DEFINE EDUCATE
Should parents be involved in education? Should government decide the curriculum? How much input is a teacher permitted? We probably haven’t spent enough time demanding and thinking of the definitions used to characterize society. These vague areas are spaces into which dictatorship seep.
https://www.epi.org/publication/testimony-prepared-for-the-house-committee-on-economic-disparity-and-fairness-in-growth-for-a-hearing-on-imbalance-of-power-how-market-concentration-affects-worker-compensation-and-consumer-prices/?utm_source=Economic+Policy+Institute&utm_campaign=84abbf7ea8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_04_30_07_37_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e7c5826c50-84abbf7ea8-58658745&mc_cid=84abbf7ea8&mc_eid=ebdc430ee8 —-Chair Himes, Ranking Member Steil, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the imbalance of power between employers and workers and its implications. My name is Heidi Shierholz and I am the president of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) in Washington, D.C. EPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank created in 1986 to include the needs of low- and middle-wage workers in economic policy discussions.–end of epi info–
C-Span offered relevant discussion today—-https://www.c-span.org/video/?519484-5/washington-journal-cal-thomas-discusses-future-republican-party-biden-presidency-2022-midterms — APRIL 15, 2022 | PART OF WASHINGTON JOURNAL 04/15/2022
Washington Journal
Cal Thomas on the Future of the Republican Party, the Biden Presidency, and the 2022 Midterms
Cal Thomas talked about the future of the Republican Party, the Biden presidency, the 2022 midterms, and news of the day.–end of c-span info–
The topic of Free Speech was interspersed within comments from Cal Thomas, along with ideas about freedom in educational choice for parents. Who isn’t for Free Speech; it is as important as the topic of education. Free Speech for more than one perspective is needed because Free Speech from only one view becomes propaganda. Cal Thomas brought up the education that seemed left-leaning as it taught about what could be called humanities rather than the bread-and-butter (my words) type of education that focused on what Cal Thomas called “earning a living”. And so the fun starts.
Education is vital, but what is to be taught? Somewhere along the way the notion was impressed that the system of public education was instituted in order to informed citizens capable of self governance in a democratic (small d) Constitutional republic. This feels like information that could have been espoused by Benjamin Franklin, and extended reading from this source makes likely this notion. Either way, the topic is ripe for discussion as to precisely what is meant by education.
A point can logically be expressed that to educate about Climate Change is defiant toward hierarchical Establishment interests — https://portside.org/2022-04-14/were-failing-prepare-our-children-climate-fight –Climate change is hurtling forward at frightening speed. And the American K-12 system still isn’t remotely prepared to teach children about what they’ll soon face. Today, the majority of students in U.S. schools get between zero and two hours of instruction per year about climate change—hardly enough time to discuss the political, cultural, and environmental ramifications of greenhouse gas emissions, let alone make space for the emotions elicited by such an existential threat. In some districts, climate education is actually disinformation, as teachers rely on materials created by the fossil fuel industry to mislead children on the origin of the problem and our possible futures.–end of portside info–
As a fan of ephemera, one recalls seeing school material sent to teachers that were directly from fossil fuel and rubber industries, dating back about 100 years ago. The indoctrination didn’t occur overnight; and many of our politicians are possibly as immersed into this system as everyone else.
Right-leaning notions of education seem to promote the idea of a public education as being run by hierarchy that caters to commercial interests that has a goal of production of a compliant workforce.
Which idea of education is wished by We The People? FACTually little to nothing is taught about slavery in the USA, which appears to be the epitome of capitalism, while we have incorrectly accepted capitalism as synonymous with free enterprise. As one who remembers a more free era in the USA, it is troubling to watch youngsters who have a diminished understanding about freedom and Free Speech. Free Speech that is connected to cancel culture is an absurdity, but a reality. This could be a result of the pro-capitalism style of education called for by Cal Thomas, who is a Republican, and which system seems to have come around to bite Republicans.
Broadening this idea, why are we confusing free enterprise with capitalism, when they are distinctly contrary to each other? We also have accepted capitalism to assume democracy, which again are systems distinctly contrary to each other. But this would surely fit into a system of education in which “earning a living” is the end desire, which like slavery is best served by compliance to hierarchy, both of which notions serve commerce.
