Two Cultures

Colorado man banned
from Safeway for one year
for preferring large breasts.

Perhaps you remember the famous work by C.S. Snow, The Two Cultures, in which he discussed the lack of communication between the scientific community and the humanities. I have come to believe we have two distinct cultures in the U.S. at this time. For want of better terms I will call them the Know-nothings and the Know-at-least-some things. This involves in part a distinction between those who believe in science and those who do not. But it is much broader than that, as it also involves those who are much better informed than others who are not. It is probably more complicated than that, as it also involves an element of being informed by those who issue totally false and absurd, what I guess could best be considered pseudo-information. Perhaps it is too simple to say these individuals are not informed, as I guess they are informed, but by those who have reason to falsely inform them of things that are patently ridiculous (but they can come to believe anyway). On the other hand are those who at least make some attempt to find out the best information available. On the one hand this involves the difference between those who believe in evolution and those who do not, or the difference between Evangelistic Christians and more sophisticated versions of Christianity, or even atheists, or perhaps even the difference between those who get their (non)news from Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Hannity, and Beck, and those who get their more obviously serious news from MSNBC or from the actual reading of serious books and articles on various subjects of current interest.

Consider, if you will, that a relatively large percentage of Americans apparently believe that President Obama is a Muslim. This is clearly untrue but they believe it anyway, being encouraged to do so by Limbaugh and others who have ulterior motives in promoting this total falsehood. These are people who get their “information” solely from Limbaugh or others of that ilk, do not read, and repeat these lies to each other routinely. Related to this, of course, is the claim that Obama was not born in the U.S., also completely false. Then there is the anti-Muslim sentiment going around now that assumes Muslims are enemies of the U.S. and were responsible for 9/11, completely ignoring the fact that it was a small group of extremists rather than Muslims in general that were responsible. Creationists are another example. It is completely absurd to argue that the earth is merely some 6,000 years old, or that humans were contemporaneous with dinosaurs, or the earth was created in six days, and so on. This is particularly troubling in that the relative age of the earth was settled in the scientific community in the mid 1850’s and the evidence is overwhelming. To continue to believe such nonsense reveals a total lack of serious interest in the problem and labels one immediately as a Know-nothing. Homophobia is another case in point. There is more than enough evidence by now that homosexuals are born, not made, and that there is no conceivable “cure” for it. This evidence is available for anyone with the willingness to spend a little energy to learn, but the Know-nothings are not interested in facts, only in opinions passed on through misinformation and in-group repetition. The common claim that the U.S. was established by the founding fathers as a Christian nation is likewise false and easily disproven, but facts are routinely ignored by the Know-nothings, as is the fact that the U.S. is not innocently promoting democracy around the world and murdering innocent people in large numbers.

It is tempting (for me, at least) to say that Know-nothingism is a characteristic entirely of Republicans, but that is not, strictly speaking, true. There are Know-nothing Democrats as well, but perhaps fewer of them. And there must be some Republicans (of the old-fashioned type) that know better than what the Tea party is promoting, but they are pretty much silent these days, thus the Know-nothings are threatening to take over the Republican Party and hoping even to take over the country. What was once a respectable political party (however misguided) has changed over the years, starting with Reagan but greatly accelerated under Bush/Cheney, into becoming little more than a criminal conspiracy designed to steal from the public and give to the rich. Al Capone never ever dreamed of such corruption.

I guess you might say there is a third group involved in contemporary politics and culture that might, for the sake of the argument, be termed the “Know-every-things.” That is, those in power, the filthy rich elite and the corporate masters of the world. They are not even concerned with either Know-nothings or Know-some things, simply staying mostly out of sight in the background of contemporary world affairs while they manage them for their own benefit. They encourage, finance, and support the Know-nothings because it is in their interest to do so, guaranteeing them the votes they need to stay in control. They have no interest in simple things like Gay marriage, abortion, prayer in schools, guns in churches, homophobia, racism, or the age of the earth, their sole and compulsive interest is merely in profit, the more the better, and at whatever cost in environmental degradation and human misery. It is good to be in the camp of the Know-every things, and most unpleasant to be a Know-somethinger. The Know-nothings are much happier, of course, for we know that “ignorance is bliss.” This is not a conflict between science and the humanities as the Know-nothings know nothing of either science or humanities.

LKBIQ:

I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.

Unknown (sometimes attributed to Abraham Lincoln)

TILT:

The earliest known cave paintings in Europe are said to be 32,000 years old.