America's Love Affair with the Mediocre is Killing Us

Quick, how do you feel about the stimulus package? Does what the administration did make sense to you? Do you wish the government would use more common sense and less expert opinion to make decisions? If the answer is no to the first two and yes to the last, then you're probably part of a group in America that desperately wants to be considered a majority; you believe that "experts" with a big emphasis on the air quotes, are really out to get us.


America has always had a love-hate relationship with our intelligentsia. We are more than happy to use their smarts to acquire new technology, learn new ways to get things done, and overall, use them to make our lives better. When asked though, many Americans will insist that the smartest people are out of touch, that they don't know what the people want, and, most famously, that they lack common sense. A large part of America will admit to not wanting the smartest people in charge.

How does this make any sense at all? When did we as a people get so paranoid that we would rather the "C" student make policy as opposed to the "A"? Any business on earth is going to promote their best and brightest as quickly as possible, and they make money doing it. Lots of money.  One of the American myths was that you could work hard, get an education, and make it to the top. Now? Now you can't have gone to any University other than a state one, without being called an elitist. Its disgusting. 

Americans have no one to blame but ourselves. Our stubborn pride in our ignorance has doomed us to play catch up with countries like China who actually value and use all their resources.Our utter disdain for anyone who has the slightest bit of intelligence will be our downfall. There is no way a society can consistently try for mediocrity before we become just plain dumb.