An exchange

I commented on a Huff Post entry in which the author speculated and bemoaned the low level of facts in current political attitudes and beliefs.   -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-stoller/social-engineering-and-th_b_1644348.html --

My comment was as follows.

Suggested corrections:
From: How can so many people be so arrogantly ignorant?
To: How can so many people be so willfully ignorant?

Answer: It's easy. Knowledge results from work, hard work


A comment was made on my comment, as follows.

nice, simplistic answer.

To this I made the following response.

Actually, I see the matter as deeply complex.  Seeking the answers to my query raises intense philosophic and psychological issues.  Why are people willing to surrender their intellect to their emotions?  What role is played by confirmation bias and other innate tendencies?  How much moral and practical responsibility is engendered by deliberately deceitful media outlets?

The ramifications are worthy of an academic specialty.