I definitely agree with you that the US has a really bizarre kind of anti-intellectualism going on, and the GOP is kind of leveraging it, because much of their

I definitely agree with you that the US has a really bizarre kind of anti-intellectualism going on, and the GOP is kind of leveraging it, because much of their voting base is rural and old and less educated, and so they're basically putting out this divisive message that educated people are these "other" folks, and 'real americans' are the less educated people. Sarah Palin literally said it directly in a speech. One GOP Senator called an opponent who had multiple college degrees "a snob" . In general, I think this 'rebel' instinct can go either way. It can lead you to challenge the status quo and make an improvement, it can also lead you to think you're a rebel because you deny the moon landing, or you're a flat earther, or an anti-vaxer. Anti-establishmentarianism can turn from a legitimate gripe into a conspiracy rathole really quickly. From "I don't wanna wear a mask or get vaxed" to "vaccines are implanting you with Bill Gates microchips!" It's kinda weird how Americans would look down on a very qualified political candidate with lots of degrees, but then boost up a blithering idiot because "he's one of us". No where else is that attitude prevalent. When you are flying commercial airlines, do you want the unqualified, uneducated guy flying the plane? When you're getting heart surgery, do you want the guy who never went to med school doing your surgery? But somehow, when it comes to politics, the guy who studied economics, history, political science, engineering, somehow loses points.