Fantasyland: The History of America's Irrationality | Kurt Andersen

[@rosesandsongs21]

“It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled.” - Mark Twain

[@savenetneutralityanti-repu7029]

I did a Google search to see if Mark Twain actually said that and I don't think he did.

[@Tore_Lund]

How is this quote in every youtube comments, lately?

[@xxdrleek10]

I beg to differ. The Democrats, Liberals and Progressives are just as likely to be unable to discern fact from opinion (fiction) they just frequently do so on with different topics, i.e. the willingness of liberals/progressives and their blind support of the idea that someone can change their sex.

[@MaxSluiman]

@@savenetneutralityanti-repu7029 that is an impossible position to defend.

[@TheJimtanker]

@@xxdrleek10 That's demonstrably untrue. It is the conservatives in the media who excel at spreading fiction. Why do you care how someone expresses themselves?

[@zztop3137]

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and bad people doing bad things. But if you want a good person to do bad thing, that takes religion "

[@stephanklein257]

Nope. It just takes an ideology that tells people they're special and by default do the right thing no matter what. Example: What country is "defending itself" all around the globe, except on their own continent ?

[@zztop3137]

Kkein: That is correct if you mean muslims ...and hey , is USA your enemy . Russia or China ... Are muslims developed countries ...when there's no oil left .. they will sink 1000 meters down

[@stephanklein257]

​@@zztop3137 I rest my case.

[@jeb732008]

Stephan Klein I pretty much agree, but it’s hard for me to accept that the “people” that are willing to accept an ideology that allows them to to bad things, like the egocentric behavior to which you allude, are “good” rather than selfish. The fact that they accept that somehow they are special kind of negates the whole goodness argument in my mind.

[@stephanklein257]

​@@jeb732008 There a indeed people in this world that look for ideological excuses to justify doing bad things - the scientific term for these are "a$$holes". :-) But they are the minority - maybe 5% in any random group of people. The more interesting question is: How do you get good people to do bad things - or maybe only let bad things happen ( which usually is sufficient)? Here the ideological narrative is always the same: 1. Hey - you're special ! Because ["shining beacon"/"working class hero"/"devout disciple"/"better skin color" etc.pp.]. And quite frankly: Aren't we all ? Haven't we known we're special all along ? And now somebody confims it - awesome ! Let's embrace the absolute truth that may not be questioned to achieve true greatness with all the other "specials"! Let's change the world, make it also "special" ! 2. Because you're special, you're superior! You belong to US - not to THEM ! THEY are inferior in every aspect, almost bestial, they can't even be called humans any more. WE know what's good, and what's right - THEY will never figure it out, or recognize it, or accept it. Our faith is noble - They are blinded fanatics ! 3.We are under siege ! THEY try to pull us down to their level, degrade us, defeat us, maybe even exterminate us. We have to take defensive action, bring the fight to them, in order to protect us, our families, our way of living, our GOODNESS ! Take our thread-starting muslim hater - he's probably a good guy. Yet, he seems to have swallowed the US vs. THEM narrative pretty entirely, and won't distinguish between the ideology (a religion called "Islam"), the individuals who believe in it (all in different flavours, to differing degrees, and with other stuff going on in their lifes), and some foreign countries people live in he probably never met. It's all THEM, and they will go down because they deserve it ! It's such a perfect fascist narrative that I almost suspect it to be forged. If that's the case: Chapeau @ZZ TOP !

[@debralegorreta1375]

We are a nation of con artists and chumps; you need one to have the other.

[@Brianbeesandbikes]

"It is difficult to understand something when one’s salary depends upon NOT understanding it." Upton Sinclair

[@thedudegrowsfood284]

“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” ― H.L. Mencken

[@garrywillits8025]

Funny this was delivered a week before Covid burst into our lives. Everything said here has not only been validated by subsequent events (particularly around recognising the fact of the election results) and magnified to the umpteenth degree.

[@Magnulus76]

Prophetic.

[@PRH123]

Don’t be offended but that’s balderdash, the hatred of the powdered wigs class for everybody else. The people of the US elected Roosevelt 4 times. Was he a moron? Trump is where he is because of the lack of true democracy, in which the only options on offer are all idiots.

[@davidmclean619]

Already achieved trump

[@AWildBard]

This is great, because I've been noticing that people argue from a fantasy perspective for about a decade. I used to read fantasy fiction, but at the same time, believed in egalitarianism and the democratic process. Fantasy novels often involve feudal lords and royalty as heroes. Later I studied hypnosis and I recognized that in a sense, we are all hypnotized generally. And when you look at the way people argue about politics and economics, they argue as if they believe things that are definitely not true.

