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The Spread of Ignorance (bbc.com)
New submitter Eric Eikrem writes: BBC Future has just published an interesting article on Robert Proctor, a science historian from Stanford University, who studies how people or companies with vested interests spread ignorance and obfuscate knowledge. The spread of ignorance follows certain patterns, whether it is about tobacco or climate change. 'Proctor found that ignorance spreads when firstly, many people do not understand a concept or fact and secondly, when special interest groups -- like a commercial firm or a political group – then work hard to create confusion about an issue. In the case of ignorance about tobacco and climate change, a scientifically illiterate society will probably be more susceptible to the tactics used by those wishing to confuse and cloud the truth.'
Those kinds of lies and propaganda are called advertising.
The problem has never been that the public disagrees that "smoking is bad for you"
Congressional testimony: "I believe that nicotine is not addictive" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Polywater is an example that I remember from university. Today, polywater is best known as an example of pathological science.
My god. 99% of scientists agreeing that climate change is real and that humans are the cause. And yet still a large part of the US population believes its a socialist conspiracy.
This is the handy work of the Republican party and their network of buddies in big oil and certain "fair and balanced" news networks. Scary how effective propaganda can be when you have an ignorant, gullible audience. This is exactly what this topic is about.
And the pinnacle of all this ignorance that has been spread over decades is the people flocking towards the likes of the Tea Party movement or Donald Trump. What a freaking disaster for the world.