There are people who are, through no fault of their own, hugely ignorant. Then there are those who choose to be stupid, who brag about it, who wear it on their jersey like some sort of medal. Every now and then, those kinds of clowns gain some notoriety:
He is at the epicenter of a budding movement, one that’s coming for your books, movies, God and mind.
They’re thousands strong — perhaps one in every 500 — and have proponents at the highest levels of science, sports, journalism and arts. They call themselves Flat Earthers. Because they believe Earth — the blue, majestic, spinning orb of life — is as flat as a table.
Maybe these particular jokers are just having a bit of fun. But there are plenty of equally ignorant people who are dead serious. One of the things that always irritated me about these kinds of clowns: they’re a form of social parasite. They get a full, free ride on the coattails of modern science and rational analysis while undermining it at every turn and mocking those of who do the heavy lifting.
It’s not certain who these specific people vote for (although the best guess is obvious), but it’s pretty clear that a modern-day democracy isn’t going to stay world-class for long with too many of them clogging up the works. Combine pride in stupidity with open, shameless admiration for great liars and ruthless thugs, and you have a recipe for real disaster.