by Machinery

American colleagues explained to me that the low level of general culture and schooling in their country is a conscious achievement for economic purposes. The fact is that, after reading books, an educated person becomes a worst buyer: he buys less washing machines and cars, begins to prefer Mozart or Van Gogh, Shakespeare or theorems. This affects the economy of the consumer society and, above all, the income of the owners of life – they are trying to prevent culture and education (which, in addition, prevent them from manipulating the population as an intellectual herd).

© V.I. Arnold, academic of the RAN. One of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century. (From the article "New Obscurantism and Russian Enlightenment")