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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Schooling issues
  • Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2006 11:16:13 EST

I had hoped to find a link to this but I'll have to try to give you my own
summary so bear with me.

The talk show person Neal Boortz told the tale of how just after the collapse
of the Soviet Union he went to Russia to visit an Russian acquaintance.
Communism and the communist mindset didn't fall with the Soviet Union and is
in a
transition to this day. Back then all the mechanism for a communist economy
and society were still in place. So Boortz relates how that during the stay
he
waited in a long line to buy bread at the breadstore and they had only one
kind of bread. He went to a separate dairy store and stood in line for a
long
time to find he had a choice of three cheeses. Same with the butcher and
several other stores. When he was discussing his experience with his
hostess, she
asked what was different in America. He related grocery stores and marts.

She was skeptical to the point of disbelief. And individual concern would
buy goods and put them on shelves against the outside chance that someone
would
buy them at a higher price?? Preposterous! It would never work. Oh, it
might be the way to do business for a few degenerate capitalist but surely
the
poor people would suffer immersurably. Nