Quoting Sandy Sandfort (sandfort@mindspring.com):
But none, or few, of them see it in exactly those terms. They're just angry and frustrated and they don't really know why.
Why don't they know why? Can't they read? I have so sympathy for militant ignorance when the world is awash in information about how things work.
I can sympathise with taht sentiment somewhat, but the problem for everyone is that there is so much information that choosing a priori what might be useful to know is difficult. This is of course why technologies such as artificial intelligence and consequently, intelligent agents, may eventually demonstrate their usefulness. Until we have intelligent agents which can sift through the morass that is the info-sphere to locate truly useful and timely information, you might consider giving the ignorant masses something of a break on this point. A person without supplemental information sources may be effectively blind if he relies only on print and broadcast media -- even Usenet -- and may only have vague suspicions that something critical is missing from his information sources. Regards, Steve -- ``If religion were nothing but an illusion and a sham, there could be no philosophy of it. The study of it would belong to abnormal psychology.... Religion cannot afford to claim exemption from philosophical enquiry. If it attempts to do so on the grounds of sanctity, it can only draw upon itself suspicion that it is afraid to face the music.'' -- H. J. Paton, "The Modern Predicament"