Outside of authoritarian family dynamics, the governmental indoctrination system commonly referred to as "Public School" is undoubtedly the single greatest propaganda tool for manipulating the minds of young people toward a willingness to murder and/or die in the military. Were it not for the nearly constant messages that it's the highest virtue to be killed while trying to kill others (in uniform of course) and that without waging war we'd all be saying "Heil Hitler" or speaking Japanese, there would undoubtedly be few people so willing to risk their lives on command. Today the message has changed to the threats of wearing turbans and reading the Koran, but the principles of fear and a tribal mentality remain the same. As a result, Brett's work in highlighting the harmful effect of so-called public education is an invaluable part of progressing from a society that condones war to one that condemns it.
What follows is some background information about Brett as seen on his website edu-lu-tion.com:
Brett includes a "Critical Thinking Question" as part of each episode, and for this show the question is, "How could disobedience to authority save millions of lives?" Whether you already know the answer or not, I'm confident that you'll find the content of the show to be thought-provoking and insightful.
What follows is some background information about Brett as seen on his website edu-lu-tion.com:
In my 10+ years of teaching, "school sucks" is perhaps the most common phrase I've heard students use to describe their feelings about public education. But this seemingly bitter and reductive slogan is actually quite clever. When taken literally, "school sucks" is perhaps the most accurate and astute synopsis of the system I've ever heard. Here's why...
The twelve-year process of an American public education has a dramatic effect on the mind of a child. When we first enter school at age six, many of our best personal attributes are already in place. We are curious, innovative, unique, creative and hopeful in ways that we will rarely be able to replicate throughout the rest of our lives. But over time, school sucks those essential attributes out of too many of us...and replaces them with predictability, obedience and apathy.
Brett includes a "Critical Thinking Question" as part of each episode, and for this show the question is, "How could disobedience to authority save millions of lives?" Whether you already know the answer or not, I'm confident that you'll find the content of the show to be thought-provoking and insightful.
The show is available for listening/download via podOmatic by clicking here,
or
You can use the following link to find School Sucks in the iTunes Store.
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Additional Resources:
http://antiwar.com/radio/2009/09/16/daniel-lakemacher/
http://home.swbell.net/revscat/perilsOfObedience.html
http://www.logicallearning.net/obedience.html
Posts
"...without waging war we'd all be saying 'Heil Hitler' or speaking Japanese, there would undoubtedly be few people so willing to risk their lives on command."
ReplyDeleteI also think that fear of The Other is a factor in voluntary military service, but I think a much larger factor is that of American male identity. Men who fight and win are worshipped in our society. Men who are appropriately violent in any socially acceptable manner are sexy, virile chick magnets. Boxers, ultimate fighters, hockey players, gang lords, soldiers, body builders, bouncers, cops, firemen (who aren't necessarily violent, but run into danger for heroism), etc.
Men in general crave heroism, and especially physical heroism. Being a soldier and fighting an easily-identifiable enemy who looks different and comes from a more primitive culture gives them an opportunity to test their manhood in a special club of approvingly-violent men.
Furthermore, many men join the military because it's what their fathers and grandfathers did. Again, this points to a man's identity rather than the brainwashing of government schools and government/corporate media propoganda. The terrorists allegedly behind 9/11 were just a chance to test American manhood once more.
So now you're attacking the public school system. That would leave what? Homeschooling and Private schools most of which are "church" based? How you going to wrestle that out?? No military, no discipline, no education, no values... so, what?
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