[@jasonreed1352]

Sometimes the hypnosis is deepened by our own perception of that which we believe that we know. Physicists seem quite perplexed to have come to realize that observing in and of its self is at least a part of what literally builds the atoms and molecules of the physical matter that we use, not only as our physical bodies to sense and perceive but as physical tools that we use to measure and understand what truth even is. I appreciate the speaker in the video for sharing his thoughts, and he makes excellent points. I wonder, however, if he has taken a gander at the bodies-of-works of the scientists who have helped shape our sense of truth and reality, or heard their thoughts on how evidence suggests that reality is fundamentally what observers experience it to be, and that observation appears to be a (if not THE) fundamental process of what we are experiencing in the present (including the physical and even experience its self). I wonder how many physicists have checked out Buddhism. Conscious awareness may seem to be a prerequisite for observation. Given that cameras (and measurement per se) collapse probability wave functions, this suggests that reality is perhaps also consciousness. In a sense, perhaps what has been described as God looking inward and becoming more authentically self-aware. Buuut I digress. Must be my American lunacy. ;)

[@radishpineapple74]

@@jasonreed1352 You should probably look into actual quantum mechanics and not pop culture treatments of it. There is no evidence that observers "create" reality in any way, nor must there be observers in the universe, nor does everything have consciousness. What happens during measurement is simply that the measurement device (and any observers) necessarily becomes entangled with the quantum system being measured. There is nothing mystical about it.

[@PhillipYewTree]

There is a case for feeling that the “Great American Dream” is a nightmare for the rest of the world. Whilst it is true that the best of American culture is world class, the low end of that spectrum is worse than the values and lifestyles of forest dwelling tribes of indigenous peoples.

[@belgoblax1596]

i'm fairly certain that forest dwelling tribes of indigenous people wouldn't appreciate their values and lifestyles being equated to the worst of the fecal swill that is American culture.

[@charliemorris2338]

Artist that hob nobs with moive stars from the 60s is what I am.

[@PG-wz7by]

@@belgoblax1596 Thank you. I was about to remark on this, too.

[@josephcullen4945]

“It’s called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” George Carlin

[@strangelitgirl]

Well said my friend 👍

[@MichaelMarko]

I've been thinking about this for years. I'm especially interested in tent revivals and medicine shows and combinations thereof. This is really well thought out and frankly I'm a little jealous. I've left much of my discourse in bars and restaurants and friends living rooms. Great job. It's an evergreen topic especially in the US.

[@AlanWinterboy]

I'm hoping his book at least touches on the more recent and nearly 3-decade fantasyland radicalization of broadcast media, as developed and distributed by Rupert Murdoch's empire (and facilitated by both Dems and GOPs). Maybe a few of the syllables devoted to 'easy' targets like 9/11 Truthers and the Internet could be spared to at least question the longterm effect of millions of Americans being spoonfed conspiracy by well-heeled pundits on top-rated FOX broadcasts.

[@strangelitgirl]

I’m just starting this lecture but from your comment I think you would enjoy Carl Sagan’s book “The demon haunted world” … it ties everything about humans beliefs and our capacity to believe together throughout history. If you read one book before you die make it this one ❤️

[@AlanWinterboy]

@@strangelitgirl Agreed. Brilliant work by Sagan.

[@warren52nz]

From afar I've also watched American ignorance expand in a frightening way. I was astounded to discover that one in four Americans think the Sun is orbiting the Earth!!! It's true, Google it. I blame religion for most of this ignorance. To watch people running around like a 12 year old who still believes in Santa is almost incomprehensible.

[@habi0187]

Which 12 year old still believes in Santa my son stopped believing this story when he was 6 year old in first grade of school. Now he is 14 and a atheist since at least 4 years.

[@warren52nz]

@@habi0187 That's my point. Your son is rational but there are millions of adults who believe in entities that are just as ridiculous as Santa Claus. And many of them VOTE! And there's your problem.

[@habi0187]

Warren NZ luckily not my problem since I am not living in the USA. I get your point and I am 100% agreeing with you I just wanted to point out how ridiculous it is that adults are still believing in children’s stories. And yes I am very proud of my son and his skepticism against any supernatural claims.

[@warren52nz]

@Ant B If you're meeting Americans outside of the USA they must be wealthier than average so the sample is biased. Wealthier means they're more likely to be educated and not suffering from poverty as so many Americans are.

[@boeingdriver29]

Warren NZ that study was in 2014, I’m sure at least 6 Americans are enlightened to the reality in 2020. As a geopolitical scientist for 35 years I agree that religion has poisoned rational thinking but I also blame America’s educational system which has been very insular with a tendency to, through so called American exceptionalism confine its predominant narrative to that exceptionalism. I’m reminded of a day in the late 70’s lying by a pool in a posh hotel in Acapulco where I struck up a conversation with a business man who was in his 50’s. He appeared intelligent but then he asked me,”do those Qantases still run down the Main Street in Sydney.” He was serious, this was no joke, so after I educated him appropriately I took my leave. My conclusion today is that an unsettling percentage of Americans are for want of a better word, just plain dumb, particularly in regards to anything external to the U.S.

[@polenc7167]

Summarizing the new Zeitgeist is: "if a narrative is entertaining, amusing or exciting it must be true." This wag the dog way of thinking (emotions drive reality) is based on rhetoric.

