In recent days, I have speculated that the election results might be directly related to the last few generations of publicly educated Americans. I was publicly educated. But in those days, public education was mostly administered by local authorities and all of it at the state level or usually below. Today, much of the content and funding is mandated or bequeathed from “higher” (yes, it’s a bit of an oxymoron) domains, at the state level or above. Before the election we saw discussion with people who intended to vote for Obama who could not explain much of anything that he specifically proposed to do. He would bring “change” and “hope.” I think it very likely that many will “hope” they can find another job and “change” will define much disposable income. I heard other interviews where Obama supporters lauded elements that were attributed to Obama that were actually descriptive of McCain’s campaign.
Since the election, we’ve seen the results of a 12 question survey commissioned by John Ziegler and administered by the Zogby polling apparatus . That poll showed that a tiny minority (around 2%) of Obama voters obtained perfect or near-perfect scores on this test which “gauged their knowledge of statements and scandals associated with the presidential tickets during the campaign.” For the most part, they knew little about the Obama-Biden events and proposals, but most could identify the statements circulated about McCain and Palin, irrespective of their factuality.
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute has a web site entitled, “Our Fading American Heritage.”
They have put together a quiz of basic American civics. This is not extraordinarily difficult stuff. I have not intensely studied American History (In studying the history of Western thought, I actually got a clearer sense of World History. I’m guessing I fared relatively well because A) I’ve been inclined to pay attention to such things as much or more than amusing myself with television or computer games, and B) such basics were more essential to a basic education in my school days in the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s which now are fading into a relatively distant and increasingly irrelevant past.
But anyway, I was uncertain on one question about FDR’s response to a Supreme Court ruling of the unconstitutionality of some of his “New Deal” proposals. I couldn’t rule out all four multiple choice answers. But, most of the questions were much easier. Anyway, non-American civics or history student that I am, I scored a high “A.”
However, the average score of over 2500 people who were administered the quiz nationwide, was 49%: that’s failing and emphatically so. 71+% failed with a score below 59%. Less than 1% scored and “A.” Less than 31/2% scored an “A” or “B.” Less than 11% scored “C” or above. Over 89% scored a “D” or “F.” Many are musing on how the valuing of certain values can be recovered. Information like this makes that a considerably more vexing question.
Here is the quiz itself .
Here are major findings by demographic breakdown
Here is the report card from the site.
Pass the Bromo-Seltzer…
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The History of Social Progress and Fading American Ideals
I've made progress but am still working on my thoughts about the terrible price in this particular case of the understandable elation of electing our first black president. But today, I was forwarded a link to an article at Front Page: Obama's Road To Damascus , which is about first signals of imprudent foreign policy.
But in my anxiety about what may well be afoot, I replied about the precarious state of America's exceptional and advantageous place in the world.
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First of all, the link didn’t work (Page not found). But I was able to look the article up. I’ve listened to a lot of conservatives who are girding to confront what Obama and a liberal Congress may present and who feel that conservatism will review itself and make a come back, which I’m certain it will…a comeback of sorts.
But I am very concerned about the future of America. It is rather a big trick to collapse a social system in quick fashion and yes, other countries have taken steps back in a conservative direction in the face of the dysfunction that liberal policies have brought about. Yes, it’s almost beyond doubt that liberal expanding and intruding government will see token pullbacks in the face of the problems that will be the consequence of liberal policies. But in nations where its best moments might have been described as, “Two steps forward and one step back,” in the larger picture, it has always been that way in a inexorable progress to the left.
I am deeply troubled about might be distilled to a couple of points:
1. Perhaps the most notable pullback in Western history brought the election of Margaret Thatcher in Britain which had like much of Europe followed a route of socialism. Thatcher served as British Prime Minister of Britain from 1970 to 1990. Like the American President Ronald Reagan, she was able to implement some measures to encourage economic activity and bring some relief of the stagnation brought by liberal policies.
But, I recently heard discussion of how she had hoped to repeal the implementation which the socialist trend had implemented. But, that was not about to happen. Similarly in the US, Reagan was unable to staunch the growth of spending and government expansion. Tax reduction brought a doubling of revenues to the federal treasury, due to invigorated economic activity. But on budgetary terms, that was to no avail as spending tripled in the same period of time. Social Security and Medicare have divorced children from responsibility to their own parents. Parents care for their children from birth to near or beyond twenty years of age. But when parents age, there is no responsibility to reciprocate. On the whole, the government social system has not only morally maimed children, but has also relegated the elderly to a pittance in terms of living standard. But the famous “third rail of politics that is the FICA system is not only intractable, it is not even open for discussion. Bush (again) brought up Social Security, but it was summarily blown out of the water, and Bush slinked back to his corner.
