?

[piano fighter]

I'm in a Journalism class that's the same way. Kids who don't understand why Israel is important in the world, or where Kabul is, they don't have any inkling of current events. It is so frustrating that after just two classes I have resigned myself to sitting there with my head down and not speaking because I can't handle it.

[iamlowsound]

There should be a big difference between your first year political science and second year. Most of the idiots have failed.

lowsound

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by dmonroe

One guy (who actually was around my age) made the comment that this country would not change for the better till "We place the same importance on the garbageman as we do the Dr.'s"

This man speaks the truth.

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

when i see the girls gone wild ads on tv it scares the hell out of me that these folks will be my doctors when i'm old,my accountants,lawyers etc.....

You think you current Doctor doesnt like to cut loose now & then? Girls Gone Wild usually features people on vacation, when people are most likely to be intoxicated and willing to cut loose. You think your GP and his wife don't make regular visits to the swingers club? Check again.

Originally Posted by piano fighter

I'm in a Journalism class that's the same way. Kids who don't understand why Israel is important in the world, or where Kabul is, they don't have any inkling of current events. It is so frustrating that after just two classes I have resigned myself to sitting there with my head down and not speaking because I can't handle it.

You guys all seem puzzled like if this is something new? Ive known people to be dumb since I was in elementary school. Its not new at all. In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if more people know about politics than ever before. Schools don't teach whats really going on in government, the ignorant are exactly where the upper 1% wants them to be, in their pocket.

[CrispyDelicious]

Dude, it's postsecondary. 90% of the people you meet will be on the liberal side of the fence, and a portion of them will be communists, socialists, etc. It's the nature of postsecondary. Get used to it. And yes, you will hear some extremely stupid things from those people, just like you'll hear some extremely stupid things from people on the other side of the fence.

Note: I am not condoning nor endorsing any political views, I'm simply stating my observations from my time spent in university.

[Rocker949]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

This man speaks the truth.



You think you current Doctor doesnt like to cut loose now & then? Girls Gone Wild usually features people on vacation, when people are most likely to be intoxicated and willing to cut loose. You think your GP and his wife don't make regular visits to the swingers club? Check again.



You guys all seem puzzled like if this is something new? Ive known people to be dumb since I was in elementary school. Its not new at all. In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if more people know about politics than ever before. Schools don't teach whats really going on in government, the ignorant are exactly where the upper 1% wants them to be, in their pocket.

+1

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

You think you current Doctor doesnt like to cut loose now & then? Girls Gone Wild usually features people on vacation, when people are most likely to be intoxicated and willing to cut loose. You think your GP and his wife don't make regular visits to the swingers club? Check again.

Pfft. It doesn't take a vacation for me to lift my shirt and flash my moobs. Sigh. I'm not a proud man.

[dullsilver_mike]

The real issue is that you're an upperclassman taking an entry level poli sci class. 80% of the incoming freshmen are going to parrot whatever their parents and their parents' media says in the most dumbed down way possible. The other 20% are going to say the exact opposite of what their authority figures think, also in the most dumbed down way possible (pre-packaged and ready for easy consumption).

Give the kids some time and they'll develop their own take which will naturally be more nuanced, less full of ridiculous theories, and actually have some basis in lived experience and open, interested eyes rather than simply repeating the most sensational things they've heard that happen to line up with mommy and daddy's world view.

It's all part of our development. Smart people do it earlier, dumb people might not get around to it, most of us average folks start to do it right about the time we start living as "independent adults" around 18-21 and building our own version of ourselves.

[champbassist]

I like many posts on this thread already. I like the fact posters here are just as frustrated as me about how misinformed people are, esp. when their job/field of academic specialization requires them to be really well informed.

@OP Sum of stupid in the universe >> Sum of intelligent in the universe

Face it

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by champbassist

Sum of stupid in the universe >> Sum of intelligent in the universe

Face it

Now now, for all we know, the extraterrestrials could be hyperintelligent.

Sum of stupid on the Earth >> Sum of intelligence on the Earth