Originally Posted by kane

Fanaticism plays a role in it as well, but to me it seems like most fanaticism is based in a lack of education.

When you look at a lot of fanatics from poor, third world countries you see that for many of them the only education they had a available was at a school run by fanatics. So that fanaticism is taught into them. We see it here in the US to some degree, but not as much. However, just look at some of our more batshit crazy leaders. How many far right wingers have you seen talk about how a college education isn't needed? Hell Rick Santorum even went so far as to make fun of people with college degrees at many of his rallies (meanwhile both he and his wife have law degrees and I can guarantee you all of their kids will be going to college). They also talk about how public schools fail and private school and home schooling is the way to go. Many of those private schools and many home schools base their curriculum in religion.

If a person has a well rounded education and they are not afraid to ask questions and see that the world is a big place with a wide variety of people in it they tend to be less afraid and less fanatical.

This isn't to say that there are not highly educated fanatics, because there are. To me, however, the mantra of the fanatic leaders is to keep their followers dumb and keep them scared and angry.