cnelsen
Gold Member
- Banned
- #1
The Atlantic has an article (How Intelligence Leads to Stereotyping, A new study complicates the trope of the stupid bigot) about a finding somewhere that the better you are at recognizing patterns (a common way to measure intelligence), the more quickly you'll form stereotypes, which, as everyone knows, is racist or, worse, anti-Semitic.
If, for example, you notice that American Jews keep getting us into wars for Israel against countries that pose zero threat to us, you're too smart for your own good. You must immediately un-notice Jewish warmongering, because, while there is no law against ignorance and stupidity, it gets easier every year to be arrested for anti-Semitism. (One of the first things the Bolsheviks did when they took over Russia was make anti-Semitism a capital offense.)
Un-noticing may seem hard at first, but with practice, anyone can do it. George Orwell has some handy exercises in 1984: War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Once you've mastered those, you're ready for the big leagues: the US Congress. Russia is our enemy. Israel is our friend. Military expenditures are defense spending. You get the idea.
It's smart to be stupid.
If, for example, you notice that American Jews keep getting us into wars for Israel against countries that pose zero threat to us, you're too smart for your own good. You must immediately un-notice Jewish warmongering, because, while there is no law against ignorance and stupidity, it gets easier every year to be arrested for anti-Semitism. (One of the first things the Bolsheviks did when they took over Russia was make anti-Semitism a capital offense.)
Un-noticing may seem hard at first, but with practice, anyone can do it. George Orwell has some handy exercises in 1984: War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Once you've mastered those, you're ready for the big leagues: the US Congress. Russia is our enemy. Israel is our friend. Military expenditures are defense spending. You get the idea.
It's smart to be stupid.