Too Many People Speak Out Of Their Ignorance

[Geee]

Investors Business Daily:

This may be the golden age of presumptuous ignorance. The most recent demonstrations of that are the Occupy Wall Street mobs. It is doubtful how many of these semiliterate sloganizers could tell the difference between a stock and a bond.

Yet there they are, mouthing off about Wall Street on television, cheered on by politicians and the media. If this is not a golden age of presumptuous ignorance, perhaps it should be called a brass age.

No one has more brass than the president of the United States, though his brass may be more polished than that of the Occupy Wall Street mobs. When Barack Obama speaks loftily about "investing in the industries of the future," does anyone ask: What in the world would qualify him to know what are the industries of the future?

Why would people who have spent their careers in politics know more about investing than people who have spent their careers as investors?

Presumptuous ignorance is not confined to politicians or rowdy political activists, by any means. From time to time, I get a huffy letter or email from a reader who begins, "You obviously don't know what you are talking about."

The particular subject may be one on which my research assistants and I have amassed piles of research material and official statistics. It may even be a subject on which I have written a few books, but somehow the presumptuously ignorant just know that I didn't really study that issue, because my conclusions don't agree with theirs or with what they have heard.

At one time I was foolish enough to try to reason with such people. But one of the best New Year's resolutions I ever made, some years ago, was to stop trying to reason with unreasonable people. It has been good for my blood pressure and probably for my health in general.

A recent column that mentioned the "indirect subsidies" from the government to the Postal Service brought the presumptuously ignorant out in force, fighting mad.

Because the government does not directly subsidize the current operating expenses of the Postal Service, that is supposed to show that the Postal Service pays its own way and costs the taxpayers nothing.

[Valin]

 

When Barack Obama speaks loftily about "investing in the industries of the future," does anyone ask: What in the world would qualify him to know what are the industries of the future?

 

Why would people who have spent their careers in politics know more about investing than people who have spent their careers as investors?

 

 

Well Said!!!!

 

I will make this prediction about the future, and you can bet cash money on it.

The future is going to be just one damn thing after another.

[Rheo]

 

When Barack Obama speaks loftily about "investing in the industries of the future," does anyone ask: What in the world would qualify him to know what are the industries of the future?

 

Why would people who have spent their careers in politics know more about investing than people who have spent their careers as investors?

 

 

Well Said!!!!

 

I will make this prediction about the future, and you can bet cash money on it.

The future is going to be just one damn thing after another.

Now that is a bumpersticker.

 

The future is going to be just one damn thing after another.

[righteousmomma]

One of the reasons for so much presumptuous ignorance flourishing in our time may be the emphasis on "self-esteem" in our schools and colleges. Children not yet a decade old have been encouraged, or even required, to write letters to public figures, sounding off on issues ranging from taxes to nuclear missiles.

 

Our schools begin promoting presumptuous ignorance early on. It is apparently one of the few things they teach well. The result is people without much knowledge, but with a lot of brass.

 

As John Kass of the Chicago Trib. might say:

Maybe that is also why there are so many brass moles.

[Valin]

One of the reasons for so much presumptuous ignorance flourishing in our time may be the emphasis on "self-esteem" in our schools and colleges. Children not yet a decade old have been encouraged, or even required, to write letters to public figures, sounding off on issues ranging from taxes to nuclear missiles.

 

Our schools begin promoting presumptuous ignorance early on. It is apparently one of the few things they teach well. The result is people without much knowledge, but with a lot of brass.

 

As John Kass of the Chicago Trib. might say:

Maybe that is also why there are so many brass moles.

 

 

Sister Margret (my 5th grade teacher0 didn't care about our "self-esteem", what she did care about was us learning what she was teaching. And if you didn't learn...well let's just say it would not go well for you. There were....consequences to not doing your best.

 

 

And don't even think about complaining to mom and dad. (at least in my house) Rule #1 Sister is always right Rule #2 in the unlikely event that Sister was wrong...see Rule #1

 

Do they diagram sentences (one of my most favoriest things in the whole wide world ) or write "theme papers" anymore?

/geezer rant

[Geee]

One of the reasons for so much presumptuous ignorance flourishing in our time may be the emphasis on "self-esteem" in our schools and colleges. Children not yet a decade old have been encouraged, or even required, to write letters to public figures, sounding off on issues ranging from taxes to nuclear missiles.

 

Our schools begin promoting presumptuous ignorance early on. It is apparently one of the few things they teach well. The result is people without much knowledge, but with a lot of brass.

 

As John Kass of the Chicago Trib. might say:

Maybe that is also why there are so many brass moles.

 

 

Sister Margret (my 5th grade teacher0 didn't care about our "self-esteem", what she did care about was us learning what she was teaching. And if you didn't learn...well let's just say it would not go well for you. There were....consequences to not doing your best.

 

 

And don't even think about complaining to mom and dad. (at least in my house) Rule #1 Sister is always right Rule #2 in the unlikely event that Sister was wrong...see Rule #1

 

Do they diagram sentences (one of my most favoriest things in the whole wide world ) or write "theme papers" anymore?

/geezer rant

 

I don't suppose they let teacher's rap kids on the knuckles with a ruler anymore. That is what the sisters did where I went

[cudjo]

The sisters scared the holy heck out of me, wouldn't dare give them trouble

[righteousmomma]

Like I always think a little "Jewish momma" guilt works wonders and a healthy fear of authority complements.

 

Edited to say "a healthy respect for authority" - though really same difference but we must be politically correct.

[Valin]

Like I always think a little "Jewish momma" guilt works wonders and a healthy fear of authority complements.

 

Edited to say "a healthy respect for authority" - though really same difference but we must be politically correct.

 

 

As someone raised Catholic, and a product of parochial schools I know guilt. While there are many things I don't know..GUILT I've got a good handle on.