[dessimus]

>Why do problems caused by anti scientific behavior occur in a country like the United States, which has so many outstanding scientists?

Simple answer, consider the normal distribution bell curve, the more outstanding scientists we have, means the bell curve shifts up to cover the larger population, not to the right. So if the US has a longer tail on high end of scientific reasoning, it also requires a longer tail on the low end, too.

Another way to think about it, the world's 1st trillionaire isn't bringing the bottom up, if anything, it's very much doing the opposite.