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#1 |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
![]() I have been traveling to East Asia (and many other parts of the world) for more than 25 years and over that time one of the things that has always struck me is how intelligent the general public in countries like Japan appear to be. It’s not that there aren’t dummies in East Asia, but it always seems that the average level of education and ability to think about the world intelligently and critically is impressively widespread. I’ve often thought about why this is the case and also why the same seems more difficult to say about the U.S. The answer, I think, can be found in a comment science fiction writer Isaac Asimov made about the U.S. while being interviewed in the 1980s: “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
Asimov is right on the mark, and this cult of ignorance is the most serious national security issue facing the U.S. today. It is more important than the external threats from terrorists or the rise of a politically and economically powerful China. And a major part of the reason it is such an major issue for Americans to fix is that our immediate competitors, particularly those in Asia, have managed to create a culture in which rather than a cult of ignorance, a cult of intelligence plays a major role in shaping attitudes about the world and, thus, policies about dealing with other countries. Many Americans are aware that the U.S. does not score well on measures such as international student assessment tests when compared to other industrial countries. For example, the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TMISS) the top five countries for math were Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan—the U.S. is not in the top ten. It is better by 8th grade, where the same counties are in the top five (although the order changes) and the U.S. makes number 9. Roughly the same pattern can bee seen for science results. This doesn’t seem too bad, but in a different testing organization’s measure, the Programme for International Student Assessment, the U.S. does not fare quite so well, scoring 36th for math, 28th for science, and 24th for reading. With the exception of science, where Finland is ranked 5th, all of the top five countries in this measure are from East Asia. http://thediplomat.com/2014/06/asias...-intelligence/ |
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#2 | |
Ring of Famer
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 17,510
Adopt-a-Bronco: Chris Harris |
![]() Quote:
Last edited by ZONA; 06-22-2014 at 01:35 PM.. |
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#3 |
Hey pic Mod!?!?! FU
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: The wrong side of right.
Posts: 32,299
Adopt-a-Bronco: Julius "Fluff" |
![]() I see we reached the part of the off season where Baja ****s in America like a coward.
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#4 |
Partisan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Trumpville (like Potterville, but stupider)
Posts: 73,700
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![]() Higher educashun is for them damn libruls. We need to get rid of it.
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#5 |
Optimum Homo
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Colorado
Posts: 26,474
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#6 |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
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#7 |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
![]() Those who, through pride, refuse to admit to a problem are doomed to the consequences of said problem.
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#8 |
Smith Rules
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,422
Adopt-a-Bronco: wolf pot roast |
![]() Who cares about whether somebody is intellectually interesting or not? Based on which country they are from - really? That is your premise? Sounds like a crisis to me - let's get Oprah and Dr. Phil involved
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#9 |
Perennial Pro-bowler
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 999
Adopt-a-Bronco: None |
![]() America is in decline.
Education is declining. Economy is declining. Physical and Mental health is in the toilet. Politics are corrupt. We are 17 Trillion in debt. Ect, ect, ect.. I think its fair to blame the federal government and large corporations for destroying this country. It's almost as if they are trying to. |
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#10 | |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
![]() Quote:
Now now the peeps on here are going to call you anti American. The truth is unacceptable. |
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#11 |
Ring of Famer
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,148
Adopt-a-Bronco: None |
![]() Seriously, as much as you hate America you should have nothing to do with it.
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#12 |
Ring of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,716
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![]() Traitors!!!
No one is to think or say anything negative about the glorious USA!! |
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#13 |
Ring of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,804
Adopt-a-Bronco: None |
![]() "“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”'
This describes your behavior perfectly Baja. Kinda ironic you don't have the self realization to understand that. |
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#14 |
Ring of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 1,558
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#15 |
Hey pic Mod!?!?! FU
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: The wrong side of right.
Posts: 32,299
Adopt-a-Bronco: Julius "Fluff" |
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#16 |
Ring of Famer
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,377
Adopt-a-Bronco: Casey Kreiter |
![]() it's okay txtebow says it's just our genes.
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#17 |
Perennial Pro-bowler
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Frederick, CO
Posts: 984
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![]() As an educator I can simplify it pretty easily.
