College Students Lack 8th Grade Math, US Still Finds Trillions for War
A recent Newsweek piece, citing UCSD's math placement issues, frets over the 'skyrocketing' number of university students lacking 8th-grade math skills. This, from the country that just greenlit another $17 billion in 'emergency' aid to Israel, funding a conflict that has already displaced over 1.7 million people and killed tens of thousands. One might wonder where the real math crisis lies when
astronomical sums are conjured for bombs, while classroom budgets are perpetually 'bare.' We can't teach fractions, but we can finance F-35s. The collective hand-wringing over basic academic proficiency conveniently ignores how disinvestment in public education directly correlates with these outcomes, year after year. It's almost as if foundational skills aren't a priority when you're busy sending
billions to maintain military dominance abroad. Perhaps if our legislators could do the math, they'd realize a thriving populace requires more than just perpetual war.