Here’s a hard truth: We wouldn’t have elected Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, or any recent president if Americans actually knew how to think critically and spot manipulation.
Want proof? Look at how easily we’re swayed by soundbites and social media posts. Look at how we fall for the same empty promises every four years. Look at how we keep electing leaders who serve billionaire donors instead of the American people.
There’s a simple solution, but it requires playing the long game:
Make Critical Thinking, Political Science 101, Philosophy 101, and Empathy mandatory subjects in every elementary school in America. Not as electives. Not as afterthoughts. As core subjects, right alongside reading and math.
Imagine a generation that learns logical fallacies before multiplication tables. A generation that understands how power really works before they even hit middle school. A generation that can spot propaganda from a mile away because they’ve studied philosophy and human nature since first grade.
And most critically – a generation that learns empathy as a skill, not just a buzzword.
You know what happens then? We stop electing reality TV stars who claim they alone can fix everything. We stop falling for politicians who divide us for votes. We stop letting media companies feed us outrage for profit.
Instead, we get a nation of citizens who can:
- Detect lies in political speeches instantly
- Understand how bills actually become laws
- Question authority intelligently
- Feel genuine concern for their fellow Americans
The solution to our democracy’s biggest problems isn’t complicated – it’s sitting in elementary school classrooms across America. We just need to teach our kids how to think, not what to think.
The billionaires buying our politicians are betting on our ignorance and so far, they have been disgustingly correct in betting on our ignorance. Let’s make sure the next generation isn’t ignorant, or for sale.
Share if you believe intelligent education is the vaccine against manipulation.✨