In light of recent news, do you believe Americans are settling for mediocrity? If so, why is that? Why do the students in certain other countries (particularly India, China, etc.) perform better in school?
Yes, I believe Americans in general settle for mediocrity in part because we have a large lower-middle and middle class. At least in the past, though it is getting more competitive now, one does not need to be too bright to provide well for a family. One can support a whole family pretty well on a lower income (though it is not as possible now especially with increased housing costs). However, in countries with foreign talent such as India and China, there is a wider gap between rich and poor, and increased competition. Everyone values education and works hard, and chooses strategic fields, to have a higher income and higher quality of living. Indians specifically study IT fields not because they love it but so they have a higher chance of obtaining H1B visas. India also has a big advantage because Indians learn English and they speak it very well (though with a strong accent). Other countries in Asia do not have this advantage. I remember in college the Japanese students really struggled with English.
Since, for the most part, we can provide for ourselves pretty well without being overly bright, that could be one reason why there is less reason to really excel in school. There are also other issues, at least in public schools, where the classroom/school environment is not conducive to learning. Dating/relationships especially distract from education. Do you think Christianity also plays a role in Americans being content with not aiming high in education/careers/wealth?
I think those are a lot of stereotypes about Americans. In my family for example I have a lot of doctors, police, teachers in it. That's a lot of school and work. Most of my family is skinny as well. A lot of the people around us are similar.
As a society communism is an atheist society and doomed because of it. Although it's impressive how unified the people are, even as children it doesn't allow for individualism. It can't bc it's really a type of slavery. You work to work. You don't work to enjoy.
Thee unified family though is biblical and why people in China do really well. So some aspects include blessings. Verses America where the family unit is not valued and it creates disorder and chaos. In my family for example we went from being extremely poor 2 generations ago. But in my family divorce is extremely rare, and literally no men leave their kids in my family. In fact the opposite, the men have adopted kids even.
In America we are founded on biblical principles. However the current globalism agenda is atheist by nature. It's actually demonic even. Eating bugs..."
All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you." Population control. Bill gates even created a machine that turns human feces into water. There are some seriously evil people in that group and unfortunately they have a lot of money. There are literally no reasons we would need to do any of this. It's simply a way of dehumanizing us.
In education there is a globalist agenda. Evolution is a big part of this. So is the lgbtq+ which are both essentially cults. You can't believe in evolution without faith... there's literally no evidence of animals becoming a different kind or humans coming from animals. Come on.. animals are nothing like people. Animals may use sounds, but we use language. Language is spiritual, as we are spiritual beings. Actually every year we're losing thousands of animals... we're certainly not gaining any new ones. It's laughable even. Unfortunately this is being taught. The switching from BC to BCE.... kids don't understand time.
So you have kids with no dads, moms doing drugs or not there working, and learning a globalist agenda. So this is why education in America is so low. They are being raised in front of screens with no books. They are being given food that is basically poison (In communist countries they actually care about their food they give people). They might be christian but I doubt they're learning the Bible.
The Bible never says not to work more or to be lazy. It's actually the opposite. In the old testament most of the prophets were very rich! But in America I think people are questioning more what they are doing. Why am I slaving away in a mill in America for someone else? Even my retired dad worked in a mill and now has his own music business. I think being an entrepreneur is completely biblical as well.