What definition of “genius” are we using here? Is it this? “A genius is someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight.” (Wikipedia source )
Some people seem to think that everybody who qualifies for Mensa (by having an IQ in the top 2% of the population) is a genius. The 98th percentile is a comparative value and no guarantee of some specific definable mental capacity. Personally, I don’t think one out of every fifty people is a genius by the above definition. If they were, we would be awash in brilliance.
Not that it would do us any good in terms of world peace, sound economy, or improved spelling, but I don’t think we’d see the glorification of ignorance as a cultural value in the U.S.