Once a people has become dependent on a system, it would appear that only a revolution can change it, which incidentally has never happened.
2. All discussion of the benefit or detriment of the process of government socialization leave out what is clearly to me an essential point. The socializing nations have been to some considerable extent parasitic on a freer American society. Even beyond the fact that American power has repeatedly in the past come to defend other nations to weak to defend themselves. America has also been the seedbed of much of the technological advancement and education the fruit of which all nations have benefited from. But such advancement will be decidedly impaired once the chains of government are applied to American society. Sure, as has happened in Europe, government will necessarily in multivariate ways subsidize the largest established corporations in America. But, the seed of innovation is usually in startup commercial efforts, who are suppressed or obstructed by regulation or the subsidy of big business. So, if America is a last holdout for private liberty and the economic vitality that affords an overwhelming military, what does that mean not just for America, but for the world?
The respect for the sanctity of human life which is at the precipice of not just neglect but being utterly forgotten, Is at the foundation of the civil social character which enables both the defense of alien peoples and the conduct of civil society.
But in my anxiety about what may well be afoot, I replied about the precarious state of America's exceptional and advantageous place in the world.
-----------------
First of all, the link didn’t work (Page not found). But I was able to look the article up. I’ve listened to a lot of conservatives who are girding to confront what Obama and a liberal Congress may present and who feel that conservatism will review itself and make a come back, which I’m certain it will…a comeback of sorts.
But I am very concerned about the future of America. It is rather a big trick to collapse a social system in quick fashion and yes, other countries have taken steps back in a conservative direction in the face of the dysfunction that liberal policies have brought about. Yes, it’s almost beyond doubt that liberal expanding and intruding government will see token pullbacks in the face of the problems that will be the consequence of liberal policies. But in nations where its best moments might have been described as, “Two steps forward and one step back,” in the larger picture, it has always been that way in a inexorable progress to the left.
I am deeply troubled about might be distilled to a couple of points:
1. Perhaps the most notable pullback in Western history brought the election of Margaret Thatcher in Britain which had like much of Europe followed a route of socialism. Thatcher served as British Prime Minister of Britain from 1970 to 1990. Like the American President Ronald Reagan, she was able to implement some measures to encourage economic activity and bring some relief of the stagnation brought by liberal policies.
But, I recently heard discussion of how she had hoped to repeal the implementation which the socialist trend had implemented. But, that was not about to happen. Similarly in the US, Reagan was unable to staunch the growth of spending and government expansion. Tax reduction brought a doubling of revenues to the federal treasury, due to invigorated economic activity. But on budgetary terms, that was to no avail as spending tripled in the same period of time. Social Security and Medicare have divorced children from responsibility to their own parents. Parents care for their children from birth to near or beyond twenty years of age. But when parents age, there is no responsibility to reciprocate. On the whole, the government social system has not only morally maimed children, but has also relegated the elderly to a pittance in terms of living standard. But the famous “third rail of politics that is the FICA system is not only intractable, it is not even open for discussion. Bush (again) brought up Social Security, but it was summarily blown out of the water, and Bush slinked back to his corner.
Once a people has become dependent on a system, it would appear that only a revolution can change it, which incidentally has never happened.
2. All discussion of the benefit or detriment of the process of government socialization leave out what is clearly to me an essential point. The socializing nations have been to some considerable extent parasitic on a freer American society. Even beyond the fact that American power has repeatedly in the past come to defend other nations to weak to defend themselves. America has also been the seedbed of much of the technological advancement and education the fruit of which all nations have benefited from. But such advancement will be decidedly impaired once the chains of government are applied to American society. Sure, as has happened in Europe, government will necessarily in multivariate ways subsidize the largest established corporations in America. But, the seed of innovation is usually in startup commercial efforts, who are suppressed or obstructed by regulation or the subsidy of big business. So, if America is a last holdout for private liberty and the economic vitality that affords an overwhelming military, what does that mean not just for America, but for the world?
