Rudolf Flesch, in his 1955 book, noted that "things have changed in the last 10, 20 years.  For the first time in history, American parents see their children getting less education than they got themselves.  Their sons and daughters come home from school and they can't read the newspaper; they can't spell simple words like February or Wednesday; they don't know the difference between Austria and Australia.  The fathers and mothers don't know the reason for this, but they know that something terrible has happened to their most precious dreams and aspirations[.]" Isn't it beautiful – the way Flesch perceives the decline of American civilization from two tiny examples?  Austria and Australia look alike.  What's the big deal about telling them apart?  Such casual imprecision is how students think today and is the essence of our problem.  Flesch remains The Man...(Read Full Article)