Monday, December 15, 2008

So What are we Teaching in our Schools These Days?

Dumb dee dumb dumb.

8 comments:

Robert G. Harvie, Q.C. said...

Is there any better example than Quebec to show than emotion trumps wisdom in politics? We might all look in the mirror a little bit and say, "what do I know".

A Eliz. said...

That is how the Cons. get voted in. It is also why So many think that Dion is still the leader of the Libersl party.

DivaRachel said...

So QC did the worst. I'd like to know how Ontario and AB did in this test. Seems like the article misses the pertinent info.

The Mound of Sound said...

It's not just "these days" James. Chretien had just become prime minister when I hired a new receptionist for my law firm. She was fresh out of high school where she had taken top honours. One day the office chat got around to politics and I quickly realized that she thought she understood Canadian history and politics but hadn't a clue.

As a test, I asked her to name Canadian prime ministers other than John A., Trudeau, Mulroney and Chretien. I promised her a $5 a month raise for each one she could name.

It didn't cost me a cent. The poor girl couldn't even search for answers because she'd never been taught any of their names. She didn't even get Diefenbaker or Pearson. Never heard of'em.

And she was an honour student.

Robert G. Harvie, Q.C. said...

DivaRachel, I don't think the point is that anyone is brighter or dumber than anyone else - which I talked about in my own blog.. it's a general comment on how we, as the electorate, often allow ourselves to get caught up in the emotional rhetoric slight-of-hand of our political elite, and find ourselves voting based upon some emotional reaction as opposed to actually making ourselves knowledgeable about the issues.. and in that respect, I'm sure no Province has a monopoly on lack of thought influencing the voting process..

sjw said...

$5 a month raise for each one she could name.

Wow. Huge incentive there. I'd have answered them wrong just for spite.

The Mound of Sound said...

sjw, I gave her the same offer for every US president she could name other than Washington, Kennedy and Reagan. That cost me the same amount.

She ought to have pocketed an easy $100-150/month, $1200-1800/year for 10-minutes of chat.

Why don't you try it and then tell me what you would have cost me.

Unknown said...

Mound, I really wish my boss would make that offer to me!! My reply would be "in order or ascension or alphabetically?"

If we're talking President I can throw in "by home state", too.