US Less Educated Than Bulgaria? - Austan Goolsbee

[makedonBULGAR]

Bulgaria basic in the core of European civilization!

[andi9111100]

When BULGARIA became a republic,you fucking Americans were eating shit with the indians !

[zaples1]

SO many comments here and most people just keep comparing the economy of USA and Bulgaria.It is not about money it is about the level of EDUCATION!

As a person who had the chance to study in both countries all i can say is the level of education in USA is far behind the Bulgarian one. If we have to involve the political and economical part..well USA should be ashamed that is so far behind in education having in mind how rich and developed country it is..

[SuperDetelin]

USA can not compare to Bulgaria.The level of education is without doubt in favor of Bulgaria.

If something keeps USA No.1 is the military power and fact that can print as much money as it wants.At some point however it will became a problem and I thing that already is.

[AnimusPipboy]

Fat chance :/

[horsefucker1680]

Wow, you're really self-confident. But for what? If bulgarian politics were not so corrupted we would be far better than the USA. They stole 4 times more money, then the money now present in the exchequer.

IDIOTS!

[impossiblefeel]

In Bulgaria you have to work your !@#$ off just to have food in your fridge.In the US even if you dont have a job the country still pays you.Your children are very spoiled and I know that in future the US wont be what it is now :)

[DagoduHB]

Facts are facts... the avarage person in bulgaria knows 2-3 foreign languages and has at least one masters degree. Main reason is that you american people get everything you want. Here people without education have to work 2-3 jobs just to survive. That`s why whe strive to be more educated so we could have a chance  make a decent living.

[DagoduHB]

Facts are facts... the avarage person in bulgaria knows 2-3 foreign languages and has at least one masters degree. Main reason is that you american people get everything you want. Here people without education have to work 2-3 jobs just to survive. That`s why whe strive to be more educated so we could have a chance make a decent living.

[911Worldofwarcraft]

if US "wanna" be "numba" 1 learn how to say Want to and Number first :) We Bulgarians gave you the computer and electric watches, Automobile car bags, ofc. we are better than you haha

[horsefucker1680]

@911Worldofwarcraft Do not forget the calculator, and the 6 gear gear-box.

[101Adrean]

hahaha fuck that dude ........... omfg i would say more shit if i wasent stoned right now

[ycMuxHaT]

Whatever you think guys, in Bulgaria we have no democracy at all and our minimal month wage is the lowest in whole Europe, so about 25 years or even more with that genocide politic we have in my beloved Bulgaria country - we will never be as half as good the American people are. Because here in Bulgaria the goverment dont thnk and care about the people AT ALL !

[bridgettedunn]

@ycMuxHaT Do you think our country cares about us?? Half the people can't even get basic medical care. If someone gets sick they can lose EVERYTHING and the government doesn't care about anything except the money. At least Bulgaria is getting better. We are getting worse, fast...

[ycMuxHaT]

@bridgettedunn Government in Bulgaria dont care at all for Bulgarians about anything but taking money from the poor, we dont have middle class here !

[Keiserbg]

Bulgaria is in very poor educational condition with widespread tendency for getting worse. Let`s face the truth at least for our country I can`t comment the USA. Still here we should not look at percentage of people with degrees but how effective is the knowledge each individual gets. You can have great economy without many masters degrees and PhDs. Of course it is good but this is not an absolute sign. And also you need 3-5 people that are unique. Good luck to both countries!

[ggrancharov]

Can you fuc*ing Romanians please stop messing around in stuff involving Bulgaria? We have nothing in common with you guys, so stop saying that we're similar and so on. You invented Dracula - we invented the Computer. And please take your 1 million gypsies back, currently living in Bulgaria. Thanks.

[Soni2605]

@ggrancharov

HAHAHA! Well done! I liked that~I'm sure that the americans know that their education is all fucked up....I'm not sure that all of them know there are other continents in the world~they might think America is the world~It was just so funny when the man said that they have been Number 1 for so many years but then the WHOLE WORLD figured out that there was something going on and got smarter! MUHAHAHAHA~ Are you kidding me? Oh..I feel so sorry for these people~

Greetings from Bulgaria

[zacharymoonzlight97]

in adition -  a bulgarian created the computer

[zacharymoonzlight97]

Bulgarian education Rules! I made a survey - in 1969 - 1989 education in Bulgaria was even better, so USA education SUX!!! Greeting from Bulgaria

[ivaylo1609]

Me I live in Canada Montreal and here the educational system is 99% the same or maybe 100% as the one in the US. So, I'm from Bulgaria and I'm in 9th grade. OK but the things we study here in 9th grade, in Bulgaria it is studied in 6th-7th grade. And i am not exagerating because i have checked in the materials and Bulgaria are 2 years ahead of US/CA. So the conclusion...US and Canada are dumb and smaller coutries are better educated ;)

[hellrisenn]

how many americans study organic chemistry and genetics in high school :) ?

