The sole purpose of critical thinking skills and knowledge of things like history, civics, etc… (whether that comes from education, experience or just good old fashioned intellectual curiosity) is to give the rest of our brain the context necessary to override that lizard brain. (In my opinion).

I’m seconding that opinion, makes a lot of sense. It’s so funny, I’m not an American, but I do have friends and family there, yet I find myself outraged by maga and this speed run into fascism. I can’t imagine what it must be like living there these days.

The dumbing down policy certainly worked.