Topic > Michael Moore's Idiot Nation: The Flaws of American Education System

Michael Moore is an American writer and director known for creating controversial documentaries and writings. Moore is also known for voicing his opinion in high-grossing films, which is difficult for other directors to do. Some of his greatest works include “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling For Columbine,” which received numerous award nominations (IMDb). Moore's intent in writing this text was to spread his opinion on the current corruption of the education system, while also speaking to the poor political judgment that has pushed schools to accept the backlash of depleted corporate funding. He talks about it as his main goal is to bring attention and awareness to this issue. Idiot Nation is an explanation of Moore's irritation with the American education system and the way it has been influenced by politics and big business. He rants in numerous instances about corporate selfishness towards education and how unqualified political figures have a say in the next generations of education. In this essay I will examine and explain the reasons why Moore feels this way about the education system in America. I will discuss topics such as why Moore believes that political beliefs, socioeconomic status, and age all play an important factor in the American education system. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first topic Moore writes about is his concern about the qualifications of politicians. Moore addresses his view of hypocritical and selfish politicians who are not equipped to have education funding in their hands. Moore is that, in his opinion, "politicians like Senators Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Herbert Kohl of Wisconsin want to attack MTV when they are responsible for the massive failure of American education." His tone is an attack on ethics by claiming that politicians go after reality TV to suppress attention on them while blaming someone else. When in reality a TV station has no control over what funds go where, and is not the one to blame. From this statement, Moore believes that it is obvious that politicians care more about what people say about them, rather than worrying about the education of younger generations. The audience Moore is addressing, from this point of view, are politically active Americans, be they Democrats or Republicans. He only targets and insults Republicans, but targets Democrats more. Moore argues that politicians in general are hypocrites by stating, “The ultimate irony in all of this is that the same politicians who refuse to adequately fund education in America are the same ones who are angry about how our kids have fallen behind other countries". An example of the poor funding for education is when he explains and blames part of the Bush administration. “In his first budget, he proposed cutting federal spending on libraries by $39 million to $168 million – a reduction of nearly 19 percent,” Moore says. The Bush administration was Republican, so it is attacking that party and at the same time asking the Democrats for help. Historically, Republicans are more likely to fund the military and national defense, while Democrats are more likely to fund education and healthcare. So in this case, Moore is trying to get Democrats more involved in this issue and allocate some money to help schools nationwide get what they need. Due to the qualifications of politicians,companies are not giving enough funding to schools. The socioeconomic level of Americans and their ties to the educational system are an important issue in Moore's life. In this case Moore is addressing more the upper class but also the middle class for the misuse of school funding in America. Moore argues that large corporations such as Cola-Cola, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper use schools for their own profit and that schools can use their own money to provide materials to students. An example he uses is: “The school district of Wylie, Texas, signed an agreement in 1996 that shared the rights to sell soft drinks in schools between Coca-Cola and Doctor Pepper.” He uses logos to explain how the settlement cost just over “$160,000 plus another $20,000 in legal fees for a grand total of $180,000.” With that $180,000 used to get soda into schools, the district is essentially playing with its own money and depriving its students of resources. According to the CDC, federal law prohibits soda sales in schools until the lunch period begins, and then students have access to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So, while soda sales will be at handy for students, it also gives students the frame of mind that it's okay to drink sodas every day. Moore also states that "few states choose to respond to library dollars... This is one reason why materials in many school libraries today date back to the 1960s and early 1970s," which is another reason schools don't use their money wisely. the audience in this case is the middle and upper working class, but which victimizes large companies. It is aimed at the middle class because schools generally do not have a very large budget like companies. Moore criticizes the upper class, sounding a hostile tone to get the audience to relate to this issue because many readers have gone through K-12 basic education. The reason Moore is targeting this audience is because these larger companies profit from these low income schools. Big companies including Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper While companies profit from schools, Moore says younger generations don't get the best education or messages from their teachers because they pay less attention to students' wants and needs. Moore says, “Kids deprived of access to good libraries are also prevented from developing the information skills they need to keep up in workplaces that are increasingly dependent on rapidly changing information.” This means that because these libraries are not updated frequently, students are provided with poor and outdated information. This causes a problem for students as they get older and will have to navigate all the new information that really only means something to them. He also says schools nowadays struggle to support students mentally. For example, "When Mike Cameron wore a Pepsi T-shirt on 'Coke Day' at Greenbrier High School in Evans, Georgia, he was suspended for a day," Moore says. What Moore is trying to convey here is that this student was punished for speaking out. Here, Moore puts pathos into action because he is expressing his opinion and pointing out how this high school boy was punished for speaking out. Moore's intended audience is politically active young adults. These young adults range from 18 years old to middle age, around 40 years old. Moore actually caters more to younger audiences as he lectures high school students. It's obvious that.