Writing almost 30 years ago #CarlSagan worried about a country poorly educated in #science

Has has foreboding been realized?

@mnutty from the same book:

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”

@fnordius

Shades of “The Big Lie”?

@mnutty it's been a few years since I last read the book but yes, I think Dr. Sagan mentioned the similarity to the Fascist movement in Europe. Also to PT Barnum, but mostly the revivalist preachers with their traveling shows.

@fnordius

I never thought of a Barnum / Facism combination, that makes sense, although I do feel bad for P.T, I’m guessing he wouldn’t have been a fan of Hitler / Mussolini / Franco