[kristhekiller1]

I am Bulgarian but I live in Spain. I am 14 and I speak Bulgarian,English,Spanish and a bit of German. Here in Spain I am considered to be 9th Grade but on my age in Bulgaria I would be in 8th grade. The things we learn here at school in Spain are way old. Stuff that I've learned in the 5th or 6th grade in Bulgaria.. I've been told by friends and tourists that the educational system in US is close to the one in Spain. So.. yes you Americans are .. dumb.

[bridgettedunn]

@kristhekiller1 We don't have an "education" system. It's a BUSINESS system. They charge students tens of THOUSANDS of dollars and put them into debt. The rich rob our country and the general population is getting poorer. I'll agree most Americans are stupid about the world. But that doesn't mean we all are. Just as I doubt every Bulgarian is smart. If the Christians would let the scientists take over, we'd be better off. The christians are the stupid ones. Sorry, but true.

[windson7]

Currently americans are living the life

Currently bulgarians arent quite enjoying themselves.

[kristian090]

@windson7 And how would you know that... i don't think that being obiece and getting cancer is enjoing the life...

[windson7]

@kristian090 as if we dont have these problems?

[bbphnix]

the Romanian Bacalaureat; shit, the Romanian Bacalaureat is like a PhD thesis compared to the SATs....

as far as highschool education in Romania compared to UK is concerned, British people have like 3-4 subjects in A-level (equiv roughly to highscool) while in Romania we have like 15....

all the university, ALL of them, placed Romanian universities significantly under US and UK ones... BUT I am seriously suspicious of their validity and hence of my choice of studying in UK

[bbphnix]

I am a student in the UK, which is considered one of the best in the world; I am Romanian (a country which is very similar to Bulgaria in terms of economy, society and likely education too and other things) and I have to say it seems to me that my ex-highschool classmates sutdying in Romania are studying harder than students are here in the UK... maybe it's an illusion but that's how it seems to me... also I took the SAT at Biology and Chemistry and it was FUCKING EASY, nothing compared to ...

[mIx3dBG]

you want but you can't ass*ole!

[whowaaa]

He isn't an expert is the key here but then again we have progressive communists teaching our children..we are going there in a vengeance anyway...untill we get this type of communist out of our system and FLUSH progressives .we will become number 1 again..history repeats itself,THANK GOD...that means we will be saved from these idiots that snuck into our system and LIED to us for 100 years and propagandized us all that time...It the beginning of the end of Progressivism.THANK GOD ALL MIGHTY...

[whowaaa]

He isnt an expert is the key here but then again we have progressive communists teaching our children..we are going there in a vengence anyway...untill we get this type of communist out of our system and FLUSH progrerssives .we will become number 1 again..history repeats itself,THANK GOD...that means we will be saved from these idiots that snuck into our sysytem and LIED to us for 100 years and propogandized us all that time...It the beginning of the end of Progreessivism.THANK GOD ALL MIGHTY...

[bridgettedunn]

@whowaaa You can't blame it entirely on Communism. You guys dealt with years of war on your land and had have of your land stolen (Macedonia, part of Serbia, part of Romania, and part of Greece is Bulgarian land). Russia is doing ok despite their past communism. Our military has a communist/socialist system basically. And capitalism is a breeding ground for thieves and corruption. Systems are just distractions to keep you from seeing the true problems (thieves).

[NinezeroPlayer]

now we dont produce we just procure from countries like india ,pakistan,china etc. No wonder people from these countries have the highest income levels of any froup in the US.

[drmaikati]

Dont worry Bulgaria level is droping 2 :) soon we will be like 35-50 :D

[al4484]

Education in a communist system (in former Czechoslovakia) was of a high standart. Kids did start with a basic education (9years), middle school (2-3years}, high school (4years), university (5years). Here in Australia school kids they haven'got a formal knowledge, they cannot spell, write cursive or calculate without a calculator. That's a reality.

[dgdbg]

As much at it sounds weird Eastern Europe produces the smartest people. Bulgaria, even though a very small country, is always on top in world math,science and physics competions. As a guy above mentioned, the things we study in high-school, americans study in university.

