I have just read an essay that made my flesh crawl. It wasn't a sputtering, racist screed nor an apology for unfettered greed (though it bears some of the hallmarks of the latter).
It was, instead, a paean to ignorance, written by an obviously intelligent man in a respected journal, and it has led me to wonder if I recognize any longer the country where I was born.
The piece, from today's online edition of Forbes, is by John Tamny and is entitled, "Rethinking Tom Brokaw's 'Greatest Generation': Was It Really the Greatest?". It was flagged by a fellow I know and respect, so I gave it a look.
From the title, I'd expected a rethinking of a certain generation of Americans who, despite undeniable hardships and horrors (war, Depression), persevered and built the most prosperous society our species has yet managed. Such revisions, examining the actual advantages said generation enjoyed, secured by the blood and sweat of their elders and now evaporating from the lives of their descendants, are, in my view, valid and worth examining, no matter how many sacred cows may be butchered in the process.
But, far from the sort of "Hey-how-'bout-a-New-Deal-for-the-rest-of-us?" proposal suggested by the title, Mr. Tamny's article appears, after two careful readings, to be an attempt to justify the dumbing down of our society, based on principles of pure capitalist utilitarianism.
Tamny begins by appearing to agree with writers who bemoan dying skills like mathematics and memorization, but quickly turns to praising their passing as a sign of progress, based on the idea that people can only know so much before new knowledge crowds old out of our poor, meager brains.
Most chilling is Tamny's glib assumption that any knowledge that does not immediately lead to wealth creation is, by definition, outmoded and useless.
Below are a couple of grafs to give the general tone, though I'd appreciate it if some here would read the whole piece. I'm not sure, even after multiple reads, I believe an otherwise intelligent person could assert the things Tamny has.
Considering American education today, though the statistics which show us falling behind in math might seem alarming, the hysteria surrounding them is probably way overdone. Not considered enough is the greater truth that as evidenced by the ever-increasing ability of Americans to create enormous wealth (figure we’ve been “falling behind” in math for decades), the need for mathematical knowledge has likely plummeted. At present we accept the basics taught in schools as essential, but it’s fair to at least ask the question if schooling on a global basis is hopelessly behind the times.
Non-Americans like to tweak Americans for mostly being illiterate in all languages not English, but in truth they’re complimenting us for not having wasted time learning something that would serve no major purpose. Here it should be stressed that learning another language may well be fun, it might boost one’s sophistication, but the main reason Americans aren’t fluent in numerous languages like so many other nationalities is that they’re already fluent in the one that matters most. That may sound harsh, but it’s undeniably true.
What is undeniably true, if we are to believe the results of neuroscience, is that learning a second language, be it Latin or Esperanto, increases the brain's capacity for
all learning and can help stave off the horrors associated with aging brains.
The same benefits can accrue from learning any new skill, be it "useful" or not. But, seen through Tamny's blurred lens of pragmatism-uber-alles, no knowledge that does not relate directly to modern, hyper-mediated, acquisitive society should be pursued. Another example:
Consider the automobile. Most adult males today wouldn’t have a clue about how to fix anything related to a car, yet a high percentage of their equivalent 40 years ago were no doubt more mechanically knowledgeable. Surely some male readers have had their mechanical skills questioned relative to a father or father in law, the questioning was doubtless done in a sarcastic manner, but the hidden truth is that this non-knowledge is similarly a compliment. Thanks to cars that are less and less prone to break down, mechanical understanding today is largely wasted effort.
No, it's not, sir. Even if all you wish to do with your brain is come up with new schemes to generate capital, those skills are
enhanced by learning
other things. Like mechanics. Or languages. Or even cooking (which he goes on to devalue later in the piece).
I know, I know. It's just a blog post in a business rag. But Tamny's piece chilled me to the core. It so perfectly represents a mode of "thinking" (quotes required, as such ideas are, in fact, anti-thinking) that is destroying not only our intellectual lives and our politics, but our very ability to compete economically in an ever more challenging world.
That a prestigious business journal would publish such a credo is, to me, well, unthinkable.
Update: Posted a link to this on ye olde FB and a friend replied:
Commodification....does that mean their throwing knowledge in the toilet?
In this case, yes, exactly.