Summary Of Michael Moore's Idiot Nation

There are many problems in the American public education system today. Some of those include the quality of teachers, who have no real passion for the job, and are only allowed to remain in the position because of tenure privileges. Another issue is the state budgets that are allowed for public schools, with some states investing billions of dollars, and others prioritizing it lower on the list. In hot debate today is standardized testing, and the negative effect that it has on high school education, with the limits it places on teachers and what they have time to teach in the classrooms.

Most politicians believe teachers are not motivated and part of the problem. In my opinion growing up most of my teachers were motivated however, the lack of funds and over crowding were bigger stumbling blocks to me getting an education. It is no secret that being a teacher will not make you rich but. In Canada and the United States, most teachers with a four-year degree earn about $40K. I believe most teachers enter that profession to help students go on to lead productive lives.

Persuading a reader that their nation is full of idiots may seem to be a difficult task to accomplish. Not everyone is willing to openly accept this statement and others may feel more optimistic or hopeful for our nation than to give into this way of thinking. In order to successfully pursue such a task, the author must actively engage and capture the audience. In the article “Idiot Nation,” Michael Moore is able to recognize the deficiencies within the American education system and effectively explain these problems through facts, logic, and his personal experiences.

In “Idiot Nation”, Michel Moore presents a very strong argument about this nation, America. Moore states that American is dealing with a world of idiots. He gives important points of what America has come down to and explains his frustration with the American education system and also political system. Moore discusses undeniable facts about why education in America is failing which also include elected political leaders. In this essay, the author is not only pointing out what is wrong with the nation, but he is also trying to motivate the reader to do something about it to change this nation better.

Advanced technology and forms of communication have changed the way we look at our nation. The current political climate and the cultural movement that is happening in our nation is going to go down in history as a revolution. A revolution where news headlines are instantaneously on our phone screens, and thanks to our advanced technology, a whole world of information is a few clicks away. However, despite these advancements in technology, the cultural change in America is often slowed down because there is a general lack of education. In America, education is the one, if not the biggest barriers that economically and institutionally suppress an overwhelming amount of the nation’s adults. Majority of adults in America do not have basic reading and writing skills yet education is still not a priority in America. There is a crucial need for education in America, now more than ever. In my opinion, the only reason for the current political climate in America is the lack of education that brings basic awareness. The solution to what we are witnessing as a nation is an education that makes individuals aware of the reality of our circumstances and allows them to see a perspective from multiple points of views. In this paper, I will present my argument on why education should be made a priority in America.

The conservative view of education extends to the parents of the students as well. Salaries for public school teachers and administrators come primarily from state taxes which has been an issue for them for years. School faculty has been fighting the state for years to have an increase in pay but that would mean an increase in taxes as well. So when the parents of the students weigh in they often side with the legislature since a pay raise for teachers would mean a raise in taxes for them. This is sadly the same case for funding school equipment such as computers, books, playground equipment, ect.. Since parents are unwilling to have their taxes raised to pay for all of that, our schools will always fall behind, leaving teachers unable to properly teach our students.

Differently than some other countries, the United States has no national educational system since each state in the country has its own. However, some research from 1999 and 2006 shows that the American educational system is falling in a national scale. Experts argues that the system is ignoring cognitive and social aspects that are important for children’s development which would further help them for adult life. Studies indicates that the educational system is not achieving the real purpose of education: prepare kids for their personal and professional life. As a result, what could be worse than a school system that limits creativity and fails to develop kids with critical thinking and diverse social skills needed for adult life?

The human mind is perhaps the greatest object on the earth, animate or inanimate, but without the proper training, the mind is a relatively useless tool. Through the development of formal education systems, humans as a whole have tried to ensure the training of all minds so as to continue prosperity for the world. Most of the time, though, education systems do not realize the harm they are doing to developing minds and the subsequent negative consequences. Among the largest of these inadequate education systems is the American primary schooling system. The American education system is in fact failing; it continues to deplete children of their natural creativity and thirst for knowledge while preaching conformity, which in turn creates an

In his book “Idiot Nation,” Michael Moore argues that there is too much stupidity in the United States. Explaining that most Americans are more interested in sports and not political issues and congressmen not advocating educational issues. Moore believes that many Republican presidents have tried to destroy libraries and that corporations are sponsoring schools for their own gain. Moore does offer an interesting perspective on the issues he mentioned, but he backs up his assumptions with little to no sources. By backing up claims with a sarcastic tone, Moore’s views on issues seem to be biased.

In Rereading America an excerpt by Michael Moore entitled “Idiot Nation” focuses on the collapsing educational system in the United States of America. Moore brings to light his view on the failures of the educational system and the lack of financing that has been caused from the top of the food chain. Politicians as well as American corporations contribute to the decline in education according to Moore. He attempts to give the reader a clear picture of where America places the importance of educational funding. He follows-up with detailed examples on what districts and schools resort to in order to gain financial support for their programs. Moore is quick to point out the irony of politics and education in America

We need to start appreciating how much time and effort our teachers put forward into our education. They don’t have to waist their lives on the students, but they do it anyways. Why do they have to work so hard off of hours and not get paid for it when others get praised for it? Nobody can understand what a teacher goes through unless it is a teacher themselves. Teachers not only deserve a raise they deserve more respect. Now of days people are starting to give less respect to teachers more and more. Teachers will keep doing what they are doing, but not getting the pay they deserve for the hours they put in during and out off work is not right. Give teachers the pay they deserve or we will see a decline of teachers in our

1. Moore provides evidence to support his contention that America is a nation of idiots by stating, “There are forty-four million Americans who cannot read and write above a fourth grade level –in other words, who are functional illiterates” (Colombo 122) and also explains how he feels as if America wants to keep individuals “stupid” and “ignorant” (Colombo 123). I do agree with his statement that there are many people who cannot read higher than a fourth grade level, but I do not believe that America wants to keep the public as being “idiots.” Many individuals are college dropouts and even high school dropouts in my opinion, but that does not

The essay “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” written by Jonathan Kozol and published in Readings for Writers in 2013, conveyed an extremely important message throughout. Illiterate American’s struggle with simple daily tasks which many of us take for granted. The amount of illiterate people in our society is much higher than it should be. According to the essay, there are millions of Americans who fail to excel in the ability to read and write. Such a large number of people have a problem with this that evidence has shown that if those people were able to read and write and could consciously make a decision to vote for the president of the United States, there would likely have been a different outcome to the 1980 presidential election.

America is in a new Golden Age. The Golden Age of Stupidity. “Throughout How to Fix American Stupidity” by Steven Nadler, he discusses the basis of stupidity comes from the choices made which were dictated by emotions and not rational thinking. It made me wonder whether America’s stupidity is due to a failing education system, unsupportive teachers/adults, or schools focusing more on sports instead of education. Of course, that’s just a small margin of possibilities that could go into the accounting of America’s stupidity.

What is it that’s making our country suffer from excelling in education? Very few would argue about the importance of our education system today. Issues such as lazy teachers, lack of parent involvement, and teaching useless information in class may hinder progress in today’s education system. An education plays a crucial role and is an essential tool, unfortunately, with all the jaded judgments; our students are not able to value their education. A proper education can open the doors to many opportunities that would have never been possible if it had not been for the knowledge and preparation that one received while in school. With the growing economy and desperate times, it is more important than ever for our country’s children to receive the proper education and training that is needed to allow them to acquire a good job and produce the revenue needed to live. Today's education system is flawed in many ways, and these flaws should be eliminated to ensure a good education for our future generation.