[@thenowchurch6419]

Well put. It tends to Big Brother Fascism does it not ?

[@polenc7167]

@@thenowchurch6419 Well put. Uh oh, the "Truth" is taking over our minds.

[@thenowchurch6419]

@@polenc7167 The result of lack of critical thinking as part of the curriculum.

[@mattbatcher802]

Very deep little conversation here. I would take it a couple steps further though, cause I think the zeitgeist is designed by religion and requires religion to counter it.

[@mattbatcher802]

26:40 Yup, I believe in all of it except the Trump, Obama, and alien stuff. But who knows, there could be aliens I just don't think they should be considered cause it just brings too much mental chaos.

[@hadara69]

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[@petergarayt9634]

My daughter gave me a copy of Seneca's Letters and I find it very useful to read when I feel I'm going insane.

[@hadara69]

@@petergarayt9634 I'll have to read those. Thanks! Your daughter is cool.

[@petergarayt9634]

@@hadara69 This particular one is called, "Letters from a Stoic" Penguin Classics.

[@hadara69]

@@petergarayt9634 Right on! Thanks for the heads up!

[@bluntrapture]

Fantasyland is one of the best books I've ever read, and I read a lot. BUY, BORROW, or BURN? Buy.

[@charliemorris2338]

Yes,this was a much needed discourse for my psyche being from Lynchburg,Va. and the amount of religious nonsense I grew up with that nearly destroyed me.

[@teaburg]

When the age of 'reality shows' arose, I knew then that it was only going to get worse.

[@Britonbear]

I hate the term 'reality TV'. If you want reality watch the sports.

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

@@Britonbear "If you want reality watch the sports." You're joking, right?

[@unturbe]

Britonbear Like WWF

[@Britonbear]

@@unturbe I don't recognise wrestling as a sport for the very reasons I suspect you are alluding to.

[@barbarasmith2693]

Indeed. One of the reasons that I despise the vacuous and obnoxiously ever present Kardashian Kreatures and their Satellite Annoyances(sorry Kanye fans, but he's deeply into a phase of religious mania and needs help, but mostly what he needs is that someone who cares for him should get him help AND out of the public eye).How Kim Kardashian became a household name is ridiculous. People love the drama. Love the extremes. Enjoy watching people less emotionally or mentally secure than themselves. They love the schadenfreude. And then they begin to internalize all that crap as normal, or elevate the act of ogling the side show to admiring and emulating the people in the side show. No thanks. Can we all grow up and out of this phase please?

[@nicktrice4921]

"No one has lost money overestimating the stupidity of the American people." P.T. Barnum

[@thomasmills339]

Right here. This quote is not one of PT Barnum. It was Mencken but that isn't even proven and its " no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people"

[@josephcullen4945]

I believe it “no one ever went broke . . . “

[@nicktrice4921]

@@josephcullen4945 good call. Thanks.

[@NN-wc7dl]

This may not be the best presentation, but the content should be mandatory to students on every level in American schools for the next twenty years or more.

[@ambulocetusnatans]

"...a natural selection of those who were willing to believe advertising." mind=blown

[@ambulocetusnatans]

@Ant B Much money and thought have been put into the tactics of using media to manipulate consumers buying habits. Those same tactics can be applied in other situations, such as building support for an unnecessary and illegal war, or electing an unqualified mouthpiece.

[@gking407]

@@ambulocetusnatans it’s almost like people’s opinions can be manufactured through disinformation campaigns

[@ambulocetusnatans]

@@gking407 Nobody is immune, but some are more resistant. You can help your friends and family become more resistant by exploring Street Epistemology. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXmloIKpnth6psk

[@ambrosemalone1151]

This is a wonderful and entertaining talk which is not only informative, it is also humourous. I'm a European and it amazes me that in the 21st century you have an American president (without any scruples) looking pious (fraud) and on stage with Evangelists (hypocrits and charlanans)in Miami saying prayers. You have the Puritanicals (my term for those 16th century religious fanatics) to thank for that. I heard a commentator once say that if Plymouth Rock had landed on the Pilgrims instead of the other way round (the Pilgrims landing in Plymouth Rock) the US would have been way better off.

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

What could be more narcissistic than claiming to know the will and intention of imagined god(s).

[@waltertheartist2746]

Claiming it without believing it

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

@@waltertheartist2746 wouldn't that just be a lie?

[@waltertheartist2746]

@@notwhatiwasraised2b yes but some genuinely believe the experiences they have are supernatural. A narcissist might be on the fence about whether an experience had a scientific explanation but given so many people are believers in the supernatural the narc might find it uselful to manipulate followers and become a cult leader for instance.

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

@@mydnytmover why not the Qur'an, Hindu Vedas Book of Mormon or something by L. Ron Hubbard?

[@oldschoolman1444]

@@mydnytmover well at least I can see the tree.

