Too Dumb To Fight

Strategy Page ^ | Jan 8, 2011 | Unk

[ryan71]

Why are so many young Americans too stupid to be soldiers. A fourth of potential American military recruits can't join because they are too fat. That got some media attention. But the fact that a quarter of high school graduates who tried to join failed the written exam attracted less attention. The main reason for this is that fact that most of the uneducated high school grads are minorities (mainly blacks and Hispanics) from urban schools. Those schools are failure factories controlled by teachers unions, bureaucrats who are willing to sacrifice education for jobs and more benefits. You do not want to mess with teachers unions, as they have a lot of political clout and can make life miserable for mainstream journalists and their editors. What is scarier about the failure rate of high school grads is that the armed forces entrance exam tests for skills common to most civilian jobs. Survey civilian employers, and you will find that they see the same failure rate among applicants who are high school grads.

While the army can do something about the overweight applicants (by giving out diet plans and holding physical training exercises for the willing), there is not much they can do cheaply, and quickly, for those who learned little in high school. Moreover, the fact that a quarter of your "educated labor force" really isn't ready to handle technology (and more learning) means two things. One, employers are either going to be short of the people they need, and, two, some employers will be forced to spend more on educating new hires. This isn't easy, because many of those uneducated high school grads are not keen on more "education," having experienced so much failure with it already.

[Baynative]

"Why are so many young Americans too stupid to be soldiers."

Because mean spirited republicans won't give the schools enough money.

[napscoordinator]

Thank God the gays will take their place. /sarc.

[truthguy]

It isn't the schools- although they are bad. It isn't the teachers unions- although they are bad. It isn't the teachers- although many are lousy (So many good people have left the teaching profession). It isn't the curriculum although it's bad. We know what the problem is. But even here on FR we cannot say it.

The best French chef in the world cannot make a good souffle without the right ingredients.

[TSgt]

America the stupid.

Here’s a perfect example from today’s local rag. A school is attempting to implement a challenging, higher learning program, yet the dolts want to trash it and keep everybody stupid.

Those with potential are brought down to the lowest common denominator.

Global Studies program causes stir
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110108/NEWS0102/101090302/1196/NEWS/Global-Studies-program-causes-stir
FOREST PARK - Winton Woods School District is creating an international studies “school with in a school” at its high school next fall, but it’s not without controversy.

The Academy of Global Studies, approved by the school board last week, will create a more rigorous and internationally flavored path toward high school graduation, as well as automatic acceptance to the University of Cincinnati.

Some opponents of the program sent anonymous e-mails to the media just before the meeting.

A parents group, the Warrior Academic Advisory Council, has publicly objected to parts of the program, including concerns that it may divert funding and resources from efforts to improve academics throughout the district, not just for a few students at the high school.

[I see my hands]

"The main reason for this is that.."

Could it be that as a species intelligence in humans is far from universal? Not everyone is equal, nor will their children be.

[freespirited]

Why are so many young Americans too stupid to be soldiers

Because the military doesnt like to take people below the 30th percentile on its entrance exam. Experience has taught them that things go better with people above this cut-off.

We have an outstanding military. I dont have a problem with letting them choose their entrance standards.

[The Comedian]

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Stormdog]

u meen wee gota reed n stuf? ysat? webe jus shootin gunz and sh*t
peece owt

[Seven plus One]

...But even here on FR we cannot say it.

I'll say it, even recognizing the peril of being banned forever- it's the children.
Given that K-12 education is largely sub-par, that the popular culture celebrates ignorance, selfishness, and gratuitous stupidity, that our political establishment promotes the racial, social, and economic balkanization of the society, with all of the concommitant issues; given all of that, the result is children, especially male children who never grow up, never care to grow up, who are less and less able to see the world beyond their own immediate desires. Sort of like babies. Or dogs. Not prepared for the ASVAB/AFQT, or even prepared to understand the necessity of such a thing. And it seems that there are plenty of people in positions to do something about that who are completely cool with it, for reasons that escape me entirely.

[wku man]

This really isn't all that new. Back in the 90s, when we got the SINCGARS radio, with its frequency-hopping technology, I went to a day's training on the set, then went back to my unit to train my soldiers how to operate it. They couldn't understand it. The radio was literally smarter than they were. For my remaining four years in service, I encountered only one company that was able to have all its tanks freq hopping in synch. Same went for GPS when it first came out, the second-generation MILES gear, etc.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[ViLaLuz]

Because on the ASVAB, the questions are about English, Math and the Sciences. You won’t find any questions on homosexual heroes, how to put on a condom, famous minorities, evil Christians, etc.

[conservativeimage]

I thought that if you don't make an effort in school to be smart, you get sent to the military.