Idiot Nation

In “Idiot Nation,” Michael Moore discourses on the collapse of American education system and the three main reasons behind it: politicians’ ignorance, shortage of teachers, and the rise of Corporate America. Moore first points out how ignorant the President and politicians are by stating that the President cannot simply identify whether Africa is a nation or a continent. Next, Moore attributes the lack of funding in education to the fact that politicians prefer to build bomber than to improve our education system; this leads to shortage of resources, overpopulated classrooms, and decrease of books available for students. He then notes that the low salaries of teachers, which are caused by the insufficient funding of education, result in shortage of qualified teachers, leading to the failure of the education system. In addition, Moore discusses about the rise of Corporate America, which is another factor corrupting the education system. To get funding from Corporate America, schools diminish the time students have in class, by making students watch advertisements from businesses and help businesses conduct research during class time. Throughout his excerpt, Moore uses exemplification, surprising statistics, rhetorical questions, and simple but clear reasoning to effectively express his ideas and convince readers of his arguments.

One strategy Moore uses in his excerpt is exemplification. He clarifies his points by providing examples, which help build the credibility of his arguments. For instance, to demonstrate how ignorant American officials are, Moore provides numerous examples, such as describing William Clark, “President Ronald Reagan’s nominee for deputy secretary of state,” who “ had no idea how our allies in Western Europ...

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...year without a principal!” (136). From these examples, we can see that readers can easily imagine the situations that Moore describes; this helps readers clearly understand Moore’s points. For that reason, this strategy is successful for Moore to effectively express his ideas.

Moore’s strategies are effective in conveying his message and convincing readers of the truth of his position. The use of logos raises Moore’s credibility and convinces readers of his arguments, while his use of simple reasoning and intentional questions helps readers focus and understands his points. Therefore, Moore is successful in making his points using these strategies.

Works Cited

Moore, Michael. “Idiot Nation.” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, Bonnie Lisle. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 128-145.