[@JonesP77]

Im from germany and when im looking to america and see what is going on there, i always think "What the fuck???"" Im not saying here in germany is everything perfect, but america is often so extreme in many ways. But many american people think that america is the best country in the world. Which is pretty funny, because when you look at some numbers and facts, quite the opposite is true. Healthcare for example, it the worst in america compared to every other country in the west or the first world! Or the vaping issue, i only hear from people dying from this or get seriouse health issues in america, nowhere else in the world. Im glad that i live in europe, i think it is actually one of he best and safest region in the world to live in. I hope andrew yang becomes president, i think he could be heal america a little bit. Anerica has some very cool things going on, i dont hate this country, but it is far away from being the best country and has some seriouse issues in the moment!

[@TheLadyDiazepam]

I'm American-born and left the USA in 1989, the year after I graduated from university. I lived in Japan for 6 years, then settled in Australia. I despair of the low mentality of the sort of people who voted for Trump.

[@TG-ch8gu]

My man, Germany had a dude convince you all he was the best and lead you to murder millions of people. Maybe you should take a back seat while everyone else talks about extremist thinking.

[@roder51]

'Donald Trump just took advantage of what America had become.' Epic line!

[@larrycarter1192]

Anybody could do that right?

[@RichRich1955]

It takes a rare pathologic liar like T.

[@CasperLCat]

Epic and very troubling. We’ve always had greedy con men, hucksters, and self promoters like Trump, but we haven’t had a hundred million citizens who would fall prey to such an obviously fraudulent and sociopathic character.

[@kurtilein3]

Interesting talk. Not living in the USA, i assumed the situation to be not all that bad, and that youtube commenters are somehow worse than the national average if 60% to 70% of comments are somehow just dumb nonsense or supporting stupid ideas. So it really is as bad as youtube comments on popular videos seem to indicate.

[@Trylica]

If you visit, you'd be in for a shock

[@danielsnyder2288]

Sadly, yes

[@blaster-zy7xx]

You only need to see that Trump is still supported by over 85% of Republicans.

[@richardcory5024]

"There's a sucker born every minute." Did any one have a better insight in to the American psyche than P.T. Barnum?

[@davidjames9626]

I started listening to this talk, but then I got so interested in reading the comments that I had switched off from listening..(not a criticism of the talk but just what happened)

[@donsachse]

Me too

[@marypalmer8223]

Bravo, Mr. Andersen. This makes things clearer.

[@ivoryconsort]

I thank you for putting this talk online, but I believe we listeners here on KZbin could have been given the benefit of all of the visual aids (slides) that the speaker provided and expected his listeners to have access to, instead of just a very few.

[@debralegorreta1375]

There is no such thing as the fantasy-rationality spectrum; and, even if there were such a monstrosity, no one is permanently stationed at one point forever on this supposed spectrum.

[@PRH123]

Well said..!

[@dsantamaria713]

Spot on! Only those who pay attention, and have skills of discernment will appreciate this... We already knew...

[@summondadrummin2868]

I really like Kurts basic thesis though listening to his extended explanation one could get the idea there are no conspiracies, which is silly. Wars are often conspiracies, celebrated General Smedley Butler called Wars a Racket and Rackets are conspiracies. So Kurts initial critique makes good sense up to a point where he ignores the further complexities of humans intense evolutionary process and reality.

[@andybeans5790]

The existence of actual conspiracies doesn't validate every theory about conspiracies.

[@tomk.8146]

Fact: The 3 major organized world religions are all related to each other and the mutual destructiveness of the latter two have served to benefit the original organized religion for centuries. Fact: The currency you use (in almost every influential country in the world) is known as fiat money. It is not backed by anything tangible, such as gold or silver. Fiat money allows a fraction of the population to rule over the rest of us with no fear of reprisal and without limits. Almost every major crime against humanity (e.g. the great replacement), or morally outrageous phenomena (like corrupt politicians) of today can be traced to our acceptance of fiat money. Fact: JFK enacted the executive order 11,110. Fact: JFK was assassinated less than 6 months later. Fact: That order would have undermined the fiat money system, and perhaps bankrupted the richest semi-private (sic) company in the world. Fact: LBJ overturned the executive order within 3 months of his predecessors death. Fact: Adolf Hitler was nominated for a Nobel peace prize and was Time magazine's man of the year in 1937 because his socialist policies lead to the end of the Great Depression in central Europe (6 years before it ended in capitalist America). FACT: This went against the fiat monetary system. Fact: Karl Marx was the great nephew of Nathian Meyer Rothschild, the richest capitalist who ever lived. Fact: The Rothschilds enacted the fiat monetary system in the US, Europe, Russia etc. Deduction: Communists and capitalists have been in bed together since the advent of fiat money, 4 years before the communist revolution and 1 year before the anarchist Gavrilo Princip began WW1. Fact: Communist murdered 94 million people. Assumption: Some of them were of the working class. TAKE NOTE: Not one of these is a conspiracy theory. They are all provable, re-searchable facts - if you care enough to find out. Also be aware that there have been conspiracies in the world. This is an undeniable fact. If you doubt this then read the next sentence, bit just know that you are a part of the problem because you don't care enough to be objective or to educate yourself. PROOF OF CONSPIRACY: The definition of conspiracy is a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful, which is what the senators of Rome did when they enacted a secret plan to kill Caesar. Don't die a simpleton.

