Schools, Universities, and Republicans

There is a constant shouting among Republicans about the schools and the academia not reflecting their values. For this there is a very simple reason. The teaching and academic fields do not pay very much, so Republicans avoid them. Instead the people driven to these fields are people who are not interested in money but interested in social service - which people of course tend overwhelmingly to be liberal Democrats.

If Republicans want these fields to reflect their values, then they will have to make them appealing to people who have their values. And this is not likely to happen, since people who have Republican values worship money and despise social service. So unless teachers and professors start making money commensurate with their efforts, Republicans will continue to shun these professions. Since these professions are paid by taxpayer money, the anti-tax elements among the Republicans will refuse to raise salaries for them, so Republicans are catching themselves in a double bind.

Knowing of the impossibility of their desired state of affairs, the Republicans have decided instead to gang up on the scientists and the teachers. The result of course has been both the school and the academia losing competitiveness. So now American schools are at the bottom of the First World, and the share of Nobel Prizes won by American scientists has declined vastly. For this state of affairs the Republicans have only themselves to blame.

America's scientists and teachers work harder than just about anyone in America. But instead of getting respect and financial remuneration, what they get instead is abuse. No Republican would tolerate being in such a position. The only people who would tolerate being in such a position are people whose interest is in social service - a position that is anathema to Republicans; and that, as it continues being attacked in society, is becoming less and less appealing also to the Democrats.

One can continue to blame the damn libruls in schools and in universities; or one can realize the underlying reality. There will not be Republicans on a large scale as teachers and scientists until the Republicans start to value the service that is done by the same and to reward it appropriately. And America will continue to lose its competitiveness in science and education until these professions get the respect that they merit and again attract the bright minds of America. Which will only happen when these entities are no longer being hounded and assaulted, but are funded appropriately and treated with respect.