I just realized a side effect of the state doing a shitty (good at indoctrination?) job of educating children. You hear a lot of percentages when people discuss education quality. 84% of American kids can't read. 9 of 10 can't point out Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan on a map, blah blah blah. While some children can't read and some kids don't know geography or math, there are some that can and are. Yet, all Americans get treated as if they're equally stupid by most statists of all stripes, 'intellectuals', policy makers, and foreigners. This means that if I were looking for a job at an international firm and was competing with a Swiss guy, a Frenchman, and a Chinese immigrant, I would probably start the running dead last in consideration, all else equal.