[dalmatian847]

@dgdbg And they spend much less on education than the U.S. Of course, in Bulgaria they don't have teacher unions contributing millions of dollars to a certian Democrat party to continue to have it subsidize failure.

[Plovdivsko]

Bulgaria is the best

[aviomaster]

-- Dumb imperialist bastards rely on ARMY ... to make others behave as they wish ,, OR ...

[kaziqta]

why don't you all suck my Bulgarian dick :) i'm sure that 99% of you don't even know where Bulgaria is... and indeed... couple of years a go... we won the world math olympiad... we're 2-nd in physics and I think... 4-th in informatics

[TundraRabbit]

@kaziqta

im russian, but live in america

i think that my drop in grades is to be blamed on the bitchy school system

[kristian090]

@TundraRabbit Same... School here is America is fucked up...

[fusion01Cibank]

@kaziqta

We? Did you go on this event? NO!

Did 70% of the 7mil population did? NO!

And it doesn't even matter!

In the countrys there is money, there is money invested in educational systems, so people become more educated.

Countrys like bulgaria where the gdp is 60bln. usd there isn't much money to spend on education, epecialy now when your corruptable ass politicians gets a 2biln deals with us military corps to defend your way of life! ;) go pay the bill smartass!

[zaples1]

@fusion01Cibank

you are right you know, corrupted politicians and the country is quite poor but hey education is still better than the one in USA so shame on USA for being such a strongly developed country,that is also so rich but at the same time has terrible education. Well done! :)

[bridgettedunn]

@zaples1 Ummm, our country has the MOST corrupt politicians, and most of the regular people are so poor they can't afford basic medical care. We have no right to say ANYTHING about Bulgaria. Bulgaria is growing, and we are shrinking, period.

[zaples1]

@bridgettedunn не съм съвсем сигурен/на защо пишеш този коментар като отговор на моя...не мога да направя връзката...

[TheJosephwayne]

@kaziqta evala bratle, samo taka!:D

[bridgettedunn]

@kaziqta I suck Bulgarian dick all the time, with pleasure! My bf is from there. LOL!! And yes I know where it is, as well as it's history. Now I'm learning the language. I have high hopes that Bulgaria will rise in the next several years! American "freedom" is a joke, and our system is hanging by a thread, full of corruption. I teach myself through books, etc, because most of our universities only care about the student's money, not their education (I feel my university was a rip-off)

[Tihbialdunav]

US is not righ below, it's FAR behind Bulgaria in education. What Americans study in college, we study in high school. And I'm not even mentioning foreign language skills, but math, literature, chemistry and computer science...Most high-tech US companies rely on foreign labor force, mainly from Eastern Europe...

[fusion01Cibank]

@Tihbialdunav

Is that so? or they do it because US has the biggest corporate tax? And services are more expensive than in eastern europe, china and india.Get real pal. The reason is because u do the same work the sane thung for 15k $ less per year.

[mcdonalds411]

This idiot called it "Vulgaria". Maybe he should go back to school, but not an American one.

[LexPhilogus]

They are the 'losers' of globalization, whom are invisible

There are many third world countries that are allegedly the losers of globalization in which significant segments of their populations arent a part of an international enterprise seeking to destroy western civilization. Can anyone really demonstrate that the middle east would be better off if the rest of the world werent so dependent on their oil?

[LexPhilogus]

If lack of economic opportunity for broad swaths of the Muslim world, were the causal factor for extremism, Mohammad Atta sure didnt get the memo. He was a PHD engineering student at a German University and his father was an Egyptian Lawyer.

There are many other examples of Muslim extremists whos economic opportunities were commensurate with Attas. Clearly something else is at play here.

[znubzz188]

dude this video sucks. Solely because no one can trace his statements.. where does it say that this is the ranking of level of education in the world?

[jetboyJ22]

According to the UN's 2008 Education Index, the USA ranks 19th out of 176, while Bulgaria ranks 41st and Costa Rica ranks 77th.

In fact, the USA outranks the UK (28th), Germany (31st), Italy (22nd), and Japan (33rd), which I would not have expected. I would say that's pretty good, especially considering that the USA is an extremely large and diverse country.

[LexPhilogus]

LOL!

Well, I guess all these European, American hating bigots can consider themselves PWNED.

[jetboyJ22]

It gets even better- look up college and university ranking and you will find that the USA's universities practically fill the top of the list. Not just the top ten either- according to Academic Ranking of World Universities (a non-american group) the USA has 37 out of the top 50 universities in the world, including the top 3. This pattern is almost the exact same in every study I can find, with slight ranking variations.