The respect for the sanctity of human life which is at the precipice of not just neglect but being utterly forgotten, Is at the foundation of the civil social character which enables both the defense of alien peoples and the conduct of civil society.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Gullible Nation Should Get Serious
I listened to my favorite thoughtful and gracious conservative talk show hosts, today. I fear they were more than a bit more sanguine than I feel. Bill Riggs also has put a resigned and constructive-going-forward semi-smile on it.
The depth of my discomfort is not specifically with the threat of Barack Obama personally, especially when surely Republicans will mount a filibuster against most extreme liberal measures, such as card-check, The Fairness Doctrine, and even huge tax increases.
But what is most sobering is that a majority of Americans were incapable of what ought to be the most common-sense understandings: that Barack Obama manipulated his audiences as necessary, changing his punch lines when moving from circumstance to circumstance and audience to audience. Perhaps there is an audience for the contemporary equivalent of the old medicine-show (booze-spiked) tonic peddlers. I’m not saying that Republicans and conservatives (not always coincident) should not approach Barack Obama with genuine positiveness about what we truly believe will help America.
But it’s true in fact for example, that large companies are marketing "green" products to "help the environment" and forestall global warming. Hey, I agreed with Huckabee's steering of the issue to the simple call to be stewards of the environment. Surely we know from our own history and the local legacies of reckless Soviet industry, that we can scar and tarnish the land with careless human commerce. However as to anthropogenic global warming, I see only frantic and cynical posturing on the part of a few to mobilize the many: a lynch mob on steroids.
On that subject I say, "Don't listen to me. Don't listen to any organization or individual, conservative or liberal or ostensibly otherwise. Go directly to the historical and scientific data. Not anyone's presentation of it: the historical facts, the numbers, and the graphs. I have. There was for a relatively long time a very slow global warming trend, as there have been warming and cooling trends through history, mostly evidently owing to solar activity. In fact, for the past few years, average temperatures have actually fallen. But the idea that carbon dioxide (a not only common but ubiquitous and essential element) in the atmosphere poses an imminent threat to life itself simply is not in the data. Human caused global warming is a secularist sin account and a proposed consequent of global calamity is a secular apocalypse.
But back to the point: Is this vulnerability to the simplest manipulation the result of or even related to an increasingly federally-dominated education system (in which G.W. Bush played a greatly facilitating role, by the way)? Are we becoming a nation of dupes? Our primary preoccupation not with the sober essentials of life but with amusements such as television, music, I-pods, and video games (not bad things; just not primary) hasn’t helped. You may not want to listen to a curmudgeon like me. But if you can spare a few minutes, aside from reflecting on what we curmudgeons are talking about with regard to essential principles like life, liberty and property, you should also consider that Europe is awash and near drowning in an Islamic influx and growing domination. Do a little study of Geert Wilders’ description of this European problem and the Islamic aggression that is only fainter in US due to relative distance, which may only offer us a little more time. You can fin Geert Wilders and his short movie, “Fitna,” on the web. He is a lead character in a coming December meeting to discuss opposition to “Islamicization.” It will convene in Israel, which Wilders describes as not the unique target but only the leading edge Of Islamic aggression against Western Democratic Judeo-Christian values. On the other hand, you could just turn the music up louder.
The depth of my discomfort is not specifically with the threat of Barack Obama personally, especially when surely Republicans will mount a filibuster against most extreme liberal measures, such as card-check, The Fairness Doctrine, and even huge tax increases.
But what is most sobering is that a majority of Americans were incapable of what ought to be the most common-sense understandings: that Barack Obama manipulated his audiences as necessary, changing his punch lines when moving from circumstance to circumstance and audience to audience. Perhaps there is an audience for the contemporary equivalent of the old medicine-show (booze-spiked) tonic peddlers. I’m not saying that Republicans and conservatives (not always coincident) should not approach Barack Obama with genuine positiveness about what we truly believe will help America.
But it’s true in fact for example, that large companies are marketing "green" products to "help the environment" and forestall global warming. Hey, I agreed with Huckabee's steering of the issue to the simple call to be stewards of the environment. Surely we know from our own history and the local legacies of reckless Soviet industry, that we can scar and tarnish the land with careless human commerce. However as to anthropogenic global warming, I see only frantic and cynical posturing on the part of a few to mobilize the many: a lynch mob on steroids.