[@tomk.8146]

@Humble Guy Ignorance is never better

[@tigertiger1699]

Cheers, explains what I see in so much of the US... & some others

[@PRH123]

Agree with his general thesis, we do live in a fantasy land in many many ways. However his assertion that there was or is responsible governmental authority that are the arbiters of reason and truth can not be honestly academically supported, as his example of the quote from Carl Roe aptly displays. Throughout history and our own country is no exception one of the largest (and most successful) producers of artificial reality are governmental (including church) authorities. Reason doesn’t flow from the top down.

[@elconquistador98]

ZZ TOP Look to the Rwanda massacre, and the instances in WW2 when people turned on their Jewish neighbors. All they needed was permission, from some authority to do what they did. That’s all.

[@tombombadil3185]

"The church says the earth is flat but, I believe it is round for I have seen its' shadow on the moon. I have more faith in a shadow than the church." ~ falsely attributed to Ferdinand Magellan

[@thwood40]

But it's not the shadow of the earth (that's called an eclipse). It's the geometric relationship of the moon the sun and the earth and the angle the sun's rays reflect off the moon to observers on the earth...

[@josephcullen4945]

@@thwood40 wrong. It’s the earths shadow. Technically called the umbra

[@thwood40]

@@josephcullen4945 the umbra is indeed the earth's shadow projected into the moon. It happens only when there is an eclipse. The crescent waxing and waning of the moon is another thing completely that is entirely due to the 3d geometric relationship of the sun earth and moon. If the sun is at 6 o'clock, the earth at the center of the clockface, and the moon at 9 o'clock we'll see a half moon because we will have a perspective that is of half the light side and half the dark side of the moon. By the time of the month that the moon gets to 12 o'clock (a week later) it's a full moon

[@reggiehendrix1265]

Are you living on the surface of the ball.....lol

[@bobfearing7162]

I’m the only person who does not have irrational beliefs!!

[@michaelpondo6324]

Trump is a cancerous lesion on the ars hole of america.

[@dnomyarnostaw]

Yes. That is my irrational belief.

[@a.randomjack6661]

I believe you... says the Electric Monk ;-)

[@RichRich1955]

Hats off to anyone who can get through this painfully boring book.

[@anthropoceneatheist9549]

“The price of freedom is eternal ignorance.” - Donald Trump

[@petergarayt9634]

1984 anyone?

[@richardgates7479]

And search engines, especially Google since it tracks patterns clicking through it's ad services and reCaptcha service as well as it's search engine, will continue feeding people their preferred biased results - filtering out for them that what they don't want to hear. This works especially well on KZbin.

[@liamhackett513]

"Every crowd has a silver lining " PT Barnum.

[@Roedygr]

Makes clear many vague ideas floating around in my head. Entertaining.

[@beingreen32]

The epistemological assertion is that knowledge is easy to acquire through gate keepers. However a belief obtained through faith in such gate keepers is still faith and not knowledge. We trust scientists that their information is based in the scientific method but if it is not then our faith is not warranted. We may be inclined to far fetched notions but one can also be conned by the debunker of truths that we find unsettling.

[@JohnDoe-vq8bg]

Most politicians and bankers belong in prison

[@tomtruett1946]

I feel obligated to apply my own hypothesis, that in cultures there are conceptual subcultures, which oversimply could be described as analogous to organs of the body, or individuals in a pack society. There is a competition, in some ways, for resources, and tensions that exist between different aspects. In a developed organism, there exist governing principles that maintain balance to a degree necessary to maintain the integrity of the whole. As much as we may feel overwhelmed by the apparent pre-eminence of one or another mode of thought, others exist which would temper the extreme. That is, I think and hope, an underlying principle of our nation, that healthy checks and balances are essential.

[@zhufortheimpaler4041]

the political spectrum of the united states has been condensed down into an aera of the whole spectrum, wich would be considered extremly conservative open to right wing extremism in europe. the american left spectrum ends, where in europe centrist positions start

[@RSEFX]

His work is sweeping and clear, but I think he might have done a better job with a more nuanced approach by including discussion of difference between out-right belief vs open-mindedness on some of the subjects; the difference between crazy conspiracy theories and a better understanding of why and how they begin, such as what are the possible real-life events that seed crazy ideas. His overall discussion is the proverbial "shooting fish in a barrel". The topic of his book is vital, is important. Possibly his book is more nuanced than his talk would lead one to believe.

[@janetrickwood2484]

Why is it that a clever country, with a lot of decent and thoughtful people, has become such a political cesspit?

[@undogmatisch5873]

To be fully honest, the same ability to fantasize that enables us to create totally irrational bullshit cocoons to live in, also enables us to create new technologies. We're just fail (too often) to steer this ability in the right (life improving) direction.

