[Citizen Tom Paine]

Actually the problem runs much deeper than just history, which is bad enough. On the technical side, very few people now know the operating principles behind a lot of the items that they use, and consequently they lack the practical skills to put the back in operation when they fail.

We are raising an nation of ignoramuses (most of the present company excepted) and we surely will pay the price as a nation.

Ignorance is the enemy of mankind. Or if you think the cost of education is high, you should see the cost of ignorance.

[Shalom Israel]

We are raising an nation of ignoramuses (most of the present company excepted) and we surely will pay the price as a nation.

I share your distress. But at the same time, I secretly wonder whether this isn't in fact an economic optimization: Ricardo proved that a division of labor always enhances net prosperity. History bears this out, with increasing specialization. In some sense, then, isn't "dumbing down" about most things a natural result of specialization in a few things? Perhaps the ultimate achievement will be people who know nothing outside their jobs...

A'course, I would agree with your reply to that: even if so, such people will have ceased to be human.