<p>As a liberal and a former member of the Academic Performance Cult, I see many parallels between the Religious Right and the Academic Performance Cult:
1. In the world of the Religious Right, evolution, sex, homosexuality, and atheism are taboo. In the world of the Academic Performance Cult, getting enough sleep each night and doing things that aren't perceived to count towards college admissions are taboo.
2. Religious fundamentalists see those who don't participate in their agenda as sinners or infidels. Academic performance fundamentalists see those who don't participate in their agenda as slackers who don't live up to their potential.
3. Outsiders consider people in both of these groups to be kooky and extremist.
4. Both groups oppose the freedom of the individual. The religious fundamentalists oppose the freedom of the individual because that means freedom to have sex, do drugs, or be gay. Academic fundamentalists oppose the freedom of the individual because that means the freedom to achieve less academically.
5. The religious fundamentalists imply that perfect people gain salvation and go to heaven (and in the case of Islam, the land of 72 horny virgins). The academic fundamentalists imply that the perfect people gain salvation, go to Harvard, and live happily ever after.
6. The religious fundamentalists impose their will on the people by mandating "Evolution is only a theory" stickers on textbooks, passing laws that allow schools to exclude evolution in the science curriculum, banning gay marriage, and mandating that parents be notified if their daughter has an abortion. The academic fundamentalists impose their will on the kids by eliminating recess in grade schools, mandating a greater quantity of homework at earlier and earlier ages, and adding summer homework to classes that are supposed to only be in session during the regular school year.</p>
<p>weird.......</p>
<p><3 xinfinity.</p>
<p>Thank you for making sense. I applaud you.</p>
<p>interesting, very interesting</p>