I imagine we were a serious country once, but I'll leave that to the historians to determine when, Dan. Survey results are often old but I found some interesting data points that illustrate our incuriosity, passivity, and general credulity!

A solid third of contemporary America, and probably more than that, are entranced by their screens, watching television 5 hours per day. Teenagers (ages 12-17) are on screens 7-8 hours per day.

Fewer than 50% of us read for pleasure.

Only 66% stated that they firmly believe the Earth is round, with 2% solidly in the flat Earth camp.

 About 40% of us are Young Earth Creationists! A 2010 Pew poll showed that 23% of Americans believed that Jesus would definitely return to Earth by 2050, and 18% believe me probably will. I haven't seen a more recent poll but surely the Trump Administration is populated by such fanatics! To call them "unserious" is such an understatement as they are anti-Enlightenment values, thoroughly deranged, and dangerous! They vote, breed and hold the levers of power!

Americans would do well to heed the advice offered by Faber College's Dean Vernon Wormer to Delta House pledge, Kent "Flounder" Dorfman:  "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, Son".  Our country could do worse than to follow this sage bit of wisdom! 

Peter T.