[LexPhilogus]

Yeah, I've been using data similar to that against these people, but the index I used was different. The source I used still trounced every other country.

I just think it's fascinating how some Europeans think their experts about this Nation. It's also downright stalker like too, their feminine obsession with us. I once saw a video of some British primary school. All of these kids knew who Obama was, few knew who Gordon Brown was. That is PATHETIC!

[znubzz188]

it just shows how much media coverage the USA has gotten over last few decades and yes it is a problem. but what do you expect? we're talking about the a leading economic and military force with a distinct cultural identity, both very much focused on itself as having a very influential foreign policy. be it a good or a bad think for the world stability.

[PokerVertigo]

The US is less educated than most places in the world... even the parts of the world that don't have education available to all people. The average IQ here is in the double digits more like under 90... Why do you think immigrants are frequently recruited to take your jobs?... not just because they work cheap, but they aren't idiots.

[LexPhilogus]

@marsCubed

You kind of hung yourself with your own claims having compared the quality of degrees and curricula between the U.S. and Britain. It only stands to reason that we must also compare quality of U.S. degree to that of countries like Namibia, while trusting your data. Having gotten caught up in your foolish assertions about the U.S. you have rendered the very data you cite meaningless.

[fourthirteen]

So I guess those "patriots" can't yell their heads off about being #1 anymore.

[LexPhilogus]

@fourthirteen

And this is comming from a person whose grandparents were responsible for the mass genocide of 6 million Jews in the name of PATRIOTISM.

[Slug99]

LexPhilogus: That coming from the person whose great great grand parents were responsible for the mass genocide of some 5 million native Americans and then stole their land in the name of patriotism.

Not but seriously dude, what the fuck kind of response is that? Learn some goddamned manners.

[LexPhilogus]

"for the mass genocide of some 5 million native Americans "

Do you have data to back that up? We'll see.

What kind of response was that ?

I was responding to someone who made a disparaging comment about my country first.

[Slug99]

LexPhilogus: It's a fair response considered I'm only applying the standards to you as you apply to him.

There are many estimates as to how many people were living in the region we now call the US at the time, most range in the millions. This number is not controversial, considering that humans have lived on the continent for at least 12 000 years. The Europeans colonizers simply conquered the land by warfare, killing the native population and stole their land.

[Slug99]

LexPhilogus: What I'm trying to tell you is that simply saying "Your ancestors did X, therefore you shouldn't talk about this and that" is not a valid response since being the decedent of someone who has committed a crime does not make you a criminal. Second of all what you said was merely a person attack in an attempt to undermine his opinion by showing him to be a hypocrite, meaning that you basically said "You do X therefore you can't say X is bad" which is a logical fallacy.

[LexPhilogus]

No it isn't a logical fallacy. What you're trying to talk about is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is not fallacious.

"attack in an attempt to undermine his opinion by showing him to be a hypocrite"

Actually, I was undermining his argument by citing numerous facts about the U.S. You clearly have problems with reading comprehension. The statements about his Nationality were just an extra rub, but weren't at all part my argument.

Nice try though ;-)

[LexPhilogus]

I'd also like to add some perspective to this whole affair. You have a guy/girl from the UK, Germany, France and maybe other places using this video as a pretext to take snide little jabs at America. I only dredge up their current and past faults to give a more accurate contrast. And yes hypocrisy is part of what I want to flush out, on the part of some Europeans, but I can undercut most of the false assumptions and leaps to conclusions with facts.

[LexPhilogus]

Just what I thought, you have no real data.

[LexPhilogus]

It's extremely difficult to pin point what the United States role is in the totality of death toll on the Indians because at periods you have the French from Louisiana up through Ohio, the Spanish to the west, and British to the east.

Here everything is technically European until independence. Most Indian deaths were pure accident as they were the result of epidemics carried over from Europe. And, of course, these atrocities happened in less enlightened times than the period of Nazi Germany.

[fourthirteen]

My grandparents did no such thing, even if they did what would that have to do with the fact that america no longer being number 1 in anything but evolution denial?

[LexPhilogus]

what would that have to do with the fact that america no longer being number 1 in anything but evolution denial?

What does that have to do with anything? As if evolution denial has anything to do with intelligence or ability. Yes, I know it probably breaks your hear to hear that.

And America is not number one in evolution denial. Do you really want to get me started in all the things America is number one in? I dont think so.

[fourthirteen]

I do!  Unzip and show me the big massive american number 1.

