Professor Mahoney said we hope that countries that share our values.... But the question today is are the values he is talking about really the values or still the values of this country. The vote in November 2024, not only for Trump, but for Republicans tells me that the values Professor Mahoney refers to are not, in reality, the values of many millions of Americans. I have made the point repeatedly, which I believe is undeniable, but which the MSM rejects, that the cause of Harris' defeat was not how bad or out of touch the Democrats are, but how ignorant and ill-informed so many voters are. Nothing is more obvious to me than Trump's unfitness for office and his extraordinary ignorance and incompetence. All the information anyone should have needed to reject Trump without a second thought was widely available, but 77 million voters ignored that and voted for him. To make things even worse, voters are oblivious to the fact that Republicans are the party of obstruction, tax cuts for the wealthy, and cruelty. The GOP’s members are unequaled hypocrites concerning fiscal responsibility.
What is not mentioned when you talk about increasing cost of education and anti intellectual orientation is that the future economy and innovation will depend on upskilling and lifelong learning.
There seems to be a growing disdain for learning and expertise in the US. Experts, that is, people who spend their careers studying and learning about specific areas, are now considered "elitists" whose knowledge can be ignored and replaced by one's own "gut."
I had a conversation during the pandemic with a friend who was refusing to get vaccinated. She is an immigrant from Mexico, to whom I taught ESL. She and her husband are now US citizens and have generally integrated well into society.
I explained to her that the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of vaccines was overwhelming and she would be much safer if she were vaccinated. Her response was, "What about my gut?" I assume that is something she had heard from another friend or acquaintance. I tried to explain to her the difference between her gut and science, but I failed. This kind of irrationality is becoming increasingly common. "I don't need to do research or understand the critical details of an issue, because I can rely on my 'gut.'"
To make matters worse, millions of Americans are now substituting online "influencers" for real expertise. That will not end well.
Professor Mahoney said we hope that countries that share our values.... But the question today is are the values he is talking about really the values or still the values of this country. The vote in November 2024, not only for Trump, but for Republicans tells me that the values Professor Mahoney refers to are not, in reality, the values of many millions of Americans. I have made the point repeatedly, which I believe is undeniable, but which the MSM rejects, that the cause of Harris' defeat was not how bad or out of touch the Democrats are, but how ignorant and ill-informed so many voters are. Nothing is more obvious to me than Trump's unfitness for office and his extraordinary ignorance and incompetence. All the information anyone should have needed to reject Trump without a second thought was widely available, but 77 million voters ignored that and voted for him. To make things even worse, voters are oblivious to the fact that Republicans are the party of obstruction, tax cuts for the wealthy, and cruelty. The GOP’s members are unequaled hypocrites concerning fiscal responsibility.
What is not mentioned when you talk about increasing cost of education and anti intellectual orientation is that the future economy and innovation will depend on upskilling and lifelong learning.
There seems to be a growing disdain for learning and expertise in the US. Experts, that is, people who spend their careers studying and learning about specific areas, are now considered "elitists" whose knowledge can be ignored and replaced by one's own "gut."
I had a conversation during the pandemic with a friend who was refusing to get vaccinated. She is an immigrant from Mexico, to whom I taught ESL. She and her husband are now US citizens and have generally integrated well into society.
I explained to her that the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of vaccines was overwhelming and she would be much safer if she were vaccinated. Her response was, "What about my gut?" I assume that is something she had heard from another friend or acquaintance. I tried to explain to her the difference between her gut and science, but I failed. This kind of irrationality is becoming increasingly common. "I don't need to do research or understand the critical details of an issue, because I can rely on my 'gut.'"
To make matters worse, millions of Americans are now substituting online "influencers" for real expertise. That will not end well.