Did you know that 54% of American adults between the ages of 16-74 read below a 6th grade level?
Have we not learned anything these past few years? Trump, Anti-vaxx, QAnon, joined with our “epidemic of illiteracy” further cements the notion that America is not the greatest country.
Interesting sample of rankings and the methods used. We're not the best in anything, really. And that's okay because we can improve, but not until we face reality.
Reading is the key that unlocks every discipline known to man.
@Randi1125 Oh, so it's the likes of you behind the Ukraine situation...
My God, it must be cold there. I'm in Central Florida, the closest approximation I could get to California, which is priced slightly outside my range at the moment. But if you to study a failed education system...
Ah, a truly politically savvy member...finally. I don't pretend to even understand the complexities that exist in the area and with those countries. But that's okay...there are about 10 million of armchair experts at a moment's notice.
Unfortunately for you, its the democrat run cities that have the worst education systems. The liberal dumbing down of America is digusting. Its funny how that has been going on for decades but you classically claim "its Trump's fault". I suspect you are a victim of it yourself. CNN, though easy to get, is not a viable information source.
There's some Chicken and egg stuff going on there, I think, but MAGA, even on its face, is not about being satisfied with American Greatness, but trying to change the status quo and reversing some of the "progress" that offends the willing to be offended and allows those preying on them to exploit them in a democracy.
Total illiteracy rates in the US have clearly been dropping since at least 1870, and while no one wants to say it to their face, this is the kind of "progress" that MAGA seems to be all about reversing.
https://nces.ed.gov/naal/lit_history.asp
I get that I don't have figures on literacy outside of the US handy, but I don't really think it's fair to judge American "greatness" without looking at the rest of the world, much less constructive.
Further, I know I'm an "ugly American," and an outsider who's not considered to be a "real American" by a huge and maybe still growing portion of my fellow citizens who want to reverse trends like literacy, but if I wanted to more effectively criticize the US, I'd do it on the basis of allowing a reactionary anti-conservative (and anti-liberal/progressive) movement promoting epidemics to gain ground rather than pointing out that the movement has only partially achieved it's goals.
As I said before, I still am struggling to think of myself as an American despite the fact that slightly less then half the country doesnt consider me as such and they're trying to disenfranchise those who demographically might seem inclined to disagree with them, but your casting stones at the glass house I'm currently still trying to shore up with better walls and shelter under doesnt seem to help anyone that much stay safe from the elements.
I dont know if you've thought about all of the implications of your post, nor do I know what your motivations are (e.g, being paid by Soros, Putin, Clinton or China for attacking the US), but please be aware that there are many Americans struggling against forces trying to eliminate the progressive mischief wrought by the printing press and the enlightenment, and that posts like these are kind of like a double edged sword.
I'm not saying don't wield it, to be clear, but when you do, be aware that it has two edges and be conscious about how you're doing it and who you might be using it against.
My favorite part of this post so far is seeing others interacting with idiots I've already blocked, and having my stance confirmed simply by their side of the discussion.
I would add the term "information" ahead of "literacy" in your question above, because in addition to the reading level, it is also the struggle to separate out factual information from that which satisfies our confirmation biases.
Yes, it's been known for as long as I can remember that the newspaper is written at a 6th grade level because that's what the average American can read. That's definitely below the global average.
@Graylight I think that's probably at the heart of the problem. We need to stop making it unnecessary for people to grow. As a college math teacher, I can tell you that in America, we literally account for the possibility that you made it into college not having mastered 7th-grade math skills. Instead, we should make people master these skills in 7th grade and absolutely insist they master the skills. If they can't master certain skills, then we may offer a path forward that doesn't require those skills. But we can't just push people through the system and pretend they learned things they didn't.
@33person Which is why I loopholed right around university-level math (which I paid for at a much later date, kids). I knew I wasn't at level. I hope to reach advanced arithmetic in a few years.
But in all seriousness, this seem to be the approach in a lot of places, from colleges to middle schools here, where the pass level for state standardized tests was simply lowered when enough kids couldn't reach it. Just because everyone loves McDonald's doesn't mean it's good food for the body.
@Graylight Yeah, the goal needs to be increasing learning, not increasing test scores. Test scores are the dependent variable. Unfortunately, with No Child Left Behind, etc, the incentives have been to increase test scores, not to increase learning.
I would argue liberal hypocrisy and their narrative of division, ANTIFA, BLM, participation trophies and a breakdown of the family system has deteriorated the overall well being of the country. That said it’s the country everyone wants to come to and are willing to risk their lives to get to.
@JesseInTX Oh really?? In 10,000 years after the collapse of civilization, there'll be an extraordinarily dumb tribe calling themselves Magas who worship a stupendously stupid orange god. Every so often they'll rant for hours about a demoness called Hillary.
@Randi1125 what the hell are you talking about? You don’t like President Trump because he kept your “elected” leader in check. You like Biden because he lets Putin do pretty much whatever he wants to and only issues idle threats.
No. I did not know that. Pit that against my great-grandson, who is 6 and reading at high school level. (shhh. His parents took great interest in seeing that he enjoyed learning.)
I think the problem with reading in America stems from an obsession with television and movies. Rather than take the time to read a book so many people prefer the quicker method of watching the movie or show where the plot is spelled out for them, the actors and directors decide what the characters look and sound like. I much prefer to read a book.
@istillhaveanameitsrick Your own imagination creates much better and -- to you at least -- more relevant imagery than Hollywood can. There used to be the same difference between radio dramas and TV dramas. Ironically, Hollywood and the TV networks' solution always is to pay the writers even less and spend the money on more special effects.
@dancingtongue My main problem is with the writers desire to take a wonderful book and change it so much that it becomes nearly unrecognizable except for maybe the names and places.
@istillhaveanameitsrick Which comes more from the dictates of the producers and directors than the writers themselves. Although, granted, the media differences due require some differences in how the story is told and limits the amount of time for character development or details.
@redredred Don't you think it's a bit of a reach to assume that he is blaming Trump? I think maybe you're one of those people who read at a lower educational level.
We have honestly wasted so much of our potential. We were doing pretty good for a bit there post world war 2. But then this anti intellectualism crept in and really started destroying us from the inside.
@strongbow economically, socially, technologically, politically and educationally speaking. Yes, that is true, the rest grow food for America’s brain aka the blue cities.