What ignorance can cost us

People go on all the time student apathy, which isn’t to say apathy isn’t a problem, it is, political apathy is increasing with only 12% saying they are ‘politically active.’ But it is ignorance which is the real problem. For instance you’ve doubtless heard a lot of rhetoric about the Browne review how bad it is and how evil Nick Clegg is. But do you know anything about it really? One person I talked to recently hadn’t even heard of the Browne review, so I suppose knowing about is something but not much. And while I’m not a fan of increased tuition fees, there are actually good things about it.

Only 16% of 18-24 age group claim to know ‘a fair amount' or 'a great deal' about politics. Wow. Aren’t you embarrassed? I am. Were meant to be the future but we don’t even know what’s going on right now. Now, no one needs you to riot in the street (we are British for crying out loud) but being uninformed can lead to real disasters. Like the present government. Seriously though, it is a problem. And not a small one, 75% don’t know the powers that government can currently exercise without Parliament's approval and 58% don’t know how political parties are funded. Democracy requires us to be in the know at the very least, if it’s going to work. Otherwise it’s all just an elaborate pretence of freedom.

Being aware of what’s happening in the wider world is equally important. I can't count the number of times in history classes I’ve heard the words “How could they let that happen” or “weren’t they paying attention” but those same people would have no idea what was going on in the present. If I asked most people about Iran for instance they would tell me something vague about nuclear weapons but not really know any more. They wouldn’t know Iran is a theocracy (were religion is the government in case you’re wondering) or anything about its recent history. Does it seem crazy to know so little about the worlds up and coming nuclear power?

So, what has happened in the world recently? If you don't actually know I'd like to offer a little help. I could list or try to summarise recent events of significance but there simply isn’t room here. My advice is to check out Google News, simply click news on the Google homepage and check out the headlines to get to grips with what’s happening. Or read political blogs both by individuals, like my own “Royal Thinking” or by newspapers such as the Guardian.

Ignorance is dangerous. It leads to uninformed decision making or no action at all, which can have disastrous results. Historians constantly debate the rise of Hitler, how many documentaries do the BBC need to make you wonder, but at the heart of his rise to power was the ignorance of the people who elected him. They were scared and uninformed so were taken in by simple rhetoric and slogans. Remember that surge in popularity the BNP enjoyed a while back? All it took was some economic turmoil and a disturbing percentage of people were ready to vote for openly racist man who denies the holocaust. I’m not saying you would ever be that stupid. But not knowing what is going on has consequences. So get up to date and stay there.