More (not so) fun facts:
54% of American adults read below a 6th grade level.
21% read below a 5th grade level, which is considered functionally illiterate.
High immigration numbers don’t fully explain it either, as first gen immigrants only make up about 1/3 of those with low literacy.
there is anti-intellectualism in universities now. it’s rampant. one of the reasons i left my PhD was seeing how bad it was getting back in 2010.
because intellectual thought is dangerous to tribal allegiance, and people prioritize tribal allegiance above all else.