A long-term rise and recent decline in intelligence test performance (2005) (sciencedirect.com)

I'm guessing everyone feels like this is what they're seeing (a decline in iq around them)

This paper is from 2005, and should be tagged as such.

We strive to be mediocre. Remember, people are no longer important for important reasons.

Indeed they have declines!

That's an article from 2005. More recent research:

https://www.sciencealert.com/iq-scores-falling-in-worrying-r...

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1718793115

Probably has something to do with the increase in the denial the IQ even exists or is in anyway meaningful.

It's no surprise with the education system being systemically broken. Since would say that's the goal as a dumber population is easier to control.