[YouAreRONGS]

Literacy is a by-product of raising living standards. It's not inherintly something that will alone lead to higher living standards.

[aprilthird2021]

While I agree, countries like the US where everyone was pretty much already literate decades ago, can and do backslide into anti-intellectualism even when living standards are rising. I have seen it myself.

[YouAreRONGS]

Is that really anti-intellectualism? Do you have any examples?

[peterfirefly]

Europe had really high literacy long before it reached the living standard of most of current Africa. Living standards do not have to be high for near universal literacy.