Posting about BINI, a pop group from the Philippines, and clicking on the tag #TurkishCelebrities reminded me of my ignorance of vast areas of the world and its diverse peoples.
I try my best not to be a blinkered Anglo, whilst also recognizing that I can never hope to have much more than a fragmentary and superficial understanding of the histories of most of the planet's inhabitants. For deeper insights, I am dependent on experts and informants with firsthand knowledge and experience.
I hope it doesn't sound too smug if I say that at least I am aware of my ignorance.
What frightens me is that the most powerful man on earth is not only ignorant, but also unaware of the depth of his ignorance and, insofar as he is aware of his ignorance, resistant to remedying that ignorance to any degree by careful reading of briefings, thoughtful discussion with experts, or - can you imagine it? -- opening a book.
Ultimately, my ignorance is of little consequence one way or the other. His ignorance could, quite
... show morePosting about BINI, a pop group from the Philippines, and clicking on the tag #TurkishCelebrities reminded me of my ignorance of vast areas of the world and its diverse peoples.
I try my best not to be a blinkered Anglo, whilst also recognizing that I can never hope to have much more than a fragmentary and superficial understanding of the histories of most of the planet's inhabitants. For deeper insights, I am dependent on experts and informants with firsthand knowledge and experience.
I hope it doesn't sound too smug if I say that at least I am aware of my ignorance.
What frightens me is that the most powerful man on earth is not only ignorant, but also unaware of the depth of his ignorance and, insofar as he is aware of his ignorance, resistant to remedying that ignorance to any degree by careful reading of briefings, thoughtful discussion with experts, or - can you imagine it? -- opening a book.
Ultimately, my ignorance is of little consequence one way or the other. His ignorance could, quite literally, be the end of the world.
#Image: Bryce Vickmark/ZUMA; RomoloTavani/iStock; photoillustration by Ivylise Simones
#Politics #History #DonaldTrump #NuclearWar #BINI #Philippines #Türkiye #Turkey #Ignorance #Antiintellectualism
