RasperFat posted:

I think you not having experienced the American education system has created a rift to understanding why I'm so wary of YEC trying to game the system. I went to school in Southern California and Long Island, New York and there were discrepancies in my science teaching even in well funded suburban schools. In both states I was presented materials that cast doubt on climate change and evolution. If that was my experience in more progressive areas with good schools, imagine learning in a deep red state, a rural area, or an underfunded inner city school.

My concern for America remaining a leader in science isn't about competitive advantage, it's about the negative consequences in both our local community and global community. America is the richest and one of the best educated countries, if we aren't a leader in scientific research it means we are squandering our resources. It means delays in finding cures, developing new sources of energy/energy storage, new types of transportation, etc. Science research is one of the best long term investments for our entire species, without it we wouldn't even be able to feed our current population levels. America trending anti-science and anti-environmentalism is a bad thing for everybody, especially with the coming man-made climate change.