Re: [Phys-l] The Perils of American Stupidity

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

Unfortunately it is impossible to separate politics from education.
Currently one political party has allied itself with anti-intellectual
groups.  This sort of thing has actually been a staple in American political
life.  Namely populism has often been embraced by political parties along
with the anti-intellectualism that goes with it.  The McCarthy era was a
particularly dangerous and virulent anti-intellectual era.  We now see a new
McCarthy era where science is the target rather than communists.
Fortunately the universities are not black balling faculty for being on the
wrong side.  But it did happen in the past, much to their discredit.

There is currently a linkage between being anti-religious, environmentalist,
Evolution, research based education, and many other left wing issues such as
abortion in the minds of many people.  This was not true in the not so
distant past when environmentalism was non partisan and supported by both
parties.  But now one party has definitely gotten into bed with the
fundamentalist religious right.

So I would agree that the tone of the orginal post was very political, but
the issues of impending witch hunts against science is unfortunately
political.  I would cite the Virginia Republican Right wing attorney general
who tried to subpoena all of the records of a climate researcher.  A left
wing or moderate attorney general would not do this.  The goal was of course
to try to discredit his publications and climate models.  The leverage was
to then make the university pay back all state money put into his research.

There was an attempt by the previous administration to hide research
results.  They did this with education or climate research which disagreed
with their philosophy.  Reports were rewritten by committees to change
scientists conclusions.  We are currently going through a fairly
anti-intellectual era, and other countries do not seem to be similarly
infected as much.

The later part of his post about how American students are very ignorant is
quite true.  Of course some ignorance is understandable because we have a
vast country with a common language which can promote a very provincial
attitude.  So people do not distinguish between Austria and Australia.  This
was true in the 1950 when I was growing up.  I went to Mexico, but when I
told people in the small town I grew up in, they thought I went to Mexico,
NY.  Many of them had never traveled more than 20 miles from home.

I wonder how ignorant European students are?  Of course in many European
countries they teach the state religion in the schools so biblical ignorance
may be lower, but religiosity is also lower.

Science ignorance is really our fault for not teaching science properly.
And as you all know, I don't mean lecture courses.  Similarly the ignorance
of the religious right of science is also our fault.  We need to make sure
there are no more school boards that support creationism in the schools, and
try to discredit global warming.  They want the "truth" taught in schools,
and do not understand the question "Whose truth should be taught?".  This
too is intensely political.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> The post is extremely political. One can present this material without
> being political, but this isn't it. Just MHO.
>
> > IMHO  this list is not an appropriate place to air a left (or right)
> > wing  political diatribe.
> >
> >
> > This has nothing to do with right or left wing politics, Its about
> > ignorance of science by Americans which one might thing would be of
> > some  interest
> > to science educators.