Michael Moore Idiot Nation Summary

In Rereading America Michael Moore entitled “Idiot Nation” focuses on the failing educational system in the United States of America. The American nation has decreased in their studies and have lowered their standards, yet America still claims they have their priorities in order, which is education. Moore attempts to persuade his readers that the people who are to blame are lack of education in politics and the budget cuts they are making, however, politics blame teachers for making America decrease in their schooling test scores. Americas have many opportunities and useful tools to be successful; however,

Moore openly explains America’s standards of education is far lower than several other countries, education should always be our number

one priority; anyhow, as a nation, Americans have lacked their goal of staying on top and letting other nations strive ahead of them. For example, he states “ there are forty-four million Americans who cannot read and write above a fourth-grade level--in other words, who are functional illiterates.” America needs to rethink their standards when it comes to our education, furthermore, Moore wants everyone to be aware about what message they are sending to the future of America, the children.
Throughout his article he does not blame the school staff nor the teaches for the lack of education Americans deserve, but blames the lack of education in politics in America because they are running the system a lack interest in improving it.

For example, “as Americans, we have quite a proud tradition of being represented by ignorant high-ranking officials.” Moore states students no longer have the information nor the skills needed in their libraries because of the budget cuts, despite that, “the ultimate irony in all of this is that the very politicians who refuse to fund education in America adequately are the same ones who go ballistic over how our kids have fallen behind the Germans, the Japanese, and just about every other country with running water and an economy not based on the sale of Chiclets.” Moore explains instead of helping the future of the United States and making school first, Americans are gaining knowledge that is useless to this society, such as facts about sports, he states, “Why on Earth am I retaining that useless fact? I don’t know, but after watching scores of guys waiting for the ESPN show, I think I do know something about intelligence and the American mind” nevertheless, they lack the information such as facts about own country. In addition, he mentions this nation has an obsession with testing, for example, resorting to testing and believe their problem would suddenly be fixed because of the test results improved. Although he claims Americans are obsessed with testing, he wants the, “so-called political leaders” to be tested the same way they test others in this

nation.
Furthermore, if everyone suddenly agreed with the writer’s idea, our nation would finally take education seriously and try to make more improves within the education system. They would no longer make cuts in the school budgets and would use the nation’s money for something useful such as new books, improve the school environment since it is known the school is the home, away from home. Take them time to understand that to advance education as a whole they must first start at improving the education system. Overall, the United States spend so much time and money and lose themselves on what is unimportant and forget how they look as a nation.