Some of the latest new books about the "knowledge-challenged" in America are out, according to an article I read recently in the New York Times. They are in no particular order (1) The Age of American Unreason by Susan Jacoby, (2) Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy by Eric G. Wilson and (3) Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob by Lee Siegel.
Periodically we Americans indulge in a national self-analysis and evaluation when a significant number of us believe things have gotten "really bad" in the country. It seems to happen about every 20 years.
After reading several reviews of these books, one common theme stands out (other than dumbness and banality are about to drown all of us), and that is contemplation and logical thinking need to be reintroduced in America, for everyone--no exception.
A deep streak of anti-intellectualism has run through American history from the very beginning, but Susan Jacoby believes contemporary life in America has taken this to new levels of public ignorance and anti-rationalism.
Eric Wilson apparently thinks we've become compulsively obsessed with being "happy"--drugs, messianic religion, plastic surgery and so forth; it's debilitating for innovation and creativity.
Lee Siegel believes we've allowed the Web to dominate our existence and have "confused self-expression with art."
On a perhaps more prosaic level some 50% of all scientists and engineers in America are foreign born. This will rise well beyond fifty percent.
It's possible that we'll be able to maintain our technical edge if we can continue to entice educated foreigners to come to America. But don't count on it. On the other hand, we could wake up and begin an American transformation starting now. Do you think we will?
Last but not least a topical video I came across:
