We are careening toward the "end-game" for the rampant anti-intellectualism, anti-science, anti-critical thinking mind virus that plagued this country for at least the past 80 years.

This is what happens when you condition people for nearly a century, to get angry and defensive when someone who's more versed on a subject tries to teach them something (or god forbid, correct them). It has become a kneejerk reaction for so many Americans (mostly conservatives). They are so insecure that they view any type of education as a direct insult to them or some stupid bullshit like that. Like deep down, they know how ignorant they are, but for some reason they'd prefer to stay that way, so anyone who challenges that (regardless of how pure the motive), is a "smug piece of shit talking down to them."

And instead of even retaining what the person said, let alone learning it, they become even more radicalized against... well, reality.

I truly have no idea how something like this can ever be fixed at this level. We're talking over 50 million people give or take tens of millions (unsure how many have regrets).

And this is nation-ending shit.

Edit: Slightly related, but something I just thought about... Imagine if we ever have a prion-based pandemic (if that's possible?). That could straight up be the end of humankind. Prions are terrifying.