Big Think

Helena Handbasket on January 15, 2008, 7:54 PM

I absolutely agree re: importance of this election.

For me the two most crucial issues are the economy and security for what I believe are obvious reasons.

Helena Handbasket on January 16, 2008, 12:54 AM

I absolutely agree re: importance of this election.

For me the two most crucial issues are the economy and security for what I believe are obvious reasons.

Omar Sapayeen on January 17, 2008, 9:20 AM

EDUCATION. Our economy suffers because our people are trained by an education system that is inferior to Europe's and Asia's. Education is an investment..All of our problems will be resolved if we create a generation of Americans who are capable of informed and rationale thought, something our current generation lacks.

Ed Beach on January 17, 2008, 9:30 AM

I too agree with Mr. Lehrer. HOWEVER, The United States needs to take a major leadership role so as to help prevent the advance of global warming and environment decay. Unless we learn to resolve and cure these critical problems, we may not have to worry
at all about the education of our future generations

Omar Sapayeen on January 17, 2008, 2:20 PM

EDUCATION. Our economy suffers because our people are trained by an education system that is inferior to Europe’s and Asia’s. Education is an investment..All of our problems will be resolved if we create a generation of Americans who are capable of informed and rationale thought, something our current generation lacks.

Ed Beach on January 17, 2008, 2:30 PM

I too agree with Mr. Lehrer. HOWEVER, The United States needs to take a major leadership role so as to help prevent the advance of global warming and environment decay. Unless we learn to resolve and cure these critical problems, we may not have to worry
at all about the education of our future generations

Shrivatsa Pendakur on January 19, 2008, 10:51 AM

Agree. To include gaining back lost respect across the globe and reinstating hegemony with that respect.

Education and innovation have to be certainly priorities of the next administration.

Shrivatsa Pendakur on January 19, 2008, 3:51 PM

Agree. To include gaining back lost respect across the globe and reinstating hegemony with that respect.

Education and innovation have to be certainly priorities of the next administration.

James Nordhoff on January 23, 2008, 6:14 PM

Education, or lack thereof, is what has led us to this point. The voters certainly need better info to make good choices based on real merit and not empty promises. Better educated people will automatically want to save the planet and understand better what needs to be done toward this vital goal. Ignorance is fear's breeding ground and fearful people often make poor, hasty choices. Hopefully, Americans can see past their remotes and WANT to take a proactive stance in their own fates. We must all stop being lazy and start learning about the important issues. Is NAFTA bad for America?
Should we concentrate more on the economy instead of policing the globe? Better education helps us all. It is much easier to have rational discussions with educated individuals than with high school drop outs.
Isn't it a shame we tend to place sports figures in much higher esteem than we do Nobel prize winning minds like Al Gore who brought Global Warming to the world's attention. Will this ever change? Perhaps the media needs to have a more involved role in shaping our moral and ethical views. Or our role models. Without being too preachy, of course. Perhaps if our sports heroes could at least be worthy of our admiration by keeping their collective noses and bloodstreams clean, and give educational pep talks to our young people. Knowledge empowers people, get as much as you can!!

James Nordhoff on January 23, 2008, 11:14 PM

Education, or lack thereof, is what has led us to this point. The voters certainly need better info to make good choices based on real merit and not empty promises. Better educated people will automatically want to save the planet and understand better what needs to be done toward this vital goal. Ignorance is fear’s breeding ground and fearful people often make poor, hasty choices. Hopefully, Americans can see past their remotes and WANT to take a proactive stance in their own fates. We must all stop being lazy and start learning about the important issues. Is NAFTA bad for America?
Should we concentrate more on the economy instead of policing the globe? Better education helps us all. It is much easier to have rational discussions with educated individuals than with high school drop outs.
Isn’t it a shame we tend to place sports figures in much higher esteem than we do Nobel prize winning minds like Al Gore who brought Global Warming to the world’s attention. Will this ever change? Perhaps the media needs to have a more involved role in shaping our moral and ethical views. Or our role models. Without being too preachy, of course. Perhaps if our sports heroes could at least be worthy of our admiration by keeping their collective noses and bloodstreams clean, and give educational pep talks to our young people. Knowledge empowers people, get as much as you can!!

