Wesley R. Elsberry
Posts: 4991
Joined: May 2002
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unless they are willing and able to impose their opinions on everyone else.
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The widespread view that non-science should be taught as if it were science in our schools here is an indication that the USA may not long continue to have the wherewithal to impose its opinion on others. If Bush & Co. were really serious about the notion that the USA should continue to be a pre-eminent superpower, they would have been getting very serious indeed about promoting science and engineering careers, and also on eliminating threats to good science education, such as religious antievolution. There was some brief mention of science and engineering initiatives early in 2006, but I don't recall that that lasted long, and certainly the administration has done little to nothing to hamper the religious antievolution movement, and from time to time has handed that movement opportunities instead. For instance, the August 2006 statement by Pres. Bush that "both sides" should be taught.
Students who are taught anti-science and science as if both were science are not going to be anything but confused about the nature of science.
Jingoists should be aware that "USA! USA! USA!'-ism comes with a price tag, and that is that our work force needs to be not just technologically informed, but needs to out-compete the other 96% of the world's population when it comes to making science and technology advancements. The Red Queen demands it. Religious antievolution is a distraction and hindrance that their vision of US hegemony simply cannot afford.
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"You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." - Dorothy Parker
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