So far I count america number 1 in xenophobia, incerceration rates and retard execution...

[LexPhilogus]

HATER FAIL!

Xenophobia? Logic coming from a Kraut. The U.S. is a country of immigrants and we're number ONE in how many immigrants we have. On the flipside neo-Nazism is on the rise in Germany.

Were the number one country in Biotech. Number one in GDP. Number one in military. We've Microsoft, Apple and every major software and hardware developer, plus we invented the INTERNET. Number one in space exploration. Our flag is planted on the moon. Number one in Universities in the top 100.

[fourthirteen]

Ad hominim and falsehood, you must vote republican.

American exeptionalism is hilarious, as are your racist, xenophobic slurs. Why don't you bag on every other country while you are at it?

You've already told us about the length, lets hear about the girth, that is what the ladies really want.

[LexPhilogus]

Definition FAIL!

The German people are not a race as defined as German Nationality.

I discredited your argument with a laundry list of facts on the accomplishments of the United States. My statements regarding your nationality we're just to rub it in your face.

You FAIL in your characterization of my argument as ad hominem, in light of facts I cited about the U.S. totally unrelated to the fact that youre a Kraut. For the record, Im an open borders kind of guy. I love Mexicans.

[fourthirteen]

I am an American you fuckwit. People like you make me ashamed of that.

While I work as an ambassador to the rest of the world you post ignorant, ethnocentric comments proclaiming greatness. If america is a great country, then it is in spite of people like you, certainly not because of you.

[LexPhilogus]

"While I work as an ambassador to the rest of the world you post ignorant"

Well, it says Germany on your channel.

As for my part, I hope you don't mean Foreign Service Officer type ambassador because it would vex me greatly to know now that the U.S. State Department is hiring people with IQs of about 82, who also happen to hate America.

Word to the wise, you can't be an ambassador while having hatred your own country.

[merdufer]

Evolution is merely the most logical conclusion from empirical observation. The denial of evolution is the denial of either logic, empiricism, or both. Does that have to do with intelligence? Sure it does.

[LexPhilogus]

The long history of the success of Capitalism and failure of Communism is made clear from a logical empirical outlook on history. Yet many college professors still have a very kind outlook on communism/socialism. Are these college professors just stupid? I wouldn't think so. There's no causal relationship between evolution denial and intelligence, just as there's no relationship between the belief in socialism and intelligence.

[merdufer]

Empirical observations can be interpreted in drastically different ways in socio-economics, but it's not the same in biology, of which we have a much better understanding. Currently, there are no alternatives of evolution that isn't either useless, insane, or both.

[LexPhilogus]

That muckety muck is irrelevant. You obviously missed the entire point of my post.

There's no causal relationship, case closed.

"Currently, there are no alternatives of evolution that isn't either useless, insane, or both. "

See, here you're conflating two issues that are unrelated, the person and the view point. That's ILLOGICAL!

America is more technologically and academically advanced than France and Germany in a large number of factors. You're just grasping at straws.

[merdufer]

You didn't even specify what kind of causal relationship you're talking about.

My argument was: Since there are no better alternatives at the moment (according to empirical observation and logic), if a person is intelligent, that person must accept evolution at the moment.

That is, in all fairness, a sound point.

I didn't try to say U.S. is not more advanced in some ways. I'm only saying their mass mentality tend to disregard education, and that's due to their perception of their traditions.

[LexPhilogus]

I thought it was very obvious. You can't judge a person's intelligence based on a wrong opinion. There are people who are lot smarter than you or I, that believe in Intelligent Design for example. There's also a very smart Engineering professor at MIT, who says that the planes couldn't have brought down the World Trade Center.

I think I've sufficiently demonstrated with historical evidence that my country has always placed a high priority on science and education.

[LexPhilogus]

It also depends on what grounds a person accepts evolution. Most people simply believe it, because they are simply afraid of not being considered intelligent or they are just taught that in school, so they don't question it.

If the later is the case they are not demonstrating superior cognition to the creationist who just accepts his view by ecclesiastical authority, even if the actual epistemic justification for evolution is more sound.

[LexPhilogus]

You're trying to make a case of if A than B

A= Evolution denial

B=Less emphasis on education and or lower intelligence.

I'm not even willing to concede B, but assuming I we're, I still have shown much countervailing evidence against your thesis.

[cristop5]

If a college or university education was available to the talented ahead of the rich, the US would get a better return on its investment in education.

