Republicans have different reasons for their wars. Their Ear on Women, for example, is to subjugate them at home. Their War on the Environment is to increase profits for criminal corporations. Their War on Voting is to steal elections that they cannot win in a fair contest. Their Wars on Minorities and LGBT people are to tap the hatred of their rabid base and energize them to activism. Now, their War on Education is to make America stupid. Why?
Among the many visionary goals of our nation’s right wing—impoverish older people, starve the poor, deny climate change, outlaw abortion and contraception, eliminate healthcare for millions—few are more foundational than defunding education in general and higher education in particular. Public colleges and universities nationwide have seen significant funding cuts over the past five years, and while the recession is usually blamed, the Right keeps the fiscal screws tight by cutting taxes on the wealthy and corporations. Here in Michigan, in Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s first budget, there was a 15 percent cut in state aid to universities and a $1.8 billion tax cut for businesses. This equals a win-win for the Right: Keep the fat cats in your corner, and constrain the opportunity for young people to learn a host of things that might, well, make them interrogate right-wing policies. The Pew Research Center and others have found that lower income and less-educated whites are becoming more likely to vote Republican than Democrat, with 54 percent of those without a college degree identifying as Republican in 2012; only 37 percent identified as Democratic, so the gap is, well, quite wide.
And here’s the ideological bonus: Public universities, clobbered by defunding, raise tuition. Then conservative pundits like S.E. Cupp can scream about the outrageous unaffordability (and elitism, of course) of a college degree and claim that it’s money down a rat hole. As she put it, colleges are “not meeting the demand of manufacturers and employers who want people who can’t just, you know, read Freud and Nietzsche … but who can actually read a business plan.” She’s hardly alone— stories asking “Is College Worth It?” are everywhere now. Few put two and two together: that the government cuts have to be made up somehow… [emphasis added]
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Most people are shocked, when I tell them, I do not have a four year degree, just an AA. I come across ads better educated, because I received a better and more rounded high school education in 1960s than many degrees individuals have today. In those days the focus was on learning how to think, not what to think, and it instilled in me a thirst for knowledge that still demands I keep learning learning, as I have since my formal education ended.
Unless we produce a generation of Americans smart enough to find new innovations to succeed in a competitive world economy, America will become a third world, totalitarian nation under rigid Republican rule. However, we have teachers that are good enough and students capable of learning. The only thing preventing us from giving those students what they need to lead the world into a better future for all is the Republican Party. Removing them from power is a national imperative.
15 Responses to “Republicans Want to Make America Stupid”
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I do not have a college education either. I took some night classes at the local Community College in the 1970s but that was as a stipulation of my employment with the IRS. It was fun too. Our education systems were better then because as you said, we were taught to think. I bet Miss Kitty, as a teacher, agrees. G.W. Bush has left his mark on America with "No Child Left Behind". In reality it is "The Dumbing Down of America". He wanted everyone to be as stupid as he is.
The Republicans don't seem to realize that the victims of these cuts will grow up to compete with their counterparts in Europe, Russia, Japan, South Korea, etc. where high-quality education is still the norm. By trying to dumb down the population so that it will still vote for them, they're weakening the country's future competitive position.
The Republicanus/Teabaggers want the rest of the country to resemble them at best . . . little Republicanus/Teabagger clones who march in lockstep! If you teach people how to think, OMG, they actually might make better decisions and see the Republicanus/Teabaggers for what they are . . . trolls, political trolls out to control the country rather than lead the country.
Like TC and Patty, I am a product of the 60's only in Canada. I have a post secondary education at the college level but no degree. More importantly, I am a knowledge junkie. The day one stops learning is the day one dies!
Goodness me – I am part of a chorus – like everyone so far I am part of 60s education, and don't have a degree. Plenty of people with degrees don't know how to think, just how to regurgitate info in a manner pleasing to their examiners.
My instant reaction on reading the headline of this article before I clicked on to it was to think "Well if the GOP want to make America more stupid, all they have to do is have more voters!" (please God that doesn't happen – on so many levels!
Why is the right wing, particularly with the influence of the tea party; leading us down this road of limited education, limited individual rights, limited out-reach to those most in need, and even more redistribution of the nation’s wealth upward and not owned by the majority? I believe that is the essence of the question.
I believe this has been a continuing, if often unsuccessful set of policies for at least the past 60 years. Though the success of these plans moved slowly and without much success until the election of Reagan. The single most serious road block would be the stringent regulations imposed by FDR, in his efforts to end the Depression by use of the only tools at his disposal. The result was that we did have increased taxation on both the very wealthy and the largest mega-corporations. This fed our economy, and we as Americans saw growth. The use of the VA bill allowed a generation of returning war veterans to obtain a college education, without going bankrupt. We showed a generous spirit by beginning a program of protections for our elderly, and finally in the 1960’s we acknowledged that equal and civil rights were not limited to some, but were in fact a part of the ideals of the constitution. The phrase life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, was not intended for the few, but rather the many.
With an educated public and voting rights open to all, this country thrived in a way that made us a model of what a nation could be, a model of what freedom should mean.
The problem with an educated public is that they will and do question the decisions and desires of those in power. Americans acknowledge that some will be rich, either from inherited or earned wealth and accepted the idea of the possibility; that this class should be allowed to use their ideas and ingenuity to grow their ideas and through this: employ the public. Americans, have long expected that from using the tools granted by our freedoms the wealthy do actually owe a debt to the United States.
In the past 30 years with onslaught of ending the regulations that were set in place to prevent another disaster as happened with the unchecked growth and abuse of public funds, we prevented another completely catastrophic collapse of the economy. As the regulations were removed the corporations, banks and Wall Street investment brokers immediately began returning to those practices that took wealth from the public and redistributed that wealth upward.
With that access to extreme wealth comes an expectation to control and dictate all aspects of life that will continue to feed the wealth and privilege of the few, with distain of those not in that very isolated stratosphere of life. Living in the enclave that grants exception to the rules of the many but allows growth of the few people lose a perspective of reality and honesty. The few now have nearly total enhancement of their rights and little desire to see the pubic once again grow in education or voting freedoms. Neither women nor any group of minorities are dependable for following laws, rules or regulations that infringe on their right to attempt to own a piece of the national wealth, rights and freedoms. When each person has the right to own even a small piece of the “pie” that poses a threat to the most wealthy of the ruling class.
The best and most efficient way to deal with the rabble (that would be us) is to limit their rights. Make loud claims of voter fraud and some, too many, will follow that tune with support, convincing themselves that it must be true. Education is for the few that can afford that privilege, not for the rabble, voting for those who might attempt to disrupt this extraordinary movement of wealth upward, is not just a desire to suppress, but a desire to not allow any form of interference.
The WARS on women, minorities and the reticence to accept the reality of needed immigration reform are all a part of this need for protection of the wealthy; their ownership of the mass of wealth created by the nation is currently bordering on desperation.
The most important missing element is an intellectual rebellion that will again allow this country to grow as in once did, from the labor and efforts of the majority.
When one is confronted with those who accuse this administration attempting a redistribution of wealth, it might be a good a idea to remind them that this has happened and all that is needed is for those with the most, to active participants for the betterment of the country.
Strangely, one of those most misquoted is the so-called father of capitalism, if one will actually read his work, he was not fond of taxation, but clearly saw the reality of the need for taxation, and most important the very real need for regulation of corporations.
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"Conservatives love to quote Adam Smith, the Father of Capitalism . But I doubt that many of them have actually read his works. Adam smith extolled the free market in his seminal work, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of The Wealth Of Nations. But he also talked about other contributors to national success then surely they agree with his views on other related subjects, like how government should be funded.
"The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state." – Adam Smith
If it wasn't for all that government, and ultimately, the rest of the nation, the wealthy would not have been able to amass their riches. They should give back to the community.
""The necessaries of life occasion the great expense of the poor. They find it difficult to get food, and the greater part of their little revenue is spent in getting it. The luxuries and vanities of life occasion the principal expense of the rich . . . . It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion."
"It must always be remembered, however, that it is the luxuries, and not the necessary expense of the inferior ranks of people, that ought ever to be taxed." — Adam Smith
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Though we consider him the father of capitalism he was not one who glorified the accumulation of wealth at the bitter and cruel expense of the rest of the workers and worse – the very poor. Smith had some ideas as a structure for the business of business. He also knew well that his ideas could and would be taken out of context and used to reinforce the most vile of thinking. That only the "best" of society should be allowed a participation in the Wealth of Nations.
Misskitty, you have explained it so well, I totally agree with you.
Born in 1945, educated in the fifties and sixties – the first time around – Bachelor's in 1966 and MBA in 1973. And a few more graduate courses later. And here to say so what. I have never gravitated to people of education but to people of intelligence. Since we all know you can't fix stupid, why is it so hard to admit you can't teach smart? To anyone here without a degree, I would say what I said to a good friend who was once ashamed to admit she had not finished high school and only had a GED -"You are intelligent, you can read, and you can understand what you read. Do not EVER be embarrassed to hold up your head among educated idiots!" I'll bet she worked harder for that GED than rich kids do for a degree anyway.
None of that means we can afford to let Republicans get away with their plots. I'm absolutely with you all on that.
But smarts? Look up some statistics on the education level of MENSA members some time.
Come on now … you really need to trust them on this. After all, they have a LOT of expertise in this area.
The dumber we are, the more likely it is that we will vote Republican.
My grandmother had an 8th grade education. She helped me with my homework in physics and algebra when I was in high school. She got more education in her 8 years than many have with a degree these days. Sad.
Thanks everyone. Major kudos to Kit.
I'm sorry for not repling individuallly as usual, but I seem to have come down with a cold/flu and feel just horrid.
Sorry folks but this is hardly a heavy lift!
Look at some of the utter morons elected. and marvel at the lack of intelligence of the voters.!
I do agree however that the lack of good education in America (way down on the world list)! plays a huge roll.
Of course a stupid public is a politicians dream. (mainly Repugs of course)
Born in 1956 and poor in Vermont and escaped into the Vietnam War at age 17 due to abusive step father. After a TBI – Traumatic Brain Injury due to service connected disability, Pell grants and student loans fueled my efforts at the University of Maine where I received my ASBA in May, 1998. Received my BSBA on May 13, 2000. Now I work for the Veteran's Administration without pay to help Veterans… 😆
S. E. Cupp, an elitist if there ever was one, would like us to believe that a college education is a waste of time. But she has one. And I bet her kids will have one from the best institutions money can buy. There are also quite a number of colleges and universities that house prestigious business schools. So, why does she tell the great unwashed masses that a college education is useless and can't give you a decent business education?
Simply put, she lies. Just ask yourself – what advantage is there for the elitist one percent if only their kids go to college? Well, there would be little competition for jobs in potentially lucrative career fields. And their precious little elitist children wouldn't have to sit and study next to great hordes of the filthy, unwashed proletariat of many races and gender preferences while in their college classes and dorms.
The truth is that every human being in this country has the right to better himself in any way he or she sees fit. Sadly, republicans allow themselves to be dictated to by the likes of the lying S.E. Cupp. They'll buy her argument in total.
Screw S. E. Cupp.