[@nickporter574]

undogmatisch Thank you for your honesty.

[@PG-wz7by]

Watching this in July 2020. The COVID-19 response is Fantasyland in all caps.

[@davidvernon3119]

Consensus reality - a term for the idea I’ve been wrestling with for a better part of the year. 🤯

[@junglecat_rant]

This video should trend and trend and trend.

[@robsaxepga]

This is great work and helps me understand the idiots around me.

[@RevivalOfBuzzBuzz]

I think that's called narcissism. :/

[@time4sanity]

Very enlightening as to the "evolution" of today's political catastrophe.

[@patricksee10]

Ok I am totally convinced having listened to this lecture, there are no angels, devils, saints, sinners or father, son or Holy Spirit. There is rationally based thought and science. Once all Americans come to this reality, peace and prosperity will reign for all. Sin and repentance is just false consciousness. How are we to bring about this true reality? Drugs for all? Maybe this can be sorted in his next lecture. I am waiting in eager anticipation.

[@frizzo3304]

It's nice to let other people do your thinking for you, eh?

[@Nx2.1]

11:31 And I was just thinking about the witches. lol

[@MikeFrame]

Fantasy Industrial Complex .. well put

[@Drforbin941]

Why does he never use the term post modernism?

[@patricksee10]

Who knows, but maybe because post modernism is an unhelpful vague, loaded term

[@Drforbin941]

@@patricksee10 No offense But you don't know what your talking about. The philosophical movement known as postmodernism or post structuralism is the essence of what he is talking. It's heart of the rot so to speak which has spread into everyday discourse and eventually explained on a somewhat superficial level at conferences like this.

[@sarahturneyy]

Incredible video

[@NoWay1969]

We seem to default to the most fantastical explanation for things. That's what seems to light up our brain more. Reality is usually pretty boring, and it takes effort to embrace it.

[@megetmorsomt]

When so many people suffer delusions, what then is the likelihood that you do not?

[@macnutz4206]

I grew up on the poor side of the tracks in Alabama. I have lived in Canada for several decades. The differences between the two countries, regarding how people think, is very noticable. It is relatively easy to guess who the Americans are in the comments sections here. I am not an absolutist. There are plenty of irrational people in Canada and there are many very rational people in America. Still, there is a noticeable difference in that the irrational opinion driven 'believers' are a majority and exceptionally bold and certain about their ideas, in America. Many with very nasty beliefs about other groups of humans that have little or no basis in reality. I could not possibly live in America again, because what at one time seemed everyday normal, is now frustratingly dim and difficult to communicate with. On the net you can choose who you want to communicate with but when surrounded by such people in your everyday life, you must deal with that mindset daily.

[@davem5308]

Macnutz-I know you will be surprised and bewildered to know(learn) this, but you are still an "American". Do you realize that Canadians are "Americans"? Do you realize that Mexicans are in fact "Americans"? Are you aware that there is a land mass on Earth, know as the "Americas"? Ever heard of North, Central, and South America? All legal residents any where in these Americas, are in fact "Americans". Why don't you call the country by it's actual name "The United States of America". In which reside U.S. Citizens, of whom are NOT the exclusive and only "Americans". Just because Donald Trump stupidly says "make America great again", doesn't make it a noble motto, when he should be saying "Make the United States of America, great again" (Not that it ever was to begin with.) I am not sure who actually named the U.S.A., but at it's founding, it would have made more sense to name the country "The United States of the Americas". Canada of the Americas, Mexico of the Americas, and so on. The word "America" has been perpetually misused for all too long! The misuse thereof, impacts all social and political discussions and narratives of propaganda.

[@MendTheWorld]

Macnutz420 I’m happy for you that you had the good fortune to escape the insanity and angst of being an American. (I would have said “in America”, but for that other Reply you got). My wife and i moved from Montreal, Canada to Alabama, America, and it was a terrible thing. I was too passive to do anything about it, which was really stupid. You are fortunate.

[@macnutz4206]

@@MendTheWorld OMG, From Montreal Alabama. Wow, that really sucks. From Montreal to shit city Alabama. How old were you and how long did they stay there? A horrible thing to do to a kid. I used to have terrible nightmares in which I was stuck in Alabama again. Alabama is a total shit hole.

[@MichaelMarko]

Very good stuff.

[@charleskesner1302]

Good information. Margaret Atwood says a similar thing. USA often reverts back to its radical religious origins/past.

[@christinel6616]

This talk was given a year too soon.

[@RSEFX]

We grew up laughing at Sir John Herschel's "flying men on the Moon" fake story of the 1800's (as well as P.T. Barnum's "Fiji Mermaid". Maybe the idea of recognizing genuine fakery was considered more important back then (the 50's into the 60's), or, if not, it all seemed more obvious, the difference between what was believable, possible and real vs "snake oil". (Also it helped to have Mad magazine around that kids read religiously---no wordplay intended----which poked holes into fake advertising, made fun of outrageous claims and people and taught those generations to use critical thinking. Yes, Mad magazine did that, as well as the other satirists of those times.) One more thing: After the Russians launched Sputnik, there was a huge push toward science education. You couldn't get through school without extensive exposure to Earth sciences, astronomy, biology, zoology, geology, atomic and electrical studies etc, which might explain some of the explosion in space exploration, computer technology and such that flowed up from those times.

