A Nation Of Morons: : The Fall of an
Empire and the Fate of America
15 April 2012By
Stephen Lendman
Jefferson called an educated citizenry "a vital
requisite for our survival as a free people."
Madison warned that "A popular Government, without
popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is
but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or, perhaps
both."
Jack Kennedy said "The ignorance of one voter in a
democracy impairs the security of all."
In 1748, Montesquieu said "The tyranny of a principal
in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public
welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy."
In a June 1950 commencement speech, Boston University
President Daniel Marsh said, "If the (television)
craze continues....we are destined to have a nation of
morons."
Well before television arrived, journalist Walter
Lippmann called the public "the bewildered herd." In
policy matters, their function is to be "spectators,"
not "participants."
"The common interests elude public opinion entirely,"
he said, and that's the way it should be.
America's privileged class alone should manage them.
Only they need proper education and training. Treat
others like mushrooms - well-watered and in the dark.
In other words, distracted by bread and circuses. More
on that below.
In his book, "Amusing Ourselves to Death," Neil
Postman said "Americans are the most entertained and
least informed people in the world." Most know little
or nothing about what matters most.
Public ignorance isn't universal, but a significant
majority's affected. Henry Ford once said:
"It is well that the people of the nation do not
understand our banking and monetary system, for if
they did, I believe there would be a revolution before
tomorrow morning."
It's also true for out-of-control imperialism, war and
peace overall, political corruption, corporate power,
illusory democracy, elections little more than
theater, police state lawlessness, an unprecedented
wealth disparity, shocking poverty, unemployment,
hunger and homelessness levels, and numerous other
issues in the world's richest country.
Widespread public ignorance keeps these and other
abuses out of public consciousness and concern enough
to demand political Washington address them
responsibly.
Instead, officials serve wealth and power alone. As a
result, popular needs go begging, especially under
mandated austerity to pay bankers and wage imperial
wars.
A nation of morons literally lets America get away
with murder, erode human and civil rights, and leave
millions uninformed, on their own, out of luck.
Public Education in America
Diogenes called education "the foundation of every
state." Father of American education Horace Mann
called "(t)he common school....the greatest discovery
ever made by man." He meant public, not private, ones
to educate all students responsibly.
Today, US public education's targeted for
privatization. At issue is commodifying it as another
profit center. Bottom line priorities only will
matter. As a result, in cities across the country,
schools are closed, teachers fired, and students left
out in the cold.
Moreover, those in inner city public schools aren't
taught. Why bother when high-pay skilled jobs move
abroad, and they're left to scramble for low pay, no
benefit, unskilled part-time or temp ones at home.
Half a century after the Supreme Court's landmark
Brown v. Board of Education ruling, Jonathan Kozol
called segregation worse, not better, in his book
titled, "The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of
Apartheid Schooling in America."
At the same time, Harvard civil rights researchers
commemorated Brown's 50th anniversary saying, "At the
beginning of the twenty-first century, American public
schools are now 12 years into the process of
continuous resegregation."
Desegregation from the 1950s through late 1980s "has
receded to levels not seen in three decades." Martin
Luther King's dream became a nightmare with respect to
education, civil liberties, and inability of growing
numbers of underprivileged Americans to get by because
help keeps shrinking when they most need it.
In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in
Education published a report titled, "A Nation at
Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform." It found
academic performance poor at nearly all levels. It
warned that America's educational system was "being
eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity."
Today, it's a national disaster by design. So-called
education reform's a fraud. It masks privatization
schemes, a society of growing haves and have nots, and
no desire to educate masses for low pay, low skill
jobs if they can find one.
Critics warn of dire consequences to no avail. Several
books discussed it. They include Jared Diamond's
"Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,"
Cullen Murphy's "Are We Rome: The Fall of an Empire
and the Fate of America," and Adrian Goldsworthy's
"How Rome Fell."
They explain the decline and fall of powerful states,
and apply what's highlighted to failing education in
America. Combined with out-of-control greed,
imperialism, corruption, duplicity, and lawlessness,
it's a prescription for failure.
In his book titled, "Just How Stupid Are We? Facing
the Truth about the American Voter," Rick Shenkman
discussed profound public ignorance. He asked, "How
much ignorance can a country stand," and said one day
we'll find out, perhaps to our dismay.
