On Wed, 15 Jan 2014 08:58:33 +0000, scott wrote:

>> Well said, John.  I couldn't agree with you more.  Especially here in
>> the US, and as a smarter person in school growing up, I was ridiculed,
>> teased, and bullied (though my "bullying" wasn't anywhere near what
>> kids these days seem to be subjected to).
>>
>> All because I was smart, somewhat socially awkward, and "gifted" (gawd,
>> I *hate* that term) generally and at playing the violin.
>>
>> But people who are good at bashing other people's heads in playing
>> football, or dunking a ball through a hoop with a net - they're
>> "heroes".
>>
>> Meanwhile, we wonder (at least here in the US) why education is
>> failing.
> 
> The problem is, and it's the same in the UK, it's "cool" to be dumb, or
> at least appear to be dumb. For what I've heard it's not so much like
> that in Asian countries though. I don't know how you would go about
> changing it, perhaps separate out by ability at a much earlier age?

In the US, all you have to do is look at politicians to see how cool it 
is to be dumb.  Being dumb gets you money and power.  Being smart?  Not 
so much, at least in politics (though clearly there are some *very* 
wealthy people over here who have a fair amount of brains).

But for popularity, one need look no further than, say, Sarah Palin (or 
pretty much any Fox News personality) to see that dumb/ignorant makes you 
popular.  Some of the personalities on Fox News are *highly* educated, 
but they say stupid things like "Santa is white.  That's just the way it 
is.  And so was Jesus" because ignorance plays to the masses.

Which results in people in the general population wanting things like 
"Government out of my Medicare" (Medicare is a government program. m-/ )

Jim
-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

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