I still find it hard to believe "most" Americans cannot find Iraq on a map. Especially with as long as we've been there and how they show the maps on TV all the time... Of course, the type of people I hang out with are the type that you would expect to know. - Dean Clark
Hold on. Just because my degree isn't Ivy League doesn't mean it's not worthwile, nor does it mean I didn't work my butt off to get it. - Brian Norwood
ipso facto barge in there expecting flags a-wavin' - Marko Bon
sadly - you're right, of course - that's why I don't get the 'she is just like' us attitude about Palin - I want somebody smarter than myself to govern - Frederic
that is all well and good, Robert...but most Americans, I hope, want their politicians to be a beacon, not a reflection. They want their leaders to lead, not follow. They want their leaders to represent striving, to represent accomplishment, to represent aspiration. I know that I am not qualified to be president, so the thought of electing someone just like me makes no sense. - सत्याग्रह {Bren}
Most americans are so desperate to be liked, fit in, appear wealthy, get attention, etc. Our priorities are just out of whack. I constantly see tons of people spend more time focusing on the most ridiculous things versus caring about the world or what's going on. More people care about being like Paris Hilton and clamouring after stars than where Iraq is on a map. - Patricia
Bren, while I wish that were the case, I truly don't think it is. I think most Americans will vote for whomever is most 'like' them under the assumption that it means you hold the same things as important and that when elected they will legislate in your favor. =/ - Stupid Blogger (aka Tina)
I don't think that history bears out your fears, Tina. Most presidents have been exceptionally well educated, upper class, and not remotely representative of the 'average' American. - सत्याग्रह {Bren}
When all the choices presented are well educated and upper class, then of course that's who they vote for... - Stupid Blogger (aka Tina)
those are the people who end up getting nominated for a reason, Tina. Palin is an exception, and I suspect will be the exception that proves the rule. - सत्याग्रह {Bren}
So the Wisdom of Crowds is fine for buying consumer gewgaws, but when it comes to politics we'd rather havd selection by elites ;-) - Broadstuff
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Broadstuff: I don't think it is a matter of 'rather.' We have political selection by elites because of money, influence, and connections. Grass-roots politics is a myth, at least at the national level, so our choices are limited to elites, for the most part, chosen by other elites, from a pool of elites. The system, it should be pointed out, has worked rather well for a couple of hundred years now. - सत्याग्रह {Bren}
Cont'd: The U.S. is by no means perfect, and we have done a lot of damage, but we have also done quite a lot of good along the way. Our next president will, by all accounts be imperfect, but will also represent a wondrous thing: yet another peaceful transfer of power, with the new leader being chosen (albeit indirectly) by the populous of the nation being governed. I, for one, want that leader to be 'elite.' - सत्याग्रह {Bren}
cont'd 2: If I recall correctly, the definition of 'elite,' despite it's recent negative connotation, is 1. (often used with a plural verb) the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons. Why would I not want an 'elite' leader? - सत्याग्रह {Bren}
Poor geography may not be isolated to the United States, but most "western european" countries offer significanly better basic education than the USA. My cousins in Germany speak PERFECT American-English and French, as well as their native tongue. How many languages do your kids speak? How many languages were you or your kids offered to and required to learn? Oh and my youngest cousin, who's about 23, can not only point out most countries on a map, he can find most US States on a map. Maybe that's why BMW and Porsche engineers, as well as many of Ford and GM's engineers, come from Germany? - Paul Salzman
Which is why, Robert, I would be home schooling my children. From my readings, both historical and modern, I have a lot more respect for Erasmus and one room school -room curriculum than most of what passes today. Most students today when exposed to university level classics or even the "great novels" do not have enough background to pick up on a common Latin aphorism nor would they be able to understand Shakespeare in depth because they had failed to read the Bible among other ancient works.... - Melanie Reed
that inform the text. It is not that there are a shortage of globes; there is a shortage of appreciation, respect, and discipline that underlies the wonder that is missing. Our students and our children come to school thinking they already know more than those who have come before them. You cannot learn when you come to the wonder already bored and wanting the pablum of edutainment. - Melanie Reed
Musing further, it puts me in mind of the historical context behind what was going on in the nation of Israel at the time of the prophet Hosea when he writes: "My people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:1-6 ) - Melanie Reed
Most Americans don't necessarily regard policy wonks as leaders. Leadership is not necessarily line experience. Lou Gerstner joined IBM with no tech experience at all if I recall but rumor has it he did a pretty good job leading IBM. Bill Clinton, arguable the smartest President we've had in a very long time was an ineffectual leader overall but he was smart as a tack. - Peter Simard
so Ivy League schools and their legacy admits are bad when Bush 43 is running but good when Obama is running? - Jeff Quinton
Leadership is a incredibly important thing. Governance is much more than being steeped in the details of one policy mindset or the other (and it's not like these policy woks are discussing purely scientific things that may have a single clearly superior solution). Especially when discussing the presidency there are many other factors to be considered. - Soulhuntre
While in the military (and even out of it) I knew several guys who could quote tactics and strategy books for hours who would be unable to lead men out of a paper bag. They simply lacked the strength. I knew others who had the qualifications for leadership but would crumble under any pressure and leave their men without command and coordination. I know highly educated business majors who lack the vision to run a company. We all know people like this. - Soulhuntre
So hardcore policy wonks are great advisers. This is what cabinets are for. Hell, no single human can be a deep expert in all the areas that a President is involved in anyway... advisers and cabinets are critical for this reason. - Soulhuntre
John McSame would bring more of the same policy advisors (at least those that haven't been indicted or resigned in disgrace). - Indio Apache
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The actuaries say a 72 year old cancer survivor like John McSame, has about a 50% chance of surviving the next 4 years. You really want to bring us President Miss Congeniality? - Indio Apache
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Because nothing says useful discourse like cute names and funny insults. Hey, you're one of those guys who thinks M$ is clever, right? - Soulhuntre
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@robert i was going to say something witty about false comparisons and people spouting when a more accurate statement would be related to how many Americans go to college at all, but I decided it was too much work to type more than this with a 5 week old baby in my arms. Politics aside, i have my relatively self and institutionally educated HO, but other than advocating for a better educational system and voting, what point is there pointing the obvious? Are we in such desperate need for company? - Gina K
And i said i wasn't going to type too much. Sheesh.... - Gina K
Most Americans can't find Iraq, most haven't been outside the US so they don't have a global perspective. It is hard to understand how we fit in the world, if you have only viewed it on TV from your armchair. - Lorraine Ball
As for American Ivy league, One closer comparison of, say, MBA programs will show how slanted even the 'lead' of American educational institutions can be limited in scope. Harvard, Wheaton and Yale all have Americentric programs, where as we live in a global world. And yes I have researched their programs in depth, which is why I prefer a school like EM Lyon, or HEC in Paris (which my husband turned down due to lack of desire to be a financial market analyst). - Gina K
Ambrose Bierce said that invading another country was Americans' way of learning geography. Now that doesn't even work anymore... - Paul Denlinger
