Educationally Speaking

 EDUCATIONALLY SPEAKING

If one were to take a look, or in other words think about, our current administration here in the United States, one must come away rather concerned.  If one were then to consider the rest of the world, especially Europe and Asia, one can see that the leadership of the people in charge in those places is, for the most part, educated.  This is whether you agree with their politics or not.

This is not just currently.  Historically the countries of Europe have had an educated class, usually upper crust but not entirely.  These are the people who have traditionally been in charge.  If one were to look at Chinese history, in order to even work in the administration of government, one had to pass exams: in other words be educated.  In China this requirement is of several thousand years standing.  The Chinese have always and continue to believe that education is important not only for the people who are in charge, who are running the country, but for everyone.

Then we turn to look at ourselves.  Let's have a little honesty here.  We are currently and have been often led by men, mostly men, who are uneducated and know very little.  The latest examples in American life are George Bush the Second and Donald Trump.

It is unequivocally clear:  these two men don't know anything and were and are uninterested in correcting the lack.  There can be no legitimate argument to the contrary.  We elect leaders in this country, on a regular basis, that clearly are ignorant, uneducated, and seemingly not very bright.  This is not secret stuff:  it is apparent to anyone who pays attention.

So, what is it about us, us Americans, that will allow ourselves to be led by such people?  Do we simply not care and will vote for anyone who will tell us what we want to hear?  This is not a positive sign for either our current situation or our future.  Here in the US, meaning us Americans again, we don't seem to care about education or being educated.  Being educated means, among other things, having some idea of what is happening in the world now and historically and how this affects us personally and as a civilization and what it means for our descendants.  It doesn't signify employability - that's being trained to do a job and does not constitute an education.

One might from this, project our future as a country and as a civilization; it does not seem to be something to look forward to.  One can not survive for any length of time not knowing anything.  It simply doesn't work that way - whether you are sitting by a campfire at your cave in 10,000 B.C. or on your sofa in front of your TV today.  This applies not only to individuals, but to countries and civilizations.  When the people who are in charge know nothing as is the situation here, the possibilities of disaster are multiplied many times.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo