Do you feel like we're getting collectively dumber as a population, or smarter?

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

I think we are getting smarter relative to the 1980's.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Yes our teacher's unions and college professors have used their left wing ideology to dumb down our youth in the so called institutions of higher learning. This is intentional in order to keep the democratic party strong. If people are educated, then they will have jobs, serve in the military, think outside the democratic party, and know the world for what it really is. By holding our students captive, the youth have really been dumbed down into voting democrat.  I hope you're happy with your government education. After all the public schools were set up IN THE NAME OF fairness. If you thought education was expensive before public schools, are you happy with the amount of your tax dollars going towards it now? What were you paying before compared to now? Are we getting our money's worth?

The question goes beyond education.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Yes our teacher's unions and college professors have used their left wing ideology to dumb down our youth in the so called institutions of higher learning. This is intentional in order to keep the democratic party strong. If people are educated, then they will have jobs, serve in the military, think outside the democratic party, and know the world for what it really is. By holding our students captive, the youth have really been dumbed down into voting democrat.  I hope you're happy with your government education. After all the public schools were set up IN THE NAME OF fairness. If you thought education was expensive before public schools, are you happy with the amount of your tax dollars going towards it now? What were you paying before compared to now? Are we getting our money's worth?

The question goes beyond education.

Very much so. The media for example. Look at how they reported Waco and Oklahoma City compared to what really happened. They couldn't admit that Bush won the election either time. They only tell you the Democrat news unless you watch Fox. It's in the government too. What's one honest sector of our government besides the military and defense department?

how often to people take the media word for word? The media isn't something that is all powerful.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

I feel like we have been getting collectively smarter since the end of the 1970's.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Scarier.

Though to be fair seems both an interesting living liberalism and stupid conservatism/religious 'craziness' grew during the past decades. Look you switched from G.W. Bush to Obama, only for a big symbol, and now you have tea partiers growing, you're really both, but when I come to think to the short term outcome I'd be pessimist, then 'Scarier', on the longer term you might become more reasonable...

Well, for what this exterior point of view is worth.

dude right wingers back in the day had their birch society, and thought segegration was a good idea. Even the biggest conservative intellectuals supported segegration, but this isn't mentioned that often because conservatives don't want people to know that their movement has always had tons of dumbsh*t ideas.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Neither.  We're just able to see both extremes more easily now, due to how interconnected we are.

I think all the information and ideology is great. I curse the Obama czar who said that there is too much information available to the people and I say we deport him. Even if I make a career out of bashing the other side, it's still healthy for debate.

I was thinking more in terms of intelligence than ideology.  Now that everyone is online and thinks his opinions are important, the answer to The Hoff's question will be tainted by the sites one visits and the people he interacts with therein.  I do agree, though, with your first and third sentences.

FWIW, czars generally don't affect policy in any appreciable way.

I think the internet may create a strong inclination for individuals with vested interests to confirm their own bias.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Keeping people in ignorance is an important part of the system, HJ.  Has the system changed?

The system has changed somewhat. For example before cell phone cameras,you tube, and all of those gadgets it was a lot harder to expose a right-winger for their racism or outrageous comments. I know this because back in the day a politician of corporate executive could easily get away with saying something in public without having to worry about someone recording their conversation.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

If you want to go by IQ tests, the answer is undeniably smarter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect

Our skill sets are obviously changing though, and not always for the best. Our grandparents knew a lot more about about basic skills like cooking or construction. We're all so damned specialized today.

what makes you so sure that IQ is a good indicator?