This is a great story because it speaks to something fundamental to all Americans, indeed all people, namely their intelligence on matters important to democracy. I would recommend this story to everyone. It's quite fair, provides evidence for its claims and is informative. The biggest flaw is that it's not well-sourced, but still provides an important viewpoint everyone should consider and take to heart.

This is an excellent and accurate interview. We have a major problem. Our democracy needs informed voters and this interview is an example of why our democracy is failing and our nation is in trouble.

This is a Q&A with Susan Jacoby, author of "The Age of American Unreason," a book about American anti-intellectualism, and writer for "On Faith," a Washington Post-Newsweek blog on religion. It provides a broad perspecitve on the issue of anti-intellectualism and the effect on the competitiveness of the USA. The discussion also comments on a uniquely American political system and culture that perpetuates and encourages an ignorance of and distain for fact.

A troubling article about the dumbing down of America becoming an accomplished fact. Substituting one year in high school history I was appalled at the indifference most students had about school. They expect education to be the Disney channel. Neither they or their parents comprehend that education is really hard work. Schools load students up with facts but fail to teach what to do with that information—in other words, how to think. Quoting: "…if you don’t have a framework of ... More »

This is a well-written, well-thought out interview about the attitude towards education and knowledge in the U.S. It should be required reading for every parent, teacher, high school and college student, journalist, etc., etc., etc.

It is an interview with someone who is providing her point of view. Therefore I do not expect her to be unbiased. The fact that I belive her argument is true, of course, adds to my enjoyment of this piece. Seeing someone articulate things that I have thought or said makes me like the piece. Why on earth is being smart a bad thing? As Jon Stewart said a few weeks ago, I want elite , I want someone smarter than me running this country -I don't want "someone "I can have a beer with".

The interview provides stimulating ideas from an author on the subject of intelligence and anti-intellectualism as social and political forces in the United States. What does the lack of a framework of understanding do when our government depends upon an informed electorate? How have we come to this state in our emotional and cognitive intelligence?

A well-done interview on an important subject.

This is a worthwhile article, however it tends to oversimplify. Take evolution, for example: While we have plenty of scientific proof that microevolution is a reality (and thus should be taught in our schools), macroevolution is but one theory as to how life developed to its present state. With regard to macroevolution, we have correlative evidence based on observations of the fossil record, however we lack definitive scientific proof that our assumptions about causation are correct. ... More »

You would never guess from this article that we are the richest and most successful country in the world. The article is short on facts and full of dubious claims. Seems to me that it is Bush who is trying to introduce standards in the schools and Obama who is in bed with that enemy of standards: the teachers' union.

It's so good, it's frightening!

This opinion piece/interview has modest journalistic merit. A fundamental problem is the author's total confusion between anti-intellectualism and the quality of education. The latter has nothing to do with the former. Anti-intellectualism is primarily on the far left. Just ask the AALS! They were not hit by a right-wing group! Her ignorance about the failures of health care in Europe and Canada makes her commit a serious faux pas on that subject.

A transcription of a radio interview with an author. A five paragraph summary introduces the subject matter, with quotations, statistics, and links to the author's books. This is very much one-sided, but the discussion introduces some interesting new concepts.