On that subject I say, "Don't listen to me. Don't listen to any organization or individual, conservative or liberal or ostensibly otherwise. Go directly to the historical and scientific data. Not anyone's presentation of it: the historical facts, the numbers, and the graphs. I have. There was for a relatively long time a very slow global warming trend, as there have been warming and cooling trends through history, mostly evidently owing to solar activity. In fact, for the past few years, average temperatures have actually fallen. But the idea that carbon dioxide (a not only common but ubiquitous and essential element) in the atmosphere poses an imminent threat to life itself simply is not in the data. Human caused global warming is a secularist sin account and a proposed consequent of global calamity is a secular apocalypse.
But back to the point: Is this vulnerability to the simplest manipulation the result of or even related to an increasingly federally-dominated education system (in which G.W. Bush played a greatly facilitating role, by the way)? Are we becoming a nation of dupes? Our primary preoccupation not with the sober essentials of life but with amusements such as television, music, I-pods, and video games (not bad things; just not primary) hasn’t helped. You may not want to listen to a curmudgeon like me. But if you can spare a few minutes, aside from reflecting on what we curmudgeons are talking about with regard to essential principles like life, liberty and property, you should also consider that Europe is awash and near drowning in an Islamic influx and growing domination. Do a little study of Geert Wilders’ description of this European problem and the Islamic aggression that is only fainter in US due to relative distance, which may only offer us a little more time. You can fin Geert Wilders and his short movie, “Fitna,” on the web. He is a lead character in a coming December meeting to discuss opposition to “Islamicization.” It will convene in Israel, which Wilders describes as not the unique target but only the leading edge Of Islamic aggression against Western Democratic Judeo-Christian values. On the other hand, you could just turn the music up louder.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
America Under Obama and a Democratic Congress/Pat Buchanan and Immigration
I like him alright, but I was never a supporter of Pat Buchanan. I particularly differ with his longstanding emphasis on the menace of immigration: with typical reference specifically to Hispanics crossing our southern border. Obviously, immigration needs to be legal and orderly: the first lesson to immigrants shouldn’t be that the law is not a very serious matter. Isn’t it a little ironic that those who most indulge illegal immigration are many of the same who seek all manner of virtue in the words of the law: I find that striking.
But anyway, folks who call themselves “conservative” make a deadly mistake when they line up, supposedly on the side of America, opposed to Central and South Americans. A man like Pat Buchanan seems to be wistful for his youth in the fifties, when American society exalted faith, family, community and a work ethic along with peace and prosperity. As it happens, the community he recalls was mostly white. Leaving out the white part, if you are looking for a part of the world where faith, family, community and a work ethic are most deeply held, it is in Central and South America. Oh, the last several decades has seen great advance in that regard in South Korea and some African nations: even in China and India in fact, though it’s still a small fraction in those billion+ countries.
But those values are centuries deep in Catholic Central and South America When the frightened or baleful stare of conservatives chases these people into the arms of Democrats pandering with a bread crust of government benefits, those conservatives are not just shooting themselves in the foot. They are shooting themselves in the gut. Of course we should legalize and order the immigration process. But, conservatives should meet these immigrants at the border and take them by the hand to English training and job opportunities, and to their homes. When we register Hispanics, we should be registering them as Republicans. Pat Buchanan and others should consider this: You have a problem with liberalism, right? As for liberals of influence who threaten to impose those views on America, they are largely WHITE! Relatively few are black (Republicans have already booted the relatively conservative black population in a BIG way). Less than a handful are Hispanic.
You want to build a wall on the border? Walls of themselves are ugly. This idea is especially odious. If America has a growing infection of malignant ideas, the problem is not out there, the problem is in here. Pat Buchanan once famously asked whether we could better assimilate a million Europeans or a million Hispanics. The implied supposedly obvious answer was A) Hispanics and B) WRONG! It was from Europe that we imported the socialist infection. Maybe the Europeans could plug in faster to business and commerce. But, the malignant infection is now deep in the European bloodstream. I was always amused when John Lennon fled Europe because the taxes were too high, only to land in America extolling leftism and writing a paean to communism (Imagine). Similarly, when I lived in New Hampshire nearly two decades ago, it was all Republican. Now, it has elected a Democrat governor, Republican John Sununu’s Senate seat is widely expected to turn Democrat, and McCain trails Obama in NH . More than simply media and culture, this is largely owing to liberally-inclined people fleeing Taxachusetts for tax-free (no income or sales tax, only property).
During the primaries, Republican Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo actually called for a moratorium on legal immigration! Clean up the immigration process, sure. But frankly, we don’t need fewer Hispanic immigrants. We need as many as we can possibly process! He’s a bright and able writer and seems like a decent guy, but while I disagree with Pat Buchanan on immigration and a few other issues and sometimes on his mode of expression, his description linked below of the consequences of a President Obama and a Democrat Congress, merits serious and sober consideration.