We educate all, most countries do not. We water down our educated by continually pooling those that want it with those that do not. Solution: You screw around in school, you get kicked out and work. Makes parents more vested in their children. Removes the need for standardized testing. Fixes a load of problems. Expulsion just doesn't happen and it doesn't remove them from education, just that school. |
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#18 | |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
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#19 |
Three Lombardis
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ceti Alpha V
Posts: 53,570
Adopt-a-Bronco: Pat Bowlen |
![]() I'm for more education, but it really isn't about making people smarter. It is about paying for tenured professors and perpetuating liberal dogma. It's also a total money grab. Women's studies, poly-sci and other fluff courses that get students to make posters and put politically-minded hashtags in their twitter feed don't do anything to better the country or their personal contributions to society.
Meanwhile students are getting nickel-and-dimed out of higher tuition, a book scam that forces students to buy new books at several times more than their worth every semester when the content has barely changed, but they manipulate it with things like "end of chapter quizzes" that are different with each iteration and so you cannot buy the used ones and have to get the $80-200 ones. And councilors are funneling students to take out huge amounts of student loan debt for degrees that will afford them no real value to society, and therefore not give them any way of paying that debt with the worthless graphic-design, ancient literature or whatever else bull-crap they were advised. But the university got their money and they graduated he student so they appear to be "doing it right." I am not against art or the humanities, but I don't believe you should pursue a degree in those courses unless you are going to teach or you are some kind of savant. Anyway the whole structure is broken and the payoff isn't nearly good enough. If you're going to pay to have someone teach you, make sure it isn't in something you could learn on your own. Sciences, math, medicine, engineering are great things to learn in college. |
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#20 |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
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#21 | |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
![]() Quote:
Currently school is about dumbing down the students you know I am right just look at what they force to to teach. I mean no slight toward you sir. Last edited by baja; 06-22-2014 at 08:48 PM.. |
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#22 |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
![]() Did it ever occur to you that I love the USA and that is why I bother pointing out to you blokes that are fast asleep what is going on right under your dull noses? If I hated America why would I bother raising angst on a football message board. You are my assignment, wake the hell up before you lose what others fought so hard to hand to you.
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#23 |
Headmaster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 69,057
Adopt-a-Bronco: Leo-TailGateNut |
![]() What kind of a country are you going to leave your kids?
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#24 |
Ring of Famer
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: In the Tetons!
Posts: 26,955
Adopt-a-Bronco: WorrellWilliams |
![]() The one area where the USA excels in is creativity. Also, in 'murica, a few great minds tend to lift all the boats. So, lemme essplain:
Yes, our educational system is in shambles and yes, much of it is because many people, especially in the lower classes, don't give a crap about getting a good education. Now, I know I'll be called racist for saying this, but this is also the case with white trash, that is, these people care more about what they can get from the system rather than what a great education and a great career (should a poor person choose this route) can offer to the rest of society. On the other hand, this country is absolutely fantastic when it comes to enabling great ideas to work. That is, when two beautiful things come together, like a great idea and a bright, motivated person to initiate the idea and bring it to fruition, then this is where being in the USA is great. There are stories after stories about people like Steve Jobs or Carl Sagan or Barack Obama who have reached the pinnacle of success because they wanted something (Jobs and Apple, Sagan and science, Obama and politics) and they had the motivation, courage, smarts and determination to make it happen. Jobs ended up creating thousands of jobs (lol), Sagan ended up educating millions of young minds and Obama ended up as the president of the USA. This is what I mean by a few individuals raising all the other boats. So, um, yah... the USA lacks in education and that won't ever change. But even if these East Asian peoples can crunch numbers, rattle off stats and generally be more "educated" than 'muricans, they lack something us dummies have in spades. Creative intellects that can bring great ideas to the masses. JMHO of course. Last edited by Tombstone RJ; 06-22-2014 at 09:12 PM.. |
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#25 |
Partisan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Trumpville (like Potterville, but stupider)
Posts: 73,700
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![]() No kidding. If 3% of campus studies are going to be dedicated to this kind of politically unacceptable crap, we should close the campuses.
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