You Decide: Are Americans Stupid?
April 04, 2008
It’s one thing to be uneducated; it’s another to be stupid. If a new report on drop out rates in major U.S. metropolitan cities is to be believed, fewer Americans are educated. If the following video represents a cross section of the United States, far too many Americans are also stupid. Taken together, they paint a frightening picture. It’s a mixture that may well explain our diminishing economic advantage and it may also signal our waning relevance on the world stage.
Now take a look at the video. While this piece was a tongue-in-cheek presentation aired on Australian television, it is difficult to ignore the subtle threads of truth that underly the humor.
It’s one thing to be uneducated; it’s another to be stupid. If a new report on drop out rates in major U.S. metropolitan cities is to be believed, fewer Americans are educated. If the following video represents a cross section of the United States, far too many Americans are also stupid. Taken together, they paint a frightening picture. It’s a mixture that may well explain our diminishing economic advantage and it may also signal our waning relevance on the world stage.
From The Washington Post:
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration announced Tuesday it will require states to report high school graduation rates in a uniform way instead of using a variety of methods that critics say are often based on unreliable information.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced the change at a news conference at which a report was released showing that 17 of the nation’s 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent.
Nationally, about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma and about 1.2 million students drop out annually.
“When more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it’s more than a problem, it’s a catastrophe,” said former Secretary of State Colin Powell, founding chair of the alliance.
Now take a look at the video. While this piece was a tongue-in-cheek presentation aired on Australian television, it is difficult to ignore the subtle threads of truth that underly the humor.
