Why 'an ignorant people cannot be a free people'

[rangerrebew]

Why 'an ignorant people cannot be a free people'
Bill Federer notes importance of literacy in self-government
Published: 12 hours ago
 

The earliest human records appeared about 3,000 or 4,000 B.C. – Sumerian cuneiform on clay tablets in the Mesopotamian Valley. This was followed by Egyptian hieroglyphics on papyrus, and Chinese characters in bamboo books.

Writing was first an accounting method for scribes to keep track of what their king owned. Then it was used to keep record of kings’ decrees, genealogies and astronomy. Only kings, upper classes and scribes could read, leaving ancient Egypt with an overall literacy rate of less than one percent.

The thousands of cuneiform and hieroglyphic characters were not only difficult to learn, the lower classes and slaves were not allowed to learn them. This facilitated the government’s control of the illiterate masses. Kings wanted subjects to blindly obey, not think for themselves.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2017/05/why-an-ignorant-people-cannot-be-a-free-people/#eO5AmXp9YJwWE333.99

[Oceander]

On the other hand, if you teach the masses how to read, you can keep them just as effectively pacified by feeding them propaganda instead.  That way they (a) feel like they're in the know even though they're not, and (b) don't have time to engage in word-of-mouth subversion because they're too busy reading all the false propaganda the government is spreading 24/7/365.

[goatprairie]

On the other hand, if you teach the masses how to read, you can keep them just as effectively pacified by feeding them propaganda instead.  That way they (a) feel like they're in the know even though they're not, and (b) don't have time to engage in word-of-mouth subversion because they're too busy reading all the false propaganda the government is spreading 24/7/365.

Yes indeed. The biggest success of the liberal media has been not so much spreading lies (although they do their share of that), but a lot more so witholding the truth from the people.  If it's news that contradicts liberal propaganda, they just don't publish it. It's more difficult for them to keep the truth from people with FOX  and conservative talk radio, but they still try.

[INVAR]

An immoral and godless people cannot be a free people either.

They will choose slavery each and every time, because it promises provision and lack of risk an responsibility and it makes their government the god.

[Bigun]

Yes indeed. The biggest success of the liberal media has been not so much spreading lies (although they do their share of that), but a lot more so witholding the truth from the people.  If it's news that contradicts liberal propaganda, they just don't publish it. It's more difficult for them to keep the truth from people with FOX  and conservative talk radio, but they still try.

They have been rewriting our history for 150+ years and are now doing their damndest to erase it entirely right before our eyes!

[Night Hides Not]

An immoral and godless people cannot be a free people either.

They will choose slavery each and every time, because it promises provision and lack of risk an responsibility and it makes their government the god.

Taking it a step further, one cannot be simultaneously a "fiscal conservative" and "socially liberal (to include libertarian)". The two are diametrically opposed to each other, because someone's going to have to pay for the mistakes of social liberalism.

[skeeter]

Taking it a step further, one cannot be simultaneously a "fiscal conservative" and "socially liberal (to include libertarian)". The two are diametrically opposed to each other, because someone's going to have to pay for the mistakes of social liberalism.

A 'fiscal conservative/social liberal' is simply a liberal who has a personal financial interest in a government policy that happens to be promoted by conservatives. Remove that particular incentive and he's just a liberal.