To ask politicians to clarify their visions on these topics is risky for politicians, and so we have the welcome reprieve and deflection of the Ukraine-Russia War.
Apt topics about Free Speech that can extend to protecting animals and planet from onegreenplanet — https://us4.campaign-archive.com/?e=19a5dc9227&u=82734fd9caf7030a9bfd4991b&id=c067b9c1eb —
Fans Donate to Animal Rescue to Honor Life of NFL Quarterback, Dwayne Haskins
Farmer Banned from TikTok for ‘Harassing and Bullying’ Vegans
Petition: Demand All States Pass Reforms to Save Animals From Pet-Murdering Cops
–end of onegreenplanet info–
Having heard corporate-owned-state-influenced MSM talking heads refer to expectations that are above par for human behavior as “pollyannish”, one can detect a form of censorship in this view. Anyone who chooses to avoid meat as food possibly have been regarded and labeled as unnatural by meat eaters. This attitude too often expands not only to animals as food, but a requirement of accepting obnoxious treatment of animals in general. Anyone capable of imagination and thinking will recognize the next step of said treatment of other people.
This by the way, could be an excellent topic for our educational system to grapple.
C-Span broadcasts at 11:43AM a Senatorial questioning session of EPI Director Regan. A Senator Sullivan apparently from Alaska seems disturbed about a policy of adding trees to cities. He seems to believe that planting trees in cities will undermine the ability to secure clean water and flushing toilets for his constituents. In FACT, having lived in a city on a street with trees, and experiencing the bureaucratic decision to cut down all of the trees on the street, the result became a neighborhood in which one homeowner after another sold cheaply and moving away, oneself included. This topic is vitally important and the presumption by a Senator that trees are not important in cities seems similar to the phrase “let them eat cake”.
Aeon offers a view of “Western values” aside from hierarchical — https://aeon.co/essays/if-you-want-decolonisation-go-to-the-economics-of-samir-amin?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&&utm_campaign=launchnlbanner –Finally, in his use of concepts developed in the metropolitan core to understand the world from the margins, Amin was a creative thinker. He called himself a ‘creative Marxist’ and emphasised that he would start from, rather than stop at, Karl Marx. Starting from Marx prioritises class struggle, exploitation and uneven capitalist development; Amin extended these concepts to analyse imperialism, unequal exchange, and polarising tendencies between core and periphery.The Global North appropriated around $62 trillion from the Global South between 1960 and 2018Given this historical approach to political economy, it was logical for Amin to extend Marx’s theory of value to better understand imperialism. –end of aeon info–
Without a discussion of economic systems including capitalism, assessment of whether “Western values” are helpful, harmful, or neutral, is impossible.
From mronline — https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=2833cdb99b&u=36ce609ae68971b4f060ad9c7&id=3c301748a7 —
NED finances key Ukrainian propaganda organ, the Kyiv Independent
They saw and heard the truth — then lied about it: media on Donbass delegation omitted mention of Ukraine’s 8 year war on the autonomous Republics
The Ukrainian conflict is a U.S./NATO Proxy War, but one which Russia is poised to win decisively – Scott Ritter
–end of mronline info–
Aside from the transfer of wealth from the 100% to the 1%, why capitalism? — https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/04/14/the-role-of-capitalism-in-the-war-in-ukraine/ –To the motives for war in human history, capitalism added another: profit. That motive drove technological advancement and created a genuine world economy. It also built new capitalist empires such as the Spanish, Dutch, British, French, Belgian, Russian, German, Japanese, and American empires. Each of these countries built its empire by various means including wars against prior systems operating on their own territories, in their colonies, and in foreign “spheres of influence.” Wars likewise characterized interactions among empires. Global warfare (“world wars”) accompanied the globalization of capitalism and its profit motive. The war in Ukraine is the latest chapter in the history of capitalism, empire, and war.Capitalism means enterprises run by small groups of people—employers—who preside over large groups—hired employees.–end of counterpunch info—
———————–We can do better———-