General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Only 1 in 3 American adults can name all three branches of government... [View all]fujiyama
(15,185 posts)but we're falling well behind in those subjects as well, compared to much of the world. I don't care how many excuses I get on this board about outsourcing and H1Bs. We're not producing nearly enough engineers and scientists. Also, if you believe that society is shortchanging the humanities and social sciences for the hard sciences and math, you are sadly mistaken. Note the way "egghead" scientists and mocked by the GOP. The one candidate in that party that actually advocates listening to scientists on the issues of climate and change and evolution has a whopping 1-5%.
Besides a well rounded and challenging curriculum would produce people well versed in many subjects - from math and science, to the arts and the humanities.
Face it, Americans simply don't want to learn. PERIOD. Learning itself is derided and anti intellectualism is seemingly more rampant now than ever before. If it has nothing to do with booze, titties, and football...well you've lost the attention of a large % of the population right there (not that there's anything wrong liking those things, but that's what's REALLY fetishized!).