[Top-posting because Don's post is so long.] While I generally agree with you, a couple of disagreements: 1. It won't be a theocracy. 2. If drop-out rates increased exponentially, they'd "hit" 100% very soon. Rather, say "ignorance rates are increasing at an alarming rate".
On Fri, 2003-11-14 at 12:14, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > On Fri, Nov 14, 2003 at 11:39:31AM -0600, Ron Johnson wrote: > > > > Since the US hasn't ratified the ICJ treaty, it can't happen, unless > > the Europeans come in (in force) and *take* GWB. (Ha ha ha ha ha.) > > First off, my advance apologies for a bit of rambling; I'm quite tired, > overly caffeinated, and coming off a very long work-week. That being > said... > > To be honest, I doubt the Europeans would have to; they just need to stay > out of our way as we self-destruct. The U.S. is, sadly, heading along > the merry path of the Roman empire. I'd wager that in less than a > century, you will see the birth of a true theocracy within the U.S., > with a very well-defined caste system (serfs of the state/wage slaves, > civil servants, warriors/military personnel, and the ruling/business elite). > You can already see portions of this framework forming; the masses shop > at the same stores, purchase the same shoddy goods, listen to the same > music, and are only very superfically differentiated. Most Americans > are undereducated, ignorant of most of the world, and indifferent > towards learning *anything* new. The only things that matter are > expensive shiny toys and gossip. > > Democracy will be preserved, but only for appearance. People can > vote, but the elections will be rigged, with no paper trails and no > accountability. > > The gap betwen the rich and poor has been growing at an astronomical > rate, and public education is quickly reaching a point where only those > lucky and/or smart enough emerge from high school with even the most > elementary grasp of the arts, sciences, or of the English language; my > father used to teach a 'computer basics' class to high-school freshmen, > and many of them were almost completely illiterate. Drop-out rates have > been increasing exponentially, and with the rising cost of higher > education, fewer students can afford to attend college. Compounding > this is the fact that blue-collar work is generally frowned upon by > Americans, which has resulted in us having a horrible lack of trade and > technical schools. For those wealthy enough to attend college, many > will attain near-useless English and Liberal Arts degrees, because they > lack the impetus, drive, and determination to pursue a more difficult > degree. > > Within a century, I'd say that the U.S. will be a country much like the > one outlined in 'Higher Education' by Charles Sheffield, with a largely > illiterate, ignorant, and blissful populace, an incredible overabundance > of lawsuit-happy lawyers, useless public schools, and a 'fortunate' > ruling elite who are the keepers of knowledge and power. > > It's sad, very sad, but I don't see much that gives me hope things will > happen any other way. On the upside, those with the brains to move > themselves up on the socioeconomic ladder will do quite well. > > -- > Don Werve <donw AT agentsix DOT net> > > Yorn desh born, der ritt de gitt der gue, > Orn desh, dee born desh, de umn bork! bork! bork! -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ron Johnson, Jr. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jefferson, LA USA "Knowledge should be free for all." Harcourt Fenton Mudd, Star Trek:TOS, "I, Mudd" -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
