by Perry McCarney

Created on: December 31, 2009   Last Updated: June 02, 2011

Should we be surprised that stupidity seems to be more prevalent in today's society? Or should being surprised at such simply be considered stupid of us? After all, it is completely logical that stupidity should be on the rise, at least in the developed nations of the world.

"Nanny state" laws are being enacted in many countries at progressively faster rates. Such laws do not protect intelligent people from their own actions, but do reduce the lethal actions of those unable to consider the possibly dangerous results of their unthinking behavior. As such, more stupid people are surviving to breeding age.

Those dominating society's political and commercial strata, while not necessarily encouraging this situation, do nothing to hinder it. A less intelligent and discerning populace makes it easier for politicians to mislead and corporations to sell. While this is short-sighted, politicians operate on the basis of the electoral period of a few years and corporate executives on the fiscal year at most, if not the fiscal quarter. Neither gives anywhere near enough significance to the long term future of human society.  

While those of average or better intelligence generally recognize the financial and social constraints on bearing and raising children and therefore usually limit the number of offspring they have, those of a lower intelligence rarely consider this. While the vast majority of babies are born with the potential for intelligence, whether this potential is realized is dependent on their genetic heritage in combination with their upbringing. Most stupid parents and many other parents fail to provide the appropriate stimulus; in conjunction with typical societal constraints this results in the suppression of many children's potential intelligence.

Some children of relatively stupid parents can achieve high levels of intelligence because they have the potential. Unfortunately, this is primarily because their environment is highly stimulating to their mental cogitation due to the extreme danger they live in. Most of these children, if they survive, will become the next generation of criminal kingpins in their local communities. Very few are able to escape that sociological constraint and develop ethical attitudes.

The current average IQ (intelligence quotient) is said to be 100. Thirty-five years ago, when I was a child, it was my impression that it was 110, although my research now is unable to confirm this. Are our governments hiding a lowering of the

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