Idiocracy is, like, America’s future ‘n stuff

admin July 07, 2008 vision 5 Comments

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This morning I read the January 2008 SCUP report on Trends in Higher Education. Over the next two decades, levels of literacy and numeracy are predicted to decline in the US. Indirect cost recovery from research grants (which has been a major revenue source for research universities) is likely to be reduced from 50-60% to 35%, where it will be capped. Energy concerns are likely to limit the amount of travel people are willing to suffer for college. Meanwhile, European countries are working together to create a system to account for student learning, to actually measure what people learn. So, while we’re trapped in our rapidly narrowing warp bubble of idiocracy, over in Europe they’ll continue to benefit from what appears to be a superior education system. If only there was some network that would link us with our chocolate-swilling cousins across the pond…some web of knowledge that could flatten our world…. Hey, who turned the lights out?

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5 Responses to “Idiocracy is, like, America’s future ‘n stuff”

  1. kdghty said:

    Jul 08, 08 at 8:00 am

    Don’t you see a reflection of this in the work we do? The willful ignorance of users too busy, too self-important, to run through troubleshooting questions or learn a simple task that, once learned, will help them work better, faster, further?

    There’s also an endemic dumbing down in the country so no one can feel left out. Paraphrasing some dialog from The Incredibles – is it dialog if it’s a cartoon…? – everybody is special, so nobody is special.

    Not to go all Ayn Rand, nor to deny anyone anywhere the chance their shot, but to keep lowering the goalposts so everyone can feel like a success story doesn’t do anyone any good. Or any country, for that matter.

    Can I change my login name to Curmudgeon or The Old Fart…?

  2. rufusb said:

    Jul 08, 08 at 8:14 am

    I say let ’em get dumber. More for me!!! I will rule the WORLD!!! Bwahahahahaha!

  3. admin said:

    Jul 08, 08 at 11:47 am

    @Kdghty: yes, there is the worry that these trends are just the perception of a stodgy old gasbag. but I’m unwilling to view myself that way, for now.

    @rufusb: right, you will rule a nation of idiots. You should see Idiocracy just to see how painful that is… 🙂

  4. skvidal said:

    Jul 08, 08 at 12:56 pm

    Go away, ‘batin!

  5. admin said:

    Jul 10, 08 at 5:20 pm

    You are a bad person. In the new world order, they’ll probably stone you.

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