Is America experiencing a wave of public ignorance unprecedented in the modern age? [Details]?

Naw – we’ve been stupid off and on for centuries. Remember the Know-Nothing Party, lynchings, Japanese internments, McCarthyism…..

I think we just have 24 hour news and social media now so we are all more aware of the ignorance and injustice out there.

Maybe the difference you’re seeing is that ignorance is celebrated and glorified to an extent that I don’t think it has been before. People used to be ashamed of ignorance and admire people who were well educated. These days, intelligence and knowledge are just as likely to be stigmatized.

Well said. And the depressing trend is dangerous as well as undeniable. As the penguin states, we’ve always had our examples of obtuse episodes and movements, but nowadays there seems to be this galloping epidemic of dumbing down in our country. The evidence is everywhere. You can hear it expressed in every debate around any issue key to our existence. From climate change through health care, homeland security, the wars in the Middle East, you name it. If you’re looking for unassailable evidence for profound levels of Ignorance loose in the country, you only need glance at the current political situation.

Only to agree that this isn’t passive ignorance – this willful ignorance all around.

I call it the lazy brain syndrome and it is only going to get worse. It is truly disheartening to see people re-post or tweet crap stories that originated at sites like the Onion or Spike Jones and the like and they truly believe them to be real news. Once someones head gets infected with a false impression of a situation it is near impossible to erase or correct that emotional attachment to their initial reaction to a message they first assumed was real.

Obvious or not so obvious satire is enough of an offender in promoting false messages, but the even worse offenders are politicians and mass media outlets. Harry Reid scored the biggest lie to date when he lied about Romney’s taxes in the Presidential race in 2012….

“Reid was asked about his “McCarthyite” claims about Romney and refused to admit wrongdoing.”

“Well, they can call it whatever they want,” he said. “Romney didn’t win, did he?”

Like I said it is only going to get worse and lazy brain people will eagerly gobble up the media lies and nonsense.

Excellent point, @janbb.
They don’t have to be the most popular, just the loudest.
I’ll add The Bonus Army.

I grew up in the 80s and 90s. I was definitely more ignorant than most of today’s youth. No question about it.

I suspect the 50s and 60s youth were even more ignorant.

You have a point. It’s impossible to trust my own perspective due to the cynicism I’ve acquired with age. The one fixed memory from my youth (the zenith of American prosperity) is of the myriad of folks the age I am now warning me that “the country’s going to hell”

Here’s some public ignorance of a baffling and even staggering variety (assuming it’s true and not a story from The Onion):

http://www.fluther.com/185974/do-solar-panels-suck-up-all-the-sun-and-prevent-things/#quip3177212

I don’t get the sense that the people who ought to be embarrassed by this are anything of the sort. I am, though. And the fact that they all can vote . . .