Obama's First 100 Days
But anyway, folks who call themselves “conservative” make a deadly mistake when they line up, supposedly on the side of America, opposed to Central and South Americans. A man like Pat Buchanan seems to be wistful for his youth in the fifties, when American society exalted faith, family, community and a work ethic along with peace and prosperity. As it happens, the community he recalls was mostly white. Leaving out the white part, if you are looking for a part of the world where faith, family, community and a work ethic are most deeply held, it is in Central and South America. Oh, the last several decades has seen great advance in that regard in South Korea and some African nations: even in China and India in fact, though it’s still a small fraction in those billion+ countries.
But those values are centuries deep in Catholic Central and South America When the frightened or baleful stare of conservatives chases these people into the arms of Democrats pandering with a bread crust of government benefits, those conservatives are not just shooting themselves in the foot. They are shooting themselves in the gut. Of course we should legalize and order the immigration process. But, conservatives should meet these immigrants at the border and take them by the hand to English training and job opportunities, and to their homes. When we register Hispanics, we should be registering them as Republicans. Pat Buchanan and others should consider this: You have a problem with liberalism, right? As for liberals of influence who threaten to impose those views on America, they are largely WHITE! Relatively few are black (Republicans have already booted the relatively conservative black population in a BIG way). Less than a handful are Hispanic.
You want to build a wall on the border? Walls of themselves are ugly. This idea is especially odious. If America has a growing infection of malignant ideas, the problem is not out there, the problem is in here. Pat Buchanan once famously asked whether we could better assimilate a million Europeans or a million Hispanics. The implied supposedly obvious answer was A) Hispanics and B) WRONG! It was from Europe that we imported the socialist infection. Maybe the Europeans could plug in faster to business and commerce. But, the malignant infection is now deep in the European bloodstream. I was always amused when John Lennon fled Europe because the taxes were too high, only to land in America extolling leftism and writing a paean to communism (Imagine). Similarly, when I lived in New Hampshire nearly two decades ago, it was all Republican. Now, it has elected a Democrat governor, Republican John Sununu’s Senate seat is widely expected to turn Democrat, and McCain trails Obama in NH . More than simply media and culture, this is largely owing to liberally-inclined people fleeing Taxachusetts for tax-free (no income or sales tax, only property).
During the primaries, Republican Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo actually called for a moratorium on legal immigration! Clean up the immigration process, sure. But frankly, we don’t need fewer Hispanic immigrants. We need as many as we can possibly process! He’s a bright and able writer and seems like a decent guy, but while I disagree with Pat Buchanan on immigration and a few other issues and sometimes on his mode of expression, his description linked below of the consequences of a President Obama and a Democrat Congress, merits serious and sober consideration.
Obama's First 100 Days
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
A Very Nice Palin Video
A couple of nights ago, a young man left a comment and asked if I would Blog and link his video. I said I would, probably “tomorrow.” I did not get after it but notified him that I intended to. It was visible at YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qforjC64Hfs and his personal site http://sethadamsmith.blogspot.com/
He may have missed a link or two by my not posting it. But, he appears to have gotten it posted at a better place: John McCain’s campaign web site. I think it will get a few views there. http://www.johnmccain.com/Blog/ .
The video is about Sarah Palin. It is Glenn Beck’s introduction six months ago, before John McCain tapped her for the ticket, of Palin’s story of the birth of her son with Downs syndrome, with a clip from her later speech at the Republican National Convention vowing her advocacy for children of special needs. It’s well done and well scored. It should help insure the participation of many whom Palin has inspired.
Seth Adam Smith, the creator, is a member of the LDS church. This suggests that his priorities for American culture are in order.
He may have missed a link or two by my not posting it. But, he appears to have gotten it posted at a better place: John McCain’s campaign web site. I think it will get a few views there. http://www.johnmccain.com/Blog/ .
The video is about Sarah Palin. It is Glenn Beck’s introduction six months ago, before John McCain tapped her for the ticket, of Palin’s story of the birth of her son with Downs syndrome, with a clip from her later speech at the Republican National Convention vowing her advocacy for children of special needs. It’s well done and well scored. It should help insure the participation of many whom Palin has inspired.
Seth Adam Smith, the creator, is a member of the LDS church. This suggests that his priorities for American culture are in order.
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