Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
America used to be known as a country that strived to excel. Then red states started calling the educated "elitists" and elected a president that said he loves the uneducated. Now half the country demonizes universities and those who attend them.
That's because a lot of them are and they walk around with their nose in the air which is really freakin annoying. There's lots of people that don't have degrees that do important jobs. Can you operate a giant crane or earth mover and build a 30 story building? What about all of the guys that fixed the power lines after the hurricanes? The schools indoctrinated people into thinking that people with degrees are an elite class of people and that the debt they inherit will be worth it, no matter what.
That's because a lot of them are and they walk around with their nose in the air which is really freakin annoying. There's lots of people that don't have degrees that do important jobs. Can you operate a giant crane or earth mover and build a 30 story building? What about all of the guys that fixed the power lines after the hurricanes? The schools indoctrinated people into thinking that people with degrees are an elite class of people and that the debt they inherit will be worth it, no matter what.
Indeed. There's the educated professional class running things ..... but then there's the barista class of educated-but-unemployable (or "froth" economy people who live off the largess of a post-capitalist society) who believe that THEY are super duper smart compared to skilled tradesmen.
Meanwhile, if we're being honest, those blue collar skilled workers are more valuable and important - and often make double or more - that so many snot noses who went to college and got a degree in sociology or minority studies.
I wouldn't be surprised if this actually becomes a thing. I can see the signs now: "Welcome to Alabama! Only 20% of the population with a higher education degree! Home of the real Americans!".
Also, once upon a time even conservatives supported public schools and higher education. In fact, Eisenhower was a strong supporter of K-12 public schools. The problem nowadays is that Republican states refuse to properly fund their public schools or pay their teachers viable salaries.
The pay disparity between red and blue states is largely explained by cost of living differences.
For example, sure Red Alabama has an average teacher salary of $48K and Blue Vermont has an average teacher salary of $52.5K...but is that extra $4,500 that much of a benefit? The cost of living calculator says no.
In fact, the CNN Cost of Living Calculator suggests that adjusted for local prices - teachers in Alabama make noticeably MORE than teachers in Vermont adjusting for regional prices.
Compare other states and you'll see similar results.
I've heard lots of people use your same line of reasoning to belittle other states - but for how proud they are of their education, they don't comprehend cost of living differences.
America used to be known as a country that strived to excel. Then red states started calling the educated "elitists" and elected a president that said he loves the uneducated.
There's still a powerful drive for striving to excel. But now that excellence is increasingly more about making a killing trading bitcoin, or filming a high-hitting U-tube video. It's less and less about making the high-school's math team.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WIHS2006
...Eisenhower was a strong supporter of K-12 public schools. The problem nowadays is that Republican states refuse to properly fund their public schools or pay their teachers viable salaries.
By modern reckoning, Eisenhower would be a RINO. After all, his name is eponymous with the National Highway System, which today would be a regarded as a tawdry liberal boondoggle to con people into driving across state lines, instead of wholesome abiding in the town and county in which they were born.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nobodysbusiness
...This one is: Why are there so many *innately* dumb people in America?
They must have always been here.
And how could America ever have been great with such a huge percentage of dumb people?
America has no monopoly on dumb people. Having had the privilege of traveling abroad, and living abroad, I’d aver that the average American is nowise inferior, in academic achievement or factual knowledge, to his counterparts in most other nations. What is especially unusual about America, is the anti-intellectual culture. Dumb people in France or China or Bhutan are ensconced in their villages. They’re busy milking cows or plucking chickens, or perhaps overturning Citroen sedans on the outskirts of Paris. In America, they have outsized influence in the public discourse. America manages to lead the world in patents, scholarly papers, new drugs, new gadgets, new insights in math or chemistry or economics. But it also leads the world in untutored rubes wielding inordinate influence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TriMT7
The US is a superpower because, like all societies on earth, a talented 10% - 20% or so actually drive the economy, law, government and technology. We have a very large population and a business and innovation climate that thrives despite whatever regressive cesspool and culture war garbage the right AND THE LEFT try to drag us into.
This is true. But the danger is, that if we keep promulgating the message that college is for snot-nosed sissies lacking common-sense, our next generation will be just slightly less educated, and so forth, until indeed the prophesy fulfills itself.
Indeed. There's the educated professional class running things ..... but then there's the barista class of educated-but-unemployable (or "froth" economy people who live off the largess of a post-capitalist society) who believe that THEY are super duper smart compared to skilled tradesmen.
Meanwhile, if we're being honest, those blue collar skilled workers are more valuable and important - and often make double or more - that so many snot noses who went to college and got a degree in sociology or minority studies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderlust76
That's because a lot of them are and they walk around with their nose in the air which is really freakin annoying. There's lots of people that don't have degrees that do important jobs. Can you operate a giant crane or earth mover and build a 30 story building? What about all of the guys that fixed the power lines after the hurricanes? The schools indoctrinated people into thinking that people with degrees are an elite class of people and that the debt they inherit will be worth it, no matter what.
And the above two posts are why the tech, medical research, entertainment and financial industries are all in blue states. And why Appalachia is waiting for coal to come back. There is nothing wrong with blue collar jobs, but red states like to demonize those who work hard to attain advanced degrees which ultimately result in creating jobs, industries and wealth.
Have they looked at the average incomes of blue states compared to red states? Compared the education levels? Looked where all the best jobs are located? Then watched as red states promise they will name their town Amazon if only they will bring their $50 billion second headquarters to their location?
When half the country is competing to be the least educated, we are no longer going to be a superpower.
I don't understand why America is considered "Great" or a "Super Power." There are so many dumb people . . .
This is a term based solely on military capability. We have the ability to influence world events and potential global outcomes based strictly on our military might. We have the power to send just about any country back to the stone age (of course, the aftermath will be a different story...). The terms you mention have nothing to do with the collective IQ of the country's population.
And the above two posts are why the tech, medical research, entertainment and financial industries are all in blue states. And why Appalachia is waiting for coal to come back. There is nothing wrong with blue collar jobs, but red states like to demonize those who work hard to attain advanced degrees which ultimately result in creating jobs, industries and wealth.
Have they looked at the average incomes of blue states compared to red states? Compared the education levels? Looked where all the best jobs are located? Then watched as red states promise they will name their town Amazon if only they will bring their $50 billion second headquarters to their location?
When half the country is competing to be the least educated, we are no longer going to be a superpower.
This responded to zero of my points. You don't even know what you're talking about and have never left whatever part of the west coast you're in.
As always you can't back anything up and just caveman grunt about income in one state vs another. The "best jobs" is subjective, also, you're just talking about tech jobs in one small part of the country. They only pay more because you're trying to prop up high cost of living areas.
Are you seriously trying to make the claim, that everyone in the freakin country should get into the IT field and move to the west coast just because you've been brainwashed by the ghost of Steve Jobs? Do you know how stupid that sounds?
People on the east coast are doing the same job they just make a little less because the cost of living is significantly lower.
Look who's doing the teaching. And how the material is taught...
Teaching stupid is being accomplished at home and in the social media, how do you explain that half of all Americans believe that Obama was born in Kenya. How do they believe that coal and manufacturing jobs are the future, or that Alex Jones has millions of followers or that the Drudge Report is more popular than most newspapers.
You can educate people but stupid is a self acquired trait.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
