Funny. You mean, the Amazon rainforest is not in Antarctica? Jeepers.
So OK, leMonde has a field day with this NG study. Can't argue with that -- touché But of course, this ignorance of geography is something that has being going on (all the way downhill) for decades. And clearly, it's mostly due to the prevailing (liberal) ideology in public education, whereby classical knowldege is not to be transmitted to students. Don't get me started on that, or I could rant and rave for hours...
First, a matter of semantics: "Liberal" in Europe generally means liberal in the old sense, which is really the correct one (sort of anglo-saxon liberal-capitalist tradition). Only in North America has Liberal come to mean something very illeberal, to wit, Nanny State worshipper. Give this to the French: they call a Socialist a Socialist, and a Communist a Communist.
As for why (public, of course) schools in say France do better than the equivalent in the uS, despite massive amounts of money spent here seemingly for nothing -- well, the answer is complex, and it would take me a long time to explain, and even then I would not have the whole answer, this really boggles the mind. At any rate, and if this is any consolation, I think regression to the mean is the word, and whatever temporary advantage European education may have had over American one in the second half of the 20th century is rapidly fading. AA identified one reason, but there are others. Maybe one day we should debate this in more detail, á froid.
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Funny. You mean, the Amazon rainforest is not in Antarctica? Jeepers.
So OK, leMonde has a field day with this NG study. Can't argue with that -- touché But of course, this ignorance of geography is something that has being going on (all the way downhill) for decades. And clearly, it's mostly due to the prevailing (liberal) ideology in public education, whereby classical knowldege is not to be transmitted to students. Don't get me started on that, or I could rant and rave for hours...
The Ancient Greeks knew where Venezuela is?
>it is mostly due to the prevailing (liberal) ideology in public education
how do you explain then that in western europe, where liberal educaiton is epitomized, this isn't a problem ?
dunno about venezuela, but the ancient greeks would have known what the shortest way to your mexican booty is - that's for sure.
You mean like in France, Le Pew, where the liberal schools in the bainlieus have students who can sharply tell their Kufar from their Kaffir?
yes - and who don't think that, just because mecca rhymes with inca, means it is in latin america.
But still that damnable confusion of French with Frank, and Le Chirac with Une Putaine. Mais oui?
First, a matter of semantics: "Liberal" in Europe generally means liberal in the old sense, which is really the correct one (sort of anglo-saxon liberal-capitalist tradition). Only in North America has Liberal come to mean something very illeberal, to wit, Nanny State worshipper. Give this to the French: they call a Socialist a Socialist, and a Communist a Communist.
As for why (public, of course) schools in say France do better than the equivalent in the uS, despite massive amounts of money spent here seemingly for nothing -- well, the answer is complex, and it would take me a long time to explain, and even then I would not have the whole answer, this really boggles the mind. At any rate, and if this is any consolation, I think regression to the mean is the word, and whatever temporary advantage European education may have had over American one in the second half of the 20th century is rapidly fading. AA identified one reason, but there are others. Maybe one day we should debate this in more detail, á froid.
you think a froid will ever happen here ?
A froid here? It could happen if you shitheads quit calling each other names, goddammit.
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