Reflection

So what changed over the last 50 years?

          Anti-Intellectualism went from being considered a suspicion and cynicalism on intellectualism, to being termed for a lack of critical thinking, and inability to concentrate. Well, looking at what also changed, the rise of digital media, and how people received information. And as someone who's been witness to this transformation of information consumption, I would have to say that the link between the two is there. 

News stations like Fox News and MSNBC essentially want you to root for their political side, throw insults and mud at the other, without wanting to consider one important reason...

WHY?

Like what Panpatonio said, the dumber you are, the easier it is for you to be swayed by their view. Almost like sports fans. Its only your team you root for, f*** those other guys, right? (Funny how that similar) Its what political party leaders like, people who would blindly follow or be easily swayed. And how is this connected to anti-intellectualism? Maybe because it is in itself, anti-intellectualism, and anti-rationalism. The inability to reason, or critically think about what the f*** you're actually doing.

In short, the digital media has helped be a pillar in the rise of anti-intellectualism....so who the hell built it?

We need only go back to what Hofstadter kept saying, about the lack of proper education in this country, which apparently has pre-existed for the last 50 years. Lack of proper funding, lack of stimulate growth, standardized tests,the exclusion of hands-on experience for the sake of budget. No doubt this has been having an effect on the country, how large this has been, I can't say, because I haven't researched that up yet, But looking at Patricia's article, about a senior school board executive who banned en entire curriculum he didn't even research about, it wouldn't be an exasperation for me to say that anti-intellectualism already took hold of some of the country. 

In short, people have come to, like they have for so long, come to scoff at, "being smart."