I don't blame the schools actually. Sure our schools are substandard, but that is merely a reflection of our culture's own apathy toward it. We love to lip-service education, but when it comes down to it, we don't care. Even those that care are only concerned with their own kids... and isn't it funny how our education system doesn't stop them from achieving?
Education begins with a desire to learn. This is not something our culture emphasizes.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

# of new patents by country.

http://www.uspto.gov/go/taf/cst_utl.htm

The usa has more new "invention" patents than every other nation on earth combined, including 2006.
Japan is the second closest with less than half of our new inventions.

It seems all these dumbies educated in American schools that you soo despise, are trouncing the world in innovative thought.

Maybe there is more to education than test scores??

Ixtellor

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George W. Bush "I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building"

Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

Although I agree with you, Ixtellor, on the futility of test scores for describing everything about our education system... I don't think our list of patents is necessarily all that impressive. People often get patents on things that are really just a recycled idea with a slight alteration. Adding MP3s to a cellphone is hardly on the same level as inventing a new fuel system.
On test scores and such, most counts are deceitful. There is a lot of variation in our nation's schools. In some districts we have great schools. In others, terrible.
The districts that are known for good schools do better and better because people move there for that reason. But in the poor neighborhoods... the schools suck.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

Yeah...let's take a look at some of these "innovative" patents....

Electrified table cloths
Animal toys
Light bulb changer (no data on how many union teachers it takes to use it, though)
Hands-free towel carrying system
Pillow with retractable umbrella
Motorized ice cream cone
Alarm fork
Wearable dog house (for use on humans)
Method of swinging on a swing
Motorcycle air bag
Toilet snorkel
Pet display clothing
Beerbrella
Ear anchors
Radar head
Chin putter
Cranial greeting cards

(sources: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/crazy.html, http://totallyabsurd.com/cranialgreetingcard.htm)

You call this "trouncing with innovative thought?"

No... but in all fairness, it is rational. Why create a hydrogen-combustion engine when it is just as lucrative, possibly more, to invent the chia pet. Ignorance is not what leads to such pointless inventions... It is the lack of drive to work on more difficult things.
Thus the reason most Americans don't strive to become doctors, engineers, and scientists... Rather foreign-born people come into our country to do those jobs because they have the most drive- the most to gain from such hard work.

Inventing useless things and making money is not a sign of ignorance. It's a sign of rational thought and entrepreneurial spirit.
These people aren't ignorant. If anything is the problem it's that our culture is stupid... or that the consumers are ignorant (or rather apathetic).

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

Freedom is conditional. There are many enemies of freedom. Cowardice, gullibility, multiculturalism, all enemies of freedom that create a fine yoke around yourself and your liberties.

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I'll never Forget. To pull You Closer is to Pull You Down. Ignorence can be an envy. Applaud us as the old American Power goes quietly into the night.

YES YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT! It's black and white. Red or Blue. Because if it isn't, then I have to memorize a hundred other parties and that just confuses me.
You're right, you're not a genius but you act like it. The topics you hit and the way you word your posts just has this air of condesention whether you mean it or not (IMO).

PS
I'm just kiddin. I read you post and you have a point. I just like F-in with yu. Toodles!

Whom exactly are you referring to?

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I'll never Forget. To pull You Closer is to Pull You Down. Ignorence can be an envy. Applaud us as the old American Power goes quietly into the night.

How exactly is "multiculturalism" an enemy of freedom? So it is against freedom to allow people to associate with others outside their culture? People should just stick to their own or should be forcefully pushed into one "culture" (which is funny- because the "multiculturalism" people whine about is actually about subcultures within the larger culture that forms just from obeying our laws and being a part of our system)... for their freedom.
After all freedom can only be saved if we force people to stick to the herd.
Sounds gullible to me.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

way to take it out of context

But you're right though, we're dumb as hell...I saw a vidoe of a guy going around to girls colleges and getting signatures from girls to end women's suffrage.

I mean really, we RE-elected bush. That pretty much speaks for itself.

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America is a melting pot, the people at the bottom get burned while all the scum floats to the top.
- - - Charlie King