Of course the conservatives would spin this suggestion as 'socialist' or some such thing. They would say 'well if you work hard enough you can get what the rich kids get handed to them for nothing'

In the meantime the talents of poor but bright students continue going to waste.

[merdufer]

Like they had a culture that cares about education. Many Americans still hold their "tradition", or "cowboy mentality" as I call it, in very high places.

All they want is a business, a gun, and "freedom", whatever that means nowadays. Education? Education is for the communists (funny enough, communists used to think education was too "bourgeois")

[LexPhilogus]

@merdufer

Asshat! The United States has more Universities than any other country in the world.

The state I'm from, Oklahoma, has as many universities as the Netherlands.

A state like California has more Universities than the UK and Netherlands combined.

[merdufer]

How's that relevant to my point that education is not part of the traditional American culture? American education didn't really take off until the 20th century, yet the traditional American values are those from the late 18th century (Independence and westward expansion). To the conservatives striving to preserve those values, guns are more important than education anyday.

[LexPhilogus]

You're completely mistaken about your claim that Education is not part of the American tradition. You should read more about Thomas Jefferson and his ideas for public education. Abraham Lincoln also went to great lengths to see that colleges were made available to people in the western pre-state territories.

No, Manifest Destiny is not part of the American Zeitgeist anymore and John Wayne movies aren't accurate material for understanding American history.

[merdufer]

Sure there was almost Thomas Jefferson. There was even the idea of the separation of church and state. The question is how much people think of those things when they think of American traditional values. Some Americans seem to be still stuck at the mentality of the days of Boston Tea Party.

[LexPhilogus]

Britain is still a theocracy, while the Archbishop of Canterbury wants to allow Muslims to apply Sharia law.

I think the European Christian Democrat Party applies a religious test to membership. Even the Republican party of America doesnt do that. Kudos to France, I guess, for being the most secular. I suppose they learned a lot from the abuses of the Huguenots, by the Catholics, and the abuses by the Jacobin to religious folk. Im proud to say that the U.S. has never had a religious war.

[LexPhilogus]

"mentality of the days of Boston Tea Party."

You seem to be alluding to the current Tea Parties.

It's interesting that a Frenchman would have some objection to our current protests, when France is one of the countries that seems to have more protests than any other developed country. Your country has had about 5 regime changes since Louis the XVl, I think.

[gosox773]

whats a bulgaria?

[casperado666]

it's a capital of europe. ask kelly pickler, she'ss affirm that

[pmalenkinn]

it's a country in europe, no a capital

[dmlauffer]

That's really not a poor reflection on America. Like he said, the rest of the world is getting better. But where are the best schools? There are some excellent schools overseas, but the vast majority of outstanding educational institutions are in the United States. Most employers will take a student who has a degree from a Public US University over most foreign institutions. I think the solution is to improve the elementary and high schools, The results will reflect at the college level.

[JimmyAbernethy]

I'm surprised we are this high in the rankings.

[marsCubed]

@JimmyAbernethy the stats are for those with a college degree.

What qualifies for a college degree alters from country to country.

A one year American 'degree' is only equivalent to a 1 year foundation course in the UK for instance. like for like the USA is worse.

I think it may be being talked up so as not to insult the audience.

Inequality; USA has excellent universities, just not many of them. and most are kept out by the republican corp greed and liar party.

no investment, such a waste.

[LexPhilogus]

@marsCubed

I'd like to know where you get you information from. As a U.S. American with a college degree, I can tell you I've never heard of a one year college degree in the U.S. The minimum standard for Universities is a 4 year program. I would be glad to compare acedemic material between the U.S. and Britian in "foundational" courses if you have the Info.

[LexPhilogus]

@marsCubed

"USA has excellent universities, just not many of them."

Okay you just pulled this out of your ass didn't you? If you look at the world ranking of Universities you'll see that out of the top 20 US has 13 schools, while Britain has only 4. UK has about 18 schools representing the top 100 and the U.S. has 31.

[marsCubed]

@LexPhilogus When I was at university, an American student's 1 year degree was only graded as a foundation course.

Thus she was at uni to get a degree valid in the UK.

I cannot remember the source of data for US pattern of education. however it is similar to Namibia.

Not same level, just same pattern of islands of excellence surrounded by very low level comparatively.

It is this unequal distribution which shows in the stats. it is not a comment on those who do get educated to high levels.

[LexPhilogus]

"an American student's 1 year degree was only graded as a foundation course. "

Yeah, that sort of thing happens within America too. I reiterate, I have never heard of a one year collage degree in the U.S. so I think her degree was likely not very representative of most in the U.S.

