This is a critical review of Chris Hedges’ book Empire of Illusion, with further discussion of its relevance in a society with no future.
(Crossposted at Orange and at Firedoglake)
Tag: Literacy
Apr 07 2010
Today the most famous Person is Mickey Mouse.
During the 2000 debates, George W. Bush spoke at a sixth-grade level (6.7) and Al Gore at a seventh-grade level (7.6).
In the 1992 debates, Bill Clinton spoke at a seventh-grade level (7.6), while George H.W. Bush spoke at a sixth-grade level (6.8), as did H. Ross Perot (6.3).
In the debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, the candidates spoke in language used by 10th-graders.
In the debates of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas the scores were respectively 11.2 and 12.0.
In short, today’s political rhetoric is designed to be comprehensible to a 10-year-old child or an adult with a sixth-grade reading level. […]
Voltaire was the most famous man of the 18th century.
Today the most famous “person” is Mickey Mouse.
America the Illiterate
Chris Hedges — Nov 10, 2008 (pg 2)
I think, I’m detecting some sort of trend here …