Numerous examples provide evidence.
University of Michigan studies categorize Americans as
follows:
- few know much about
politics and world affairs;
- around half know
enough to answer elementary questions; and
- all others know
virtually nothing.
In the 1980s, less
than a third knew Roe v. Wade was a 1970s Supreme
Court abortion ruling. Only one-fourth understood
senators serve six years. Only 20% knew America has
100 senators. Around 40% knew the nation has three
branches of government, but few can explain what
separation of powers entails.
Less than half knew America dropped the atom bomb on
Japan. In response to a 2005 Gallup poll asking to
name America's greatest president, only 14% choose
Lincoln and 5% Washington.
Only a third know Congress alone can declare war, or
that it can override a president's veto. Around half
think the chief executive can suspend the
Constitution.
In their book titled, "What Americans Know about
Politics and Why It Matters," Michael Delli Carpini
and Scott Keeter found only 5% could answer basic
economics questions, 11% domestic issues ones, 14%
foreign affairs topics, and 10% on geography. Only 25%
answered most history questions right.
In 2003, the Strategic Task Force on Education Abroad
said, "America's ignorance of the outside world" is so
extreme, it threatens national security.
One survey showed nearly one-fourth of Americans able
to name all five Simpson family members, compared to
one in 1,000 correctly stating all five First
Amendment freedoms.
They include free expression, a free press, freedom of
religion, the right to assemble peaceably, and to
petition government for redress of grievances, as well
as the implied rights of association and belief.
Free expression in all forms is most important.
Without it, all other rights are at risk.
In 2011, Newsweek magazine gave 1,000 Americans the US
citizenship test. The results showed profound
ignorance:
- 38% failed;
- 29% couldn't name
the vice president;
- 73% knew little or
nothing about the Cold War;
- 40% didn't know why
America fought Germany, Japan and Italy in WW II;
- 63% didn't know the
correct number of Supreme Court justices, let alone
their names;
- 65% knew nothing
about the Constitutional Convention;
- 70% didn't know the
Constitution is the supreme law of the land;
- 23% didn't know
Martin Luther King fought for civil rights;
- 40% couldn't
explain the Bill of Rights; and
- 6% didn't know July
4 was Independence Day.
In total, 100 questions were asked. Simple ones
included:
where's the White House located?
- what's the US
capitol?
- where does Congress
meet?
- how many states are
there in America?
- who's the military
commander-in-chief?
- name America's two
major political parties; and
- -- similar
questions most everyone should answer easily. Most
can't.
Results showed
appalling civic ignorance levels. Other tests on
reading, math and computer skills are just as dismal.
Americans are profoundly ignorant.
In May 2011, the Chicago Sun Times headlined, "Report:
Over a third of students entering college need
remedial help," saying:
"Nationally, in 2010, only 24 percent of ACT-tested
high school graduates were deemed college ready in all
four subjects tested - English, math, reading and
science." In addition, most lack computer skills.
Columbia University's Community College Research
Center found students finish high school unprepared.
At the same time, around 80% needing remedial help
graduated with GPAs above 3.0.
University of Illinois Professor Debra Bragg called it
"a problem for all types of (public) high schools."
They don't teach. They shove students through untaught
and unprepared. It's why over a third drop out and
never finish. In fact, in America's 50 largest cities,
rates exceed 40%, and in some major ones approach 50%.
Problems begin in first grade. Columbia University
senior research associate Dolores Perin said:
"Students aren't learning strong reading and writing
skills and math, and the problems get worse and worse.
As kids get older, it just gets harder and harder to
do well in school," no matter what grades they're
given to shove them out in preparation for the next
crop behind them.
In contrast, Western Europeans and Asians score much
higher on skills mattering most, as well as knowledge
of international issues. Whatever deficiencies affect
their schools, they way outperform America's.
Corporate controlled education reform assures worse
ahead. For business, only profits matter. Marketplace
solutions don't work, especially when they sacrifice
vital needs for bottom line priorities and prevent
children from fulfilling the American dream.
For growing numbers today, it's a nightmare getting
worse.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached
at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is
titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War" http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit
his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour.
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