[@robrobbins]

The world has gone mad. However, I don't think this is uniquely American. This can all be attributed to human nature and it is a global phenomenon.

[@merynco]

Being on the fence is dangerous. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Mt 6:24

Think about this: promoting religions makes up people used to accept things without thinking about them

If some of my family members are any indication, the Right has always eaten from the bowl of fantasy. But only from their own bias bowl.

[@kd1s]

I know in another video he's mentioned Anne Hutchinson - but what I will expound is that the original settlers from England to this country - they were the religious misfits. Just like Australia was a penal colony, we got the wingnuts. And I say this as someone who found out I have native American ancestry - Mohawk to be specific. And to be perfectly honest - how do we combat the idiocy - with ridicule of course.

[@patrickcosgrove886]

Excellent presentation. It made me think of an expression I heard several years ago. A man called intellectuals and academics "educated fuck heads."

[@MidwesternEnglishman]

I'm reminded of Christopher Hitchens subtitle to his book, 'God Is Not Great ' ( How Religion Poisons Everything)

[@thomasmills339]

" I'd consider myself a realist, alright? But in philosophical terms I'm what's called a pessimist... I think human consciousness is a tragic misstep in evolution. We became too self-aware. Nature created an aspect of nature separate from itself - we are creatures that should not exist by natural law... We are things that labor under the illusion of having a self, that accretion of sensory experience and feelings, programmed with total assurance that we are each somebody, when in fact everybody's nobody... I think the honorable thing for our species to do is to deny our programming. Stop reproducing, walk hand in hand into extinction - one last midnight, brothers and sisters opting out of a raw deal." RC

[@lillianbowles9902]

“Crack pottery” and the fuckery that ensues!😂

[@Nx2.1]

It is possible to throw any falsehood into the fire, just don't do it to another human being, especially a witch. ffs

[@martinirving3824]

It's literally like the opposite of scientific thinking. Rather being inherently skeptical of things (particularly your own hypotheses or ideas) there is a giddy acceptance of all manner of fanciful notions as "possibilities." If one doesn't turn out, there are myriad others to explore to entertain fanciful or supernatural ideas. I am reminded of a purported "NASA scientist" who claimed that a low-resolution image from the original Mars explorer, Viking 1, that looked like a face, was some sort of pyramid with all sorts of remarkable geometrical and mathematical dimensions associated with the surrounding landscape - proof of highly advanced aliens!. (There was a video of his talk uploaded on YT that doesn't seem to come up anymore). Well, it turns out it was just a geological formation - a hill. Plain to see with better resolution. I always wonder how much embarrassment such people suffer after better evidence comes to light?

[@janusatthegate6201]

I wish USA is closer to the top good countries.

[@tonedeafduck4859]

Ant B - But for having the best propaganda machine, likely # 1.

[@thomasmills339]

We lost that 50 years ago.

[@executivesteps]

It’s a bit of a strange presentation style to stand in front of an audience as you sort through and read your written notes.

[@spiderlime]

this is a good lecture on the subject because andersen looks beyond the famous clash between religion and science. the ethics that shaped american history, from the mayflower in 1620 to the trump era in 2020, are often controversial, to put it mildly, even if america accepted science lock stock and barrell without any question. science and technology are subject to the ethics of the user and to the ethics of those who finance them, for better or for worse. america today is like some bad post-apocalyptic sci-fi action movie from the 80's.

[@monus782]

30:29 that includes Catholics unfortunately. There may be a small faction of crazies we just call Trads but I fear they're growing in numbers and influence, and I'm saying this because I used to be part of it. LifeSiteNews is one example and if you feel like losing a few brain cells you should look up Sensus Fidelium and watch some of their videos on this site.

[@j.r.arnolli7494]

Look at Your Supreme Court, more than 50% catholic consevativs. The 'new' inquisition?🤪

[@BobQuigley]

We are unique in that our insanity comes with 7,000 nuclear weapons

[@jeff2424]

And more than 393 million civilian-owned firearms.

[@BobQuigley]

@@jeff2424 YIKES

[@mephistophelescountcaglios1489]

@@jeff2424 check this toddlers shoot one person a week

[@jeff2424]

@@mephistophelescountcaglios1489 Damn those toddlers!

[@mephistophelescountcaglios1489]

@@jeff2424 don't worry Texas probably executes then ,it stops them doing it again ......🤔

[@sunsetpalms1923]

40% of Americans believe that the earth is less than 10,000 years old. Think about that.

[@franstein9277]

Okay, so I guess we're doomed. Why am I so calm amid all this?

