>>>>Of course that depends on how we define success. If the Australian model is so superior why is it mandatory?
>>
>>LOL. It's superior because it is mandatory. QED. ;-)
>
>"The theory of Communism may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property" - Guess who?
>

On the same theme, 42% if Americans misattribute "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs" to the Declaration of Independence or other core U.S. documents.

http://blog.billofrightsinstitute.org/2010/12/do-you-think-teens-know-the-difference-between-madison-and-marx/

I can't put my finger on the reason but I believe our generation (I don't think you're that far from my age, which is 54) was the last to be well served by the American educational system. From an 8th grade civics class on, if not earlier, I certainly knew the difference between Madison and Marx, as that link puts it. Not saying all Americans are uneducated, just that a disconcerting and rising percentage of us are. It's almost a badge of pride in some quarters.