Joaquin Del Mundo

Educational Shame of America

I have been having a lot of conversations about education in America.  This is quite a complex issue.  One thing that is really bad is the quality of education if really poor.  I recall reading in Forbes magazine that 20% of Fortune 500 companies have to teach their employees basic ABCs and 123s.  I know this is harsh thing to say, but many in USA are not even worth the minimum wage, at least from a global perspective.  In one train of thought, maybe there should be a mimimum requirement of GED or high school diploma to receive the mimimum wage.  Companies have to import educated people from other countries as there's such a dearth of people edcuated with science degrees for example.  USA is becoming uncompetitive in the world due to the lack of educated citizens, especially in areas of science and math.

For the topic of high school diplomas: what does that really mean?  Can the high school realistically quantify the student's knowledge?  Are teachers certified in the subjects they teach? 

There is some momentum to have common state exams in California require for getting a diploma, but there we don't have a mechanism to certify the teachers.  Actually, the problem is trying to attract the teachers, as there's little incentive to do so with a shoe string budget that will not even pay for the cost of living in some areas where they teach, such as Cupertino, California for example.  The emphasis and priority in education just isn't in place right now in USA.  We pay more on hamburgers than education, according to the book Fast Food Nation.

This is a big contrast to places like  Korea, where at one point they realized they would always be exploited by others if their citizens are not educated.  Now they are really successful and many are brilliant students with amazing abilties to study and memorize.

Rampant Somali Pirates Vs. Two Koreas

Notorious Somali pirates secured a victory in the form of ransom money from South Korean Government for the release of captives held in ransom.  South Korea has decided to send a naval destroyer to the Strait of Aden in order to guard Korean vessels early next year.  Other countries have had their share of troubles with these aggressive Somali pirates (83 ships attacked with 33 hijacked since last January according to International Maritime Bureau), who are living in lavish wealth celebrated by the extreme impoverished Somalis that work in these pirate havens.  India has even battled a pirate vessel that brazenly attacked their frigate.  Naturally, U.S. sending covert forces to destabilize the government as well as helping and encouraging Ethiopia to invade the country doesn't help matters. 

In a twist of irony, last year in October 30, 2007, the, USS James E. Williams of (U.S Navy 5th fleet) helped a North Korean cargo vessel that was being attacked by pirates, that, get this, were the hired guards of the boat (they weren't disguised, they were hired help despite what some news reports).  North Korea later sent gratitude toward U.S. for assistance, which is downplayed by Bush State Department that chooses to keep the façade of hard-line negotiation tactics or "tough love" as Bush calls it.  On a side note, readers of Fox News might think this last bit was with South Korean, as Fox News is either incapable of reading  the AP wire, or are ignorant about Korea (or both).

Recently, the Somali pirates made off, get this, a whole freakin' oil tanker: a Liberian-flagged Sirius Star  that is the size of 3 football fields in length.  Islamic militants in Somalia have sworn to bring those responsible to justice, because the pirates are lower than low for attacking other Muslims. 

This sucessful attack has impressed the US Navy who are supprised on how these pirates quickly adapt their tactics and can cary out long range atacks.   These pirates have been out of control for a long while, but even more so after the collapse since the American materially supported Ethiopian invasion.

For further reading:

• US ship helps North Korea vessel crew overpower Somali pirates (Oct 30, 2007)
• Somali Pirates Riches Turn Villages Into Boomtowns (Nov 19)
• Somali pirates free hostages (Nov 2, 2007)
• South Korea condemns Somali pirates (Jul 31, 2006)
• Pirates seize cargo ship off Somalia (nov 16, 2008)
• Pirates seize cargo ship with 23 crew off Somalia (nov 16)
• N. Korea thanks U.S. for helping its sailors in fight with Somali pirates (nov 9)
• SKorean firm pays ransom to Somali pirates (oct 17 2008)
• S Korea to send warship to combat Somali pirates (nov 17)
• Somalia's pirate problem grows more rampant (oct 31, 2008)
• Pirates seize oil tanker off East Africa coast (nov 18, 2008)