I just watched Real Time with Bill Maher and he went on a rant defending his statement on CNN that Americans are astonishingly stupid. He quoted a bunch of statistics showing how a majority of Americans were incredibly ignorant. I can't say that I disagree with him, but I think I have to make a differentiation between ignorant and stupid.

Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, although people will say that there are certain things that are "common" knowledge. Things like the fact that the earth revolves around the sun. What many don't understand is that common knowledge is very regional. Knowledge is an acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation. In other words you have to either be told something or figure it out on your own. One problem with knowledge is that facts and truths change as new ways of gathering information change. So what was "true" in the past may not necessarily be "true" in the future.

As for stupid, that is defined as lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull. Basically, as I see it stupid is making bad decisions. Deciding to do something that has unfortunate consequences is seen as doing something stupid. Now many times having the right knowledge can help you better predict the out comes of decisions, but often times we don't have sufficient information and are left with simply guessing.

Now as for Americans being astonishingly stupid, that might be over simplifying thing a bit. It has been my experience that people are only knowledgeable about things that interest them and not so much on things that don't. Really, when it comes down to it, does it really matter if you think the sun revolves around the earth. It's the bright dot that arches across the sky every day. Other than marking the days does it really impact your life that much? The knowledge of the mechanics of the solar system doesn't effect most of our lives, well unless your an astronomer. As for the bad decision part, well most of us just want to live our lives with as little stress and we can manage and pursue a little happiness. So when it comes to deciding things on a national level we elect people, for good or for bad, to make those decisions for us. And for the most part we ignore what's happening beyond what impacts us directly.

To quote Edmund Burke,"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". And Americans have gotten pretty good at doing as little as they can possibly get away with. So I think that Americans aren't really "stupid" as "lazy". Hell I grew up being told over and over again by my father, "Never volunteer for anything." That is a lesson I've learned too well and it has rarely done me any favors.