About Weaponization of Ignorance: How Lies and Information Divided America
Weaponization of Ignorance argues that the crisis of American political division is not primarily a conflict of ideology, but a systemic exploitation of human cognitive vulnerabilities. The book traces how decades of strategic misinformation—driven by partisan media, bad-faith political actors, social-media amplification, and psychological manipulation—have created an alternate reality for millions of Americans, particularly within the modern conservative movement. It shows how identity, grievance, fear, and loyalty override facts; how distrust in institutions was deliberately cultivated; how conspiracy theories flourish in fragmented information ecosystems; and how ordinary people can be pulled into increasingly irrational beliefs through well-understood psychological mechanisms. By examining cognitive biases, media dynamics, voter psychology, and the evolution of right-wing propaganda, the book explains how lies became a political tool powerful enough to reshape national identity, undermine democracy, and fracture families and communities. Ultimately, it offers a framework for understanding not only what people believe, but why they believe it—and how America can confront a crisis built on the deliberate manufacturing of ignorance.
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Author Bio:
Stephen M. Fry, Ph.D. has had a varied career
spanning physics, engineering, consulting, corporate
management, and venture capital—as well as writing.
He earned a Ph.D. in Quantum Electronics from
UCLA, along with an M.S. in Electrical Engineering,
and B.S. in Physics (also from UCLA), and an M.B.A.
in Financial Analysis from National University. He has
published extensively, including dozens of technical
papers and presentations, and is the author or co-
author of nine books on medical technology .
Weaponization of Ignorance reflects his more recent
focus—a decade of reading, research, and reflection
on how media, psychology, and culture shape political
belief. He lives in northern California with his
wife, and their border collie.