From a different point of view, the entire program can be looked at from two interesting perspectives. From the political one, it was a device to support and validate the bad idea of school vouchers, thereby punishing the schools in trouble by siphoning off the students who were more likely to succeed, leaving the disadvantaged kids without even a role model for success, no dough---and no political clout. From a sociological point of view, one might see a deeper representation here- the definition, isolation and punishment of the "THEM". In the eyes of many voters, these are Obama's cultural and ethnic roots, and peers. America's ability to continue to ignore the ocean of victims produced by our dreams of empire depends on the maintenance of what Chomsky calls the "Unworthy Victim". Redefining most of the population of the world as "THEM" is a big part of how this is done. A huge part of our own population is, and has always been, "THEM". Hence travesties like this,--and our incredible prison population. President Obama would shake the foundations of our definition of "THEM". Bout Time. --Long Shot.
In the eyes of many voters, these are Obama's cultural and ethnic roots, and peers.
America's ability to continue to ignore the ocean of victims produced by our dreams of empire depends on the maintenance of what Chomsky calls the "Unworthy Victim". Redefining most of the population of the world as "THEM" is a big part of how this is done. A huge part of our own population is, and has always been, "THEM". Hence travesties like this,--and our incredible prison population. President Obama would shake the foundations of our definition of "THEM". Bout Time. --Long Shot.
Honest question: Do these make clear that the diary is about Obama, and the fact that he is a force that, as President, might demand that the US to open doors- to look in closets- that we would prefer not to? If not, then it indeed fails, because that was my point. "There is mysterious music in democracy, when people decide to believe in themselves." ---Bill Greider, The Nation.
So no one wants to touch the really important question? It's all about "US" and "THEM"
It's all about "US" and "THEM"
We do a great job of tearing down here, but our occasional policy ideas gotta begin with the question of --what makes a policy succeed? This was also an attempt to ask some questions (indirectly)- to open the door to discussing what makes a policy fail--even a good policy. But, as usual, it never quite got that far. Maybe next time. And I relish any debate on education, as my diaries will show, including this one. Think of the education conversation as plan "B" for me--
Here's a third elephant in the living room that's too dead to crawl to the kitchen:
In the reductionist consumer culture of "Enterprise Village", ---a place that strongly resembles Sarkoland-- who makes the best, most easily "managed" workers? The well-educated? Or the trained Parrots? "There is mysterious music in democracy, when people decide to believe in themselves." ---Bill Greider, The Nation.