Meredith W on February 4, 2008, 10:16 AM

I think it's right (and not unusual) to see improved education as a foundational solution for our country's problems. But I don't always see a consensus on what we mean when we talk about improving education. Some think the biggest first step in improving education is making sure every single person has the ability to read, write, and do arithmetic (as if there is some finite measure of "learning" in these areas). Others see it as a means for more training in science and technology—possibly even just more vocational training. But one of the things we rarely talk about is improving our educational system to teach people to think critically. Perhaps critical thinking abilities come as a by-product of learning the three Rs or of knowing the exact year that Columbus sailed the ocean blue. But in my experience, true education in critical thinking comes much later in the process than it should—in college mostly. In my opinion, our primary goal for improving our educational system needs to be teaching critical thinking skills earlier in life and more thoroughly. And if this change happens to lead to anarchy in high schools all around the country, that's just a side benefit.

Meredith W on February 4, 2008, 3:16 PM

I think it’s right (and not unusual) to see improved education as a foundational solution for our country’s problems. But I don’t always see a consensus on what we mean when we talk about improving education. Some think the biggest first step in improving education is making sure every single person has the ability to read, write, and do arithmetic (as if there is some finite measure of “learning” in these areas). Others see it as a means for more training in science and technology—possibly even just more vocational training. But one of the things we rarely talk about is improving our educational system to teach people to think critically. Perhaps critical thinking abilities come as a by-product of learning the three Rs or of knowing the exact year that Columbus sailed the ocean blue. But in my experience, true education in critical thinking comes much later in the process than it should—in college mostly. In my opinion, our primary goal for improving our educational system needs to be teaching critical thinking skills earlier in life and more thoroughly. And if this change happens to lead to anarchy in high schools all around the country, that’s just a side benefit.

Edwin Palathinkal on March 2, 2008, 10:25 AM

How big is the entire human DNA in bytes?

Edwin Palathinkal on March 2, 2008, 3:25 PM

How big is the entire human DNA in bytes?

Peter Bradley on March 10, 2008, 4:44 AM

Educated voters is why the education system was established in the first place.
But I think that the biggest issue in this election is the all powerful unitary executive branch. Which candidate will pledge to return to the balance of power required by the Constitution?

Peter Bradley on March 10, 2008, 8:44 AM

Educated voters is why the education system was established in the first place.
But I think that the biggest issue in this election is the all powerful unitary executive branch. Which candidate will pledge to return to the balance of power required by the Constitution?

Rachele Antenucci on October 22, 2008, 2:55 PM

How about the issue of not getting someone fired because a candidate has a personal vendetta against them? Or using an employer’s money to pay for a trip for their kids? Or being invovled in the Keaton Bank Scandal where a couple hundred thousand elderly people lost their life’s savings and their homes where McCain walked away with lined pockets to a tune of $5 MILLION dollars, and we the people had to bail out that fraudulent scheme to a taxpayers tune of $6.8 BILLION? What about people who vote against victim’s (rape & child molesting) rights? What about the economy? What about our female and male of any ethnic group…our Constitutional rights restored along with The Geneva Convention? What about the money that it is costing to guard the stolen oil wells in Iraq making a few people richer? What about crimes against humainty? These are issues that bother me.

Rachele Antenucci on October 22, 2008, 3:00 PM

I believe education is National Security! In northern European countries where it is illegal to charge it’s citizens for a higher education, they have the lowest crime rates in the world. Why? Because they don’t have a nation of UNEDUCATED, faux religious, bloodthirsty, thieving, and blindly patriotic knuckleheads!