Understanding “American Values” and the Culture of Stupid

From its origins, the United States has suggested that it is a unique, exceptional country that can serve as a beacon of truth for other nations aspiring for greatness. This concept of “exceptionalism” began with our example of democracy yet over time has converted into a general ethic or idea that everything “American” is great and everything outside of America is less so. Frequently, from politicians both on the left and right, we hear about how America is the best country on earth (or in history) and how said politician will restore America’s greatness.

How so, then, can it be true that the US ranks 37th in the world in health care, behind the likes of Costa Rica, Chili, and Colombia? How can we rank 15th in the world in reading literacy, 19th in mathematical literacy, and 14th in scientific literacy? How is it that the whole concept of the “American dream” is no longer American at all since upward mobility in the US is essentially impossible? How is it that we just took down the global economy through our own gambling, no regulation ways? How can it be possible that we are anything BUT exceptionally bad at most of our core endeavors?

The answers to all of these questions is easier than one would think. In short, we, as a culture, glorify stupidity. Turn on MTV (likely the dominant influence on adolescent and young adult minds) and you will see show after show where stupidity is rewarded. In fact, as a culture, we worship those who drink the most, shag the most, cheat the most, hit the hardest, run the fastest, act the best, sing the best, or some combination of all rather than those who work the hardest, invent amazing things, or write great works of literature. For better or worse, our culture has developed into one enormous drunk, violent, fucking orgasm that looks good at all times and lies about its behavior at all times. These are the values we worship, these are the values we inculcate, these are the values that the world sees. And one wonders why we are falling behind.

Take the issue of France as an example. France has, beyond any reasonable shadow of a doubt, the best health care system in the world. They also live longer, have a 35-hour work week, 6 weeks mandatory vacation for all employees, low pollution, low cost and high quality internet and other public services, among other benefits. Yet instead of looking to their example, we criticize, castigate, and ridicule. To be “French” is an insult in the US.

And it’s not just France. There are many countries which do things much better than we do and instead of learning from those examples, we ignore them or scorn them. This is the culture of stupid. It is a culture that will spell the doom of the United States as a world leader. And it is a culture that must change.

Education is a policy issue which receives great attention and money and yet we seem to slip further and further behind. Back In the 90s we had the computer generation of expenditures. Billions of dollars spent to modernize our classrooms. Didn’t matter. We continued to slide. Then Bush came in and said we need more standardized testing and achievable benchmarks. Nope, that didn’t work either. Now, with an election a week away and both candidates essentially repeating the same spiel about education, we’re likely to see the “Train Teachers Better” movement. Here’s a little prediction that shouldn’t shock anyone (but just might): That ain’t gonna work either.

This whole “Stupid is Better” movement culminated with the election of George Bush as president. No, I don’t think he’s a moron. I think he’s willfully uninformed and undereducated. And when you have someone who is not only uninformed and uneducated about critical issues (like National Security and Foreign policy) you have a tendency to act on what sounds good but may or may not be good. In essence, the entire Bush Doctrine and the last 8 years of foreign policy lies at the feet of the slick sales job Bush got from the neocons around him and his own inability or reluctance to seek alternate views, sift through the bullshit, or use a shred of common sense.

Unless and until we address the culture of stupid that dominates America’s airwaves (MTV, Fox News, this means you), unless and until we provide role models and heroes to America’s youth that can be examples of how hard work and an education can pay off (no Charles Barkley, you don’t count since you didn’t finish school but you are right and have always been right about the role model issue), and unless and until parents imprint upon their children the value of hard work, discipline, and intellectual achievement, we will continue on down the path of ignorance and irrationality and the hatred, racism, and bigotry that usually follows such things.
This essay, in essence, is one of the reasons why I support Barack Obama for President. He’s thoughtful, he’s smart as a whip, and he’s prone to listening to various views on complex subjects during crisis. All of these traits are the kinds of things you want in a president.

None of these things are possessed by the dogmatic, reactionary, and ultimately quick tempered John McCain. The latest Socialism screed is the most telling example of an appeal to stupid. The most “socialist” part of the tax code, the part that directly redistributes wealth from the rich to the poor is the Earned Income Credit which was introduced by…drum roll…Ronald Reagan. Sarah Palin herself, the loudest speaker 0n the corner, directly benefits from wealth redistribution every year when her windfall oil dividend is deposited in her bank account courtesy of the State of Alaska. Yet the media doesn’t want to talk about that. The media seems to like it when stupid is as stupid does. They seem to prefer a world in which a litany of lies can replace facts and never be challenged. And it’s not just Fox News. It’s CNN and others who give credence to this climate of dishonesty when, instead of directly attacking and disproving each and every lie, they merely report the “facts” that Palin accused Obama of being a socialist.

And after 8 years of irrational, insane, and idiotic politics, I think America has learned its lesson. At least for now. The pundits haven’t put their finger on this (perhaps they can’t), but I do think that Obama’s meta-narrative of new politics, of intelligent, reasoned policy, and of stoicism in crisis has resonated with the vast majority of the country – and – that’s why he’s going to win this thing going away.

Plus, he makes a hell of a great role model.