[@Diamondraw4Real]

There's a great book about this, "Empire of Illusion" by an American author whose name I forgot. But check it out if possible.

[@Diamondraw4Real]

I think it was Chris Hedges?

[@Trylica]

Yes

[@jonmce1]

Briefly mentioned in the talk gamers. I would argue that most gamers and readers of sci fi and fantasy are the least likely to believe fantasies are real. They enjoy the adventures of fantasy knowing it is unreal. You will find few who are gun fanatics or evangelicals or watchers of so-called reality TV. If anything they are the enemies of evangelicals and right-wing ideologues, hence the attacks on Harry Potter vs evangelical myths or claims of gamers are the cause of terror acts vs real gun fanatics. The people who wish to live a fantasy regard recreational fantasy in games and stories as competition for the fantasies they actually believe in. How many evangelicals or conspiracy believers have watched and enjoyed Blade Runner.

[@laurentsaint-laurent3659]

Also check the book "How Mumbo-Jumbo took over The World" by british journalist/pundit Francis Wheen.. Some chapters of "The Deals That Made The World" by Jacques Peretti adress some of the subjects alluded here..

[@jennamakesbugs]

I just bought this book. Can't wait to read it. I have always believed that religion has made people's brains mushy and that's why they believe ANYTHING. I'm probably biased, though. ;)

[@brianmucha6426]

Jenna, read the book! It's not just about religion which everyone seems to attack now, and it's fashionable to do so. (religion does obviously have negative aspects, but people fall into traps of generalizing just about everything now, and that's part of what Anderson is talking about).

[@darksoul479]

This makes me think of that movie Idiocracy. I'm not kidding, I'm 100% for real.

[@monsterguyx]

Required viewing for anyone who asks "How the hell did we get here?"

[@roofuscat2]

CIA Director, William Casey - "When everything the American people believe is false, our disinformation compaign will be complete".

[@katiekat4457]

I live very close to the southern gulf beach and we all use snake oil and repellants that they down cross. I had found one in my garage once and I almost passed out right in front of it. Ever since then I use the snake oil and repellents. They say they really work and it's been quite a few years that I have been using them and another snake has breeched my borders...lol

[@derekhowardjohndoughtyhale3710]

It’s odd to think that “truth being self evident” is a fantasy

[@Chris-op7yt]

need better search and social network engines that dont epitomize the worst of sheep behaviour

[@rabokarabekian409]

But what does bell curve distribution teach us to expect? Half of any group is below its average. Plus most public education is first about institutionalization and second about killing natural curiosity. Most of us learn to hate learning. On top of all this, truth is not deceitful, but is exceedingly coy. Here's an old example for your amusement: The identity e^(iπ)+1 = 0 is a well known equation that can be proven mathematically. It is an identify that contains the most beautiful entities encountered in math, namely π, i, e, 0 and 1. It combines the real and the imaginary

[@blaster-zy7xx]

One only needs to see that the history channel now shows ancient alien shows endlessly and even the science channel shows pseudo science junk. The learning channel shows junk. There is now almost no way for the next generation to discern fantasy from reality.

[@polenc7167]

An interesting aside: At the Exhibit in Paris 1889, the composer Edward MacDowell performed his piano concerto which relied heavily on European models. At the same time, at the exhibit the Wild West show was going on. The Parisian then rejected McDowell's concerto saying it wasn't American because it didn't resemble cowboys and indians. Thus the death of sophisiticated fully educated American music and the introduction of primitive crude American models of music. Do European have had a a part in this whole problem. Do they want America to be weird?

[@franklinfalco9069]

There is no relativism. Nobody respects anyone else's beliefs or changes their mind about anything.

[@Johnconno]

'These are my people!' Humans are able to live in Las Vegas?

[@TakemehomeRV]

Citing the Post tells you all you need to know

[@martinirving3824]

Interesting how these extreme protestants came to the US and upped the ante on biblical literalism. Furthermore, new, even more extreme religions. emerged in the 19th century; particularly Mormonism and Seventh Day Adventism. Interesting fact: the latter has been controlling public health policy; particularly nutrition guidelines, in the US for about 150 years. Arguably, it's why we have an obesity epidemic. Nutrition science has been guided/driven by extreme religious ideology (behind the scenes, without anyone noticing) for the last 150 years or so. Compare "Garden of Eden" diet with paleo or caveman diet. One you've never heard of (but we;re advised to practice it - low fat; particularly saturated fat, low meat, no red meat, high carb, grains, nuts etc). The others are "fad diets" based on evolutionary biology principles of bipedal apes (but also prone to commercialism and packaging). Something to think about.

[@charliegee1953]

I could be wrong, but I think this man is educated beyond his intelligence...

[@frizzo3304]

Yeup, you're wrong.

[@eddiebrevet4000]

Some of those snake oil medicines had a real kick to them, cocaine, cannabis, opiates, probably the popular ones

[@brucehunter8235]

I'm sure the founding fathers were completely free from ideology ROFL.

[@RoninTF2011]

Did he say that?