CUT THE C#$%: Is Democracy Really Just a Synonym for Mediocrity?

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SAMANTHA SALIS

Many Italians still feel nostalgic about Mussolini. Although they are aware of the terrible aspects of his dictatorship, they still associate his authority with a "better future". My Italian teacher brought this up in a discussion about WWII. After doing some research of my own, I realized that this view was not limited to the older generations; even the youth value certain practices of Mussolini!

Of course, I am in no way disclosing an allegiance with Mussolini, or proposing a dictatorship as the best form of government, but I do question the efficacy of a democracy in a country with a much less-than-perfect education system. Sparknotes: if children are no longer getting adequate education in public schools, how are they going to become informed voters? Just because you’re 18, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have any idea of how an entire country should be run.

In a global mathematics ranking, the United States was ranked #31. In science, it was ranked #23. Additionally, other country’s education systems are growing at much faster rates. In fact, the education systems in Hong Kong, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Lithuania, Columbia, Slovenia, and Liechtenstein are growing twice as fast.

Who knows what direction America is going toward? Are we behind and getting dumber? I don’t trust the average person to know what is best for the future of America. This is not the fault of the average American; if funding for your public school district is cut and you lack the instructors and tangible resources to learn, where does the knowledge come from?  

Does the average person know how to make the economy grow? How to foster a happy, healthy population? I don’t think that the majority of the population has access to the necessary resources to truly make an informed decision. Who knows what the consequences will be? And, who better than to fix this: us, the new generation. 

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 The "Is This Real Life?" Column, Samantha Salis:

Sam is a Psychology Major and Political Economy Minor at UC Berkeley. She is a dedicated young woman, ambitious and sharp as a whip. Our dear Samantha tutors high schoolers and works at a Psychology lab at UC Berkeley. Even with this busy schedule, Ms. Salis creates the time to divulge to us her insider perspective on the world around us, backed with thorough researc. Enjoy!