A theme I am
hearing lately on the news pisses me off: comparing college educated voters to non-college
educated voters in support of Donald Trump.
The newsroom pundits (who have all had the advantage of attending
college) are inferring, without actually saying, that college graduates are
smarter than non-college graduates, thus non-college graduates are more likely
to support Trump.
College
attendance, for most people, has depended on income more than intelligence. I spent twenty-two years in the military as
an enlisted man, and many of the officers, who held their ranks solely because
of a college degree, were some of the most stupid people I have ever known.
When my wife
and I attended college I was forty-one and my wife was in her late
twenties. I had more general knowledge
and far more experience than many – if not most – of my college
professors.
I believe
the voting breakdown is more a factor of demographics than education.
The
Republican hierarchy is always saying their party needs to be more
inclusive. Actually the Republican
Party is extremely inclusive.
It has
been said – and I have repeated – that not all Republicans are racist, misogynist,
gun nuts, white supremacist, militia morons, lobotomized fundamentalist
Christian or Fox News troglodytes; but if you are a member of one of those groups
there is a place for you in the inclusive Republican Party. It just so happens that most people that fall
into one of those group are poorly educated in general and likely on the lower
slope of the IQ bell curve.
So
constantly breaking down voting statistics by college/ non-college demographics
is a false equivalency, and disregards the millions of people who have never
had the opportunity to attend college and are smart, experienced and informed
people.
You can
prove or disprove anything you want with statistics – it is all a matter how
you group the data.
My present view on the modern American education system is that it's an industry. A profitable industry.
ReplyDeleteIt's also a matter of common sense. I noticed when I first started college that many students are as dumb as rocks when it comes to common sense. It does have a lot to do with demographics as you mentioned. My brother is voting for Trump and the dude is smart, college wise, but it's the area that he's in. He hangs out with the stupidest guys and it just rubs off on him.
ReplyDelete"I believe the voting breakdown is more a factor of demographics than education."
ReplyDeleteWhile I think I know what you mean here, the word "demographics" can encompass any number of criteria for a given population. Education is one such ingredient if the people setting up the demographic choose to use it.
Level of education most certainly does not equate to over all intelligence. For instance in your case as a career non com, my father was an officer who not only valued his non com staff more than the usual less than useless officers under his wing, he also got along with them better. My favorite adults in the Air Force I dealt with as a child were my non com buddies. They taught me all sorts of stuff, like how to swear properly and throw a curve ball.
A fellow here in town who chose to use his Mensa level intelligence to build houses for 35 years is maybe the smartest man I know after my father.
Unfortunately this election is being decided by many based strictly on emotion. People are pissed off. Really pissed off. It is too bad they are focusing their anger the wrong way.
In the US, UK and France, there is nobody left who used to speak for the ‘poor and poorer’. While at the same time, the numbers of poor and poorer increase at a rapid clip as the once-prosperous American working classes have been destroyed. Most of the best and smartest people I've ever known never went to college because a degree isn't necessary for artisans. I wonder who the college educated salaried class will turn to for support when their comfy positions are usurped by computerized robots?
ReplyDeleteNobody ever built a mass movement by appealing to an affluent minority. I was sorry to see Bernie Sanders' campaign fall apart.
college doesn't make you smarter..it gives you the opportunity to get smarter...it's up to you to do the learning.
ReplyDelete