As IF Times

link Human beings are getting dumber | News.com.au.

According to this article, the progress of human evolution has stopped, at least intellectually.  Judging by what’s considered newsworthy in the world today, but mainly in the U.S., it may be hard to refute this assertion.  On any given day, a scan of popular ‘news’ sites will reveal as much general flotsam and entertainment fluff as there is hard news and analysis.   This is true for Google News, Bing News or Yahoo news (for those that still  use Yahoo).  Even the venerable Wall Street Journal will feature gripping stories about the latest Hollywood gossip.  We can’t even include newspapers anymore since papers such as the NY Times, Washington Post among others have long abandoned their pretense of being in the news business.

The commercial component to fame is greater than at any time in human history due to the ease of access to information and so the pursuit and monetization of fame has eclipsed the quaint goal of genuine work in popular culture.  Of course, in a free society, people can do as they wish; they can choose to take rigorous academic studies at school, or they can choose the far more glamorous route of pursuing their singing/acting/dancing/pro sports careers.  In fact, some may even have talent and deserve every success that may come to them.   Statistically, that is not the case for the general population.   The amount of American Idols are vastly outnumbered by those Americans that are idle.

The real downside that arises from the fortunate few achieving commercial success is that they are sought out for their opinions.  Since many individuals that make it commercially big these days are young, their exposure to life and intellectual development is likely undeveloped at best and misguided at worst.  How often do we hear about celebrity X making statements on Global Warming, or the plight of penguins on shrinking ice floes.  While they may be uber talented entertainers, asking their opinions of weighty issues is akin to asking a dancing bear his opinion on the Palestinian conflict.   Unfortunately, these opinions are absorbed as immutable fact by the adoring fan base who want to be just like their hero.   In any society, it is normal for the people to emulate those that are successful.  Let’s see, Justin Bieber, Ferrari; college degree, Hyundai, hmm…

Contrary to what the article implies, I think it’s more likely that people are allowed to be dumber or even encouraged.  In light of the numerous instances of uneducated people achieving fabulous success, it’s a hard case to make that a good education is worth the effort.  Combine that with standards that have fallen off precipitously in the public schools and as a society, we are allowing humans to become lazy in their cognitive and problem solving processes.  Anecdotal studies have shown that school systems focus more on passing students than they do on demanding competence.  At very young ages and right through to universities, students are steered towards worldviews which don’t always stand up to critical scrutiny.  But they go along to get along.  An old trading mentor of mine used to say that when you ask a 5 year old to explain why 2 plus 2 equals 4, he’ll say “because the teacher said so”.  In very simple terms, garbage in, garbage out.

In a study by the education firm Pearson, they illustrate the declining standard of schooling in America. The study shows that the U.S. is ranked 17th in the world for education systems,  http://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/the-report .  Compare that statistic with the those on this study: http://rossieronline.usc.edu/u-s-education-versus-the-world-infographic/  which shows that the U.S. by far spends the most money overall and per capita on education.  Clearly, the issue is not money.  Something must be wrong with both execution and expectations.  Finally, the following anecdote was sent to me, author unknown, which captures what has become of education in the U.S.  I am happy to credit whomever authored this:

The evolution of teaching math:
1. Teaching Math In 1950s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?
2. Teaching Math In 1960s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?
3. Teaching Math In 1970s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?
4. Teaching Math In 1980s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.
5. Teaching Math In 1990s
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living?
Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it’s ok. )
6. Teaching Math In 2009
Un hachero vende una carretada de maderapara $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?
7. Teaching Math In 2013 Who cares, just steal the lumber from your rich neighbor’s property. He won’t have a gun to stop you, and it’s OK anyway cuz it’s redistributing the wealth.

link Can John Kerry top Hillary Clinton as secretary of state? – The Week.

The notion that Hillary Clinton is deserved of praise and admiration for her term in office as Secretary of State is like a parent at their 10 year old’s music recital jumping to rapturous applause after a tortuous 3 note rendition of Amazing Grace.   At best, it’s tone deafness and at worst, it’s revisionism.   Other adoring parents will likely join in with the swooning admiration of the special and talented performance.  On the other hand,  passers by outside the school could easily mistake the sounds as cats being made into violin strings.

The state of journalism has devolved into the more commercially successful direction of being fans  and apologists for favored politicians and news-makers.   Like Joan Rivers at the Oscar red carpet parade, politicians are treated as celebrities known as much for their shoes, their hairstyles and their dates rather than for any genuine talent for their jobs.  “Hillary! Hillary! Was that an Armani pantsuit you were wearing while watching the Benghazi riots?”  Or, “How do you stay so slim after logging all those flight miles?”   Some may remember years ago a “celebrity” by the name of Rula Lenska, internationally known and acclaimed actress that no one had ever heard of.   She did a number of Alberto VO-5 commercials and was billed as famous….well,  for being famous.

Hillary inherited that mantle from Ms. Lenska.  Hillary became “internationally known and acclaimed diplomat”.  During her time as Secretary of State, there were constant photo ops of Hillary de-planing in some area of conflict in the world, or huddling at some microphone laden meeting tables with goofy looking politicians.   If nothing else, at least these goofy politicians took the time out from their life and death conflicts for these photo ops.  How often do you get to meet with a rock star? “Hey, Mohammed, turn on channel 5, I’m on TV with Hillary Clinton!”

But after the staged photo ops and earnest speeches, the fighting typically resumed and mayhem continued.   She used the same playbook as the ex UN secretary Kofi Annan who was famous for his standard line of “both sides must show tolerance” especially as it applied to one sided conflicts.   If absolutely nothing at all of significance was resolved because of Hillary’s term in office, that would be acceptable, since the bar set for political fixes is low anyway.  But the fiasco that was Benghazi, the subsequent fake narrative explaining the incident and the kabuki-like congressional questioning should give real journalists pause before they anoint her as a rock star politician.

It’s as if you took your car into a mechanic who then allows it to be vandalized and destroyed but then explains it away by talking about the features of the new Corvette.  Journalists today allow that kind of misdirection and obfuscation so politicians are not held accountable by their actions.  Just the other day, Hillary was interviewed jointly with the President on the hard hitting news show, CBS’s 60 minutes.  It may as well have been Ryan Seacrest doing an exit interview on an American Idol contestant.

Diplomacy can be a tough gig and as described by Will Rogers, it consists of saying “good dog” until you can find a rock.  It means offering all kinds of empty platitudes and obsequious praise to tyrants and nincompoops, so the ability to speak elliptically is a desired talent.  On the basis of that skill-set, Hillary is indeed the Mick Jagger of politics.