Stupid Education

At what point did America decide that ignorance was patriotic and intelligence was elitist? Cliff and I were having a conversation about Socialism. Now, both Cliff and I are closet Socialists. Or, more accurately, we think the ideal system would be a mixture of Capitalism and Socialism. I have two degrees and work the evivalent of full time, but I don't get any health insurance unles I pay for it completely myself. I know many people who don't have any health insurance because they don't get it through their jobs and they can't afford it themselves. If America is so great, then why can't most Americans afford to get sick here?

But that conversation got us talking about another aspect of Socialism: education. In our country, it seems that more and more, higher education is becoming a wealthy man's playground. Money seems to be the determining factor if a person is going to get a higher education than simply graduating high school. And if you can't afford to go to college, what is even the point of doing well in high school? As long as college is too expensive for most people to attend, the message of the unimportance of education is further spread. the United States is one of the lowest countries educationally. Compared to most European and Asian students (and people in general), Americans are morons.

It is almost as if to be uneducated in America is a sign of patriotism. Bill Clinton: elitist. Al Gore: elitist. John Kerry: elitist. Barack Obama: elitist. What do all these men who have been called elitist have in common ogther than being democrats? They are all well-educated, and that was truned into a negative when they were each running for president. Now why on Earth would we want a well-educated President of the United States? After all, the last 8 years have shown us how great an ignorant asshole can be as commander and chief! I don't want a leader, at any level, who I can sit down in the backyard and have barbeque with. I want someone who impresses me and is a hell of a lot smarter than me. When did education and intelligence become bad? When did it become the bane of America? California schools are faultering, they don't have enough money, so the solution is to have them go to school a few days LESS!?! Well, way to go government. We are raising a new generation of the lowest common denominator, but by God, they'll be patriotic!