I love America. I’ve traveled all over the country and have met a lot of wonderful, kindhearted people. But I’ve also met a lot of dumb motherfuckers.
When I say “dumb,” it’s not an insult – it’s an observation. Most people that I’ve met don’t have the slightest understanding of how the world around them works. Their knowledge about science, politics, government, medicine, nature and other important areas is basic at best.
Why is this? America used to be ranked number one in the world when it came to education. Now, we’re not even in the top ten. What happened?
America Used To Be Smart – What Happened?
As recently as 20-30 years ago, America was ranked number one in both high school and higher education worldwide. Since then, we’ve steadily declined as other countries have moved up the list. Why? Like most complicated issues, there are several factors to consider.
In 1979, the Department of Education (DOE) was created by President Jimmy Carter. Since then, America’s worldwide education rank has steadily declined. Coincidence?
It’s not hard to see that when the government gets involved in something, it usually fucks it up. The War on Drugs immediately comes to mind, but there are plenty of other examples. The Department of Education has done nothing to improve education in this country. It’s actually made it hard (bordering on impossible) for states to properly educate their citizens.
US Congressman Thomas Massie
Thomas Massie, a state representative from Kentucky, actually introduced a piece of legislation in 2017 that would completely dismantle the DOE. It’s unlikely to pass, but it does have twelve cosponsors. Rep. Massie understands that the DOE has been detrimental to American education.
Another factor to consider is the state of American higher education. The cost to go to college has steadily risen much faster than average wages have. Other countries make higher education much more affordable for working and middle-class people.
These are just a few factors to consider but there are others. The real question is, what can be done about it?
Make America Smart Again
You’re smart enough to see that most Americans are pretty dumb and only getting dumber. So, what’s the answer? How can we make America smart again?
The fastest and most-effective way to make Americans smarter would be to completely redesign the K-12 curriculum. Stop filling children’s heads with nonsense and start teaching them stuff that will actually be of use in the real world.
Most of what we were taught in school is wrong.
What nonsense am I talking about? I’m talking about all the things we were taught in school that are totally false. As a product of the public school system, I was taught that Christopher Columbus discovered America, the Pilgrims wore buckled hats, and all kinds of other stuff that isn’t true.
I learned very little about world history unless it directly involved America. Even then, it was more pro-American propaganda than actual history. Health class: What a joke that was. I didn’t learn anything about how my body worked. And sex ed? Don’t have sex but, if you do, wear protection. That was my sexual education, taught by an embarrassed mid-forties woman who looked like she probably hadn’t had sex – safe or otherwise – in decades.
So, what should be taught instead of all that bullshit? The most important thing we should be teaching our children that we’re not is critical thinking skills. Not only are we not taught how to think critically, we’re strongly discouraged from doing so. What we are actually taught is to blindly trust authority. Why think critically when you can have someone else do it for you?
I didn’t learn how to think critically until college. And, even then, it was only because I studied philosophy. Outside of philosophy, critical thinking skills are rarely taught. What do I mean by critical thinking skills? Things like the ability to form rational arguments, how to apply logic to everyday situations, and learning the logical fallacies and how to avoid them. When you learn these skills, you’re able to make sense of the world around you and navigate it much easier.
So, critical thinking. What else? How about health – actual health. Most people don’t have any idea how their bodies work. Children should be taught basic anatomy and physiology, first aid, and how to navigate the medical system. Teach them about nutrition and hygiene. You know, stuff that’s kind of important.
At least a year of law should also be taught. We’re expected to follow all of the country’s bazillion laws, yet we’re never taught what most of them are. Teach students about the criminal justice system and how to make sure they never get sucked up into it.
Instead of teaching (absolutely worthless) social studies, how about teaching social skills? Teach children how to get along in spite of personal differences. Show them that it’s possible to have a rational debate without resorting to name-calling or violence. Teach children to appreciate diversity instead of automatically hating anyone who isn’t exactly like them.
Lastly, teach children valuable 21st-century life skills: How to manage your finances and not go into debt. How to find reliable information on the internet. How to enjoy social media and video games without becoming completely addicted. How to pick a career that you won’t absolutely hate for the next fifty years of your life.
These are the things we should be teaching our children in school – not the bullshit they currently teach. So why are America’s elected officials not doing anything about it?
The Cold, Hard Truth About School
There is a very-disconcerting (and cynical, but true) reason why most politicians don’t want education to improve in this country. If the citizens of America were well-informed and able to think critically, they would undoubtedly vote 95-percent of elected officials out of office the first chance they got.
Why? Because they would see and understand the insane amount of corruption that occurs at both the state and federal level. They’d see the abject failure of the War on Drugs and other government policies and insist that they be repealed immediately. They’d put an end to unchecked lobbying and to the countless millions of dollars that corporations use to influence policy.
To put it simply: If education was a lot better in the US, people would see right through big business’ and the government’s bullshit and demand change. The powers that be don’t want that. They like the way things are. They want a nation of idiots who don’t question their practices or their motives. That way, they can keep doing what they’re doing: lining their own pockets at the expense of the American people.
School, as it exists in this country now, is designed for two things: conformity and consumption. It teaches you to fall in line and grow up to be a good worker. That way, you can spend the little money you have on shit you don’t need.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. School should be about one thing: education – actual education… worthwhile, useful education. Just because we call it the “education system” doesn’t mean it’s teaching our children anything valuable. It teaches them a bunch of shit that is, at best, useless and, at worst, harmful.
Conclusion
To be clear, I’m not unpatriotic or anti America – quite the opposite. I see where this country’s at and I see where it could be. America has the potential to be the greatest, smartest country in the world. But that’s not going to happen until we completely revamp our education system.
Let’s make America smart again.
I think that getting rid of the Department of Education would be a great place to start. Leave it up to the states to educate their children. The DOE only makes it harder for states to create and maintain good schools.
And, as mentioned above, a complete overhaul of the curriculum could have America on top again in as little as ten-to-fifteen years. Teach children stuff that is both useful and factually correct – not the bullshit they teach now.
Lastly, teach kids that it’s cool to be smart. There has been a strong anti-intellectual sentiment throughout our country for far too long. Give kids incentives to excel in school instead of punishing them for it.
Now that’s how we could make America smart again. Those are just a handful of ideas but I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to smarten up this country. What would you do to make America smart again?
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