> Conspiracy theorists (generally on the political right) claim that this > purposeful "dumbing down" of American children has been strategically > masterminded by the left - to keep "educators" at all levels on the > public > payroll, and to maintain an ill-informed, dependent voting block. >
The Conspiracy theories I'm familiar with (I suppose these come from the left) is that the dumbing down of our education developed gradually through pressure from industry to create a "good" workforce. Unfortunately "good" was defined as having just enough education to do the job but not enough to challenge the status quo. This would also having the effect of creating a malleable and ill-informed consumer base who would accept things like planned obsolescence and not be discriminating shoppers. In the last few years I have noticed stores doing this; 24-pk of pop - 5.99 SALE 12-pk of pop 3.09 ea (i.e. $6.18 for 24 cans). The Nobel prize in economics in the last year was awarded for the following "surprising" thesis; A poorly educated and ill-informed consumer base damages the economy. The correlary to this thesis is that a poorly educated and ill-informed electorate damages democracy. Whatever the conspiracy theories are, I watch my classes get "dumbed-down" right before my eyes in high school. I don't have answers for how to fix our schools, but I do know they are broken. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
