Also, this may have something to do with it-

Those that are anti-education aren't likely to become university professors.

The gulf between the party identification of white voters with college degrees and those without is growing rapidly.
[theatlantic.com]

I propose using 'publicans' as a counter to the use of Democrat. "My Publican opponent would have is believe...'

@weelittleone i propose trolls like wellspring be banned from the site, but my proposition isn't practical. oh well... that's why the block feature is there.

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@genessa even trolls need love

@Wellspring the New England Journal of Medicine published a study done back in the early nineties. Also the more severe the mental pathology, the more likely the subject identified as a republican.

@Wellspring there there now. Just because we don't like the findings is no reason to deny the science. More recent articles in such as Psychology Today confirm the findings. Strong corolations between conservative anti social values and mental illness have been solidly established. You can call it slander if you want to. Science doesn't care if you believe it. Just slip into these lovely hug-me pajamas and the good humor man will be by shortly with your happy pill. I did not write the articles or do the studies. I just research the literature for my own edification and refer the material to you so you can better understand the cause of your anger and maybe some day find a cure. We're all concerned (we liberals any way) and are pulling for you to one day enjoy the benifits of living in a kind and compassionate society. And with any luck, Obamacare will cover your treatments.

I'm not sure about the ratio of Republicans to Democrats in the population of mental institutions, but this study seems to point out interesting information about the ratio of Democrats to Republicans in prisons: [sas.upenn.edu]

@Wellspring ah in other words you have no source. calling people lazy because you don't bother to source your claims and expect others to do it for you is LAZY.

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@genessa well put!

@wellspring definately to lazy to waste any more of my time discussing this topic with you.

@Wellspring then there's no need to strike... You make no sense...

@Wellspring changing definitions. ...

@Wellspring they test well. students can train for that. whatever.

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@Wellspring. No it has to do with culture. Its not the politics so much as cultural values that are strict. While their students do well on the Pisa, they often lack creativity and out of the box thinking which is often the spring board for advances in all fields.

Not only that, but the only students who take the Pisa in Malaysia are those students who have been culled as exceptional. Therefore Malaysias brightest and best end up taking the test. ONLY THEIR BEST AND BRIGHTEST.

We on the other hand, being a democracy allow anyone who wants to get an advanced education take the test. This means that we average in the best and the brightest as well as the less adept in our test scores. Our scores represent a greater cross section of our population. So you are comparing apples and oranges.

@Wellspring you didn't bring up the pisa scores? you most certainly did -- repeatedly -- as if they actually MEANT something.

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@Wellspring Or English, in your case.

@Wellspring had to look that up did you? Congratulations. Did you note your country’s rankings compared to every other developed nation? Canada was right near the top at 7/71 and America 38/71. Betsy Devos would be proud if she had a clue what all that meant.
By the way, Singapore values education, science and don’t deny climate change. You would know that if you’ve ever been there.

@Wellspring the top of WHAT?

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@Wellspring the only people who think are people who actually are not trolls. what you do is not called thinking. you're a troll and that's a fact.

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@Wellspring. As an educator, I am constantly learning new things. Things I didn't previously know. Things that have import and things I am able to pass on, and share with my students. Thus making them more competitive in the job market.

But I want to thank you for reinforcing @nicknotes point. Because of people like you we don't have to argue our points. You make it for us.

@Wellspring So sad that's all life is about for you. Sad, sad aesthetics.

@Wellspring. Thats quite a sweeping generalization. It appears you are a legend in your own mind. I strive to teach problem solving skills, quite the contrary to non-thinking. But I guess you have a monopoly in that category.

@Wellspring nobody goes into teaching for the money. that's an idiotic (and as usual unsupported) claim.

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@Wellspring wait. Did you just say people go into education for the money?

@Wellspring correct (for once) -- teachers are underpaid. you think they're crying about it because it's NOT true? but in fact they are crying more about the conditions (for the students) than their own pay. you really DON'T pay attention, do you? the conditions for public education are so bad, and the budgeting for it so bad, that teachers have to buy school supplies themselves, from their rotten salaries, which are below what is considered a living wage in half of the united states

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@Wellspring most people get A job because they need to earn money. They choose WHAT job based what they are good at and what they believe in.
Most people are motivated by more than money.

@Wellspring then your reply about working for money becomes so banal it is a pointless statement. A2Jennifer said that people choose professions based on what is important to them. You said "no". Why is that so difficult to wrap your head around?

@Wellspring just because you are only motivated by money doesn’t mean everyone else is.

@Wellspring binary thinking is typical of conservative thought. You can't grasp that people would want to work at something they found important AND be compensated for it

@Wellspring ok

@Wellspring Dude - EVERY job makes money. Somehow people choose between different jobs.

@Wellspring not every job makes money? That’s called “volunteering” and it’s something else people do NOT for the money.
Like I said, people have A job because they need money to survive. People choose WHICH job based on many things including their skills and what is important to them (e.g. money, stability, helping others, creating things, etc etc etc)