In the end, you based your comparison on the experience of ONE American student . We're being real objective now aren't we?

[terraalert]

Thanks Fox News!

[billthebutcher2]

That's what happens when you attack intellectualism and education for 35 years. We had a VP candidate last year who couldn't even name a newspaper that she read and she was proud of it. Her supporters too.

[razorflown2]

@billthebutcher2 Ya, and a country of utter dumbshits that believe that evolution is false, science isnt to be trusted, the football game is more important than the science lab and the earth is 6000 years old.

[billthebutcher2]

Yup.

[iluminatr462]

and those are the people with college degrees.

[dalmatian847]

@razorflown2 Of course we are. How else do you explain how Democrats keep winning elections?

[dalmatian847]

@billthebutcher2 This is what happens when you turn over education to beuraucrats whose only solution to problems is throwing more money at it.

How has the state of education in the U.S been helped by the Dept of Education added on by Carter in 1980?

Funny how the former VP candidate didn't visit "all 57 states" with two more to go like that Obama fellow.

[billthebutcher2]

@dalmatian847 fail

[dalmatian847]

@billthebutcher2 A man of few words. "fail" what, exactly. An English course perhaps?

[faelismaegnus]

Another one of Obama's useless idiots.

The problem with US education started in the left wing counterculture 1960's. The rulers of academia in America today are largely left wing propagandists. They dumb down our people. Dumbos are easier to rule over. Leftists, like Obama and his allies, believe in a top-down, statist, left-wing elite ruling over an inferior mass of sheep.

[Daniel44125]

Exactly

[kmardes]

you stupid whitetrash are the epitome of what this guy is talking about.

is mike HICKabee the best you can produce? for fuck's sake

tell your fat sister to get off the remote so you can change the channel from fox

[razorflown2]

@kmardes BWAHAHAHAHA!

[faelismaegnus]

Look at the crap you punks write here! You bunch of Yankee and European metrosexuals couldn't argue your way out of a drunken beerfest! All you little northern internet jockies are in for a big surprise! 40% of Americans self-identify as conservative. 40% self-identify as independent. Only a measly 20% self-identify as liberals (leftists twits). Obama got lucky. But lightning won't strike twice for you ignorant worms. You should all immigrate to Bulgaria.

[kmardes]

well, looks like you just confirmed what this speaker said about education in the states haha

billy bob joe, your numbers don't add up.. quoting affiliation in ar-kan-saw aint cuva da hol kantree.

got it?

[faelismaegnus]

Bye, retard. Don't have time educate you. You first need to be potty-trained.

[znubzz188]

it's 'emigrate' to bulgaria you silly ;)

and ur right by the way americans should be desperate, but they not right because of their conservative identity.

watch the decline of an empire!

[faelismaegnus]

They will be immigrating into Bulgaria and emigrating out of the USA. But that's just a small error. You made a big error thinking that Americans are "desperate". We don't need an empire. We don't have an empire. You have no idea what an empire is. The Soviet Union was an empire, just as Russia was an empire. The USA does have a strong foreign policy, but it is not imperialism. If American power in the world does decline, you too will suffer because of it. Don't believe the anti-American hype.

[znubzz188]

what exactly are you afraid of?

[faelismaegnus]

If you don't know, then there's no use in me answering you. Study human history.

[znubzz188]

are you into Hobbe's by any chance? i'm not so much into of his views. We've had the rise of the UN and the fall of the Berlin wall and armed conflicts between nations only play a minor role in the current state of affairs. The problems in security we have today are totally explicable in terms of globalization theory and its solutions definately do not closely resemble the US' Leviathanish foreign policy with Bush. In that perspective I have trust in Obama and the global justice movement.

[faelismaegnus]

I'm more into Winkler and Huntington. But Obama is not part of any global justice movement. If you please, elaborate on this "global justice movement".

[znubzz188]

huntingron I know, but could you name a book written by winkler plz?

the global justice movement refers to the collaboration of various activist movements through fora like the World Social Forum. They are the 'losers' of globalization, whom are invisible. They join forces and try to transcend their cultural differences by focussing on real issues. I consider this process of globalization more important and more vital the clash of civilizations as described by Huntington.

[faelismaegnus]

"Germany: The Long Road" West by Heinrich August Winkler. He's written others. I think you are wrong to think culture clash is not important. I also think that globalization is important, but to pretend that this means you can ignore the current cultural clashes, largest of which is that of Islam vs The West, then I think you're being dangerously naive.

[znubzz188]

It IS important, it CANNOT be ignored. BUT the issue at stake is how to deal with the intermingling of cultures as a result of globalization. on that point i'd rather focus on the World Social Forum than Islam vs. the West, because this clash has been intensified due to stigmatization. the image of the middle east in the west is singular and the other way around. who is aware that iran has the largest pro democracy population in the east?

[faelismaegnus]

Focusing on globalization is not going to help avoid the aggression of Islam against the West and the rest of the world. Islam is the problem, not globalization.

[znubzz188]

Are you aware that globalisation is shaping current history much like the Cold War was in the past? Its the driving force behind every major event in the past twenty years. The extremist Islamist movement is no exception. I'd recommend you the book Globalized Islam: The Search for a New Ummah by Olivier Roy. He'll also reveal alot to you about stigmatisation of the Islam.

[faelismaegnus]

I will look into your book, but you are not talking to a dummy here, but to someone who knows Islam inside and out and discusses world affairs with Muslims from around the world. I suggest that you are naive about Islam. Do an objective study of Islam through the ages since it began. Also, learn the basic worldview of the Muslim regarding the non-Muslim world. Islam is Islamic Globalization. Of course economic and western globalization effects Islam, but Islam predates western capitalism.

[bridgettedunn]

@faelismaegnus Islam is just as stupid as Christianity. Throw the religions aside, and govern with SCIENCE. We are supposed to be smart, not believe in old myths, like Zeus, God, Allah, WHATEVER. 

[LexPhilogus]

The problem with your argument is that it amounts to a one way street, and is essentially not much more than a cheap talking point. Nothing you've said is necessarily incorrect in that globalization affects Islam except that you over emphasize it as a key factor.

No one in the west is willfully targeting Mosques because of Muslim stigma against liberal democracy.

No one in the West blows themselves up in a city square because of a Jesus spoof.

[m0r7r3d]

@faelismaegnus We don't want your sorry asses in our country. Stay where you are imperialist scum.

[billthebutcher2]

That's projection, you just described the whole RW movement in a nutshell.

[Daniel44125]

thank the teachers unions

[Finiras]

point the fingers at other people and feel better about yourself. great idea.

[Daniel44125]

You're a moron. Private school do way better then public schools for a reason.

Public schools spend more money per student and have unionized teachers that cost over 100k to fire if they suck. Moron. Countries that do better then the U.S allow the money spent on students to be attached to the student. Teachers unions ruthlessly lobby against this in the states. Moron. I could go all day explaining why teachers unions ruin schools. Moron.

[Finiras]

r-e-t-a-r-d. i never said private schools weren't better than public schools. also, teachers at private schools can well be member of a teacher's union.

[Daniel44125]

The lion share are not in teachers unions. The lion share of charter schools are not. They both out perform public unionized schools. The blame on the teachers union is sound. Stupid moron. I was pointing out they difference in our own schools due to union monopolization of our school systems. Apparently you went to one of those shitty schools.

[allgoo19]

And California is the bottom of the worst thanks to the governor.

[globalarte]

New Jersey is the worst.

[allgoo19]

globalarte: "New Jersey is the worst."

Sorry, I exaggerated it by 3.

See my another comment.

[casperado666]

governator would kill you for this blasphemy... is it really that bad?

[allgoo19]

casperado666: "governator will kill you for..."

Last time I heard, 47th out of 50.

Sorry, I exaggerated it by 3.

It wasn't that great when he took office but he definitely made it worse. He kept cutting education budget every year since he became the governor.

[allgoo19]

And US is the only country religious population is increasing.

Is this co-incident?

[1RadicalOne]

No.

[HiAdrian]

"grow a brain morans!"

[JustaEropeanGuy]

America is in WAAAAAY more debt than Bulgaria, so economically....

[Hopeful71]

Edjamacation is overrrrated. USA kicks ass!!! Yeeeehaaaaa!!!!

We'll just nuke the countries that think that they more smarter then us........ummm....Yeeeehaaaa!!­!!

Now where did I put my beer and my Girls Gone WIld video?

[AlexAstengo]

then? it is 'than'

[yuriythebest]

ok no probz- just let me write you software for yer moneyz mkay???

[1RadicalOne]

US less educated than Buglaria?

And Japan, and Korea (S), and New Zealand, and Canada, and the UK, and Belgium, and Switzerland, and France, and Austria, and Denmark, and Iceland, and Sweden, and Ireland, and Norway, and the Czech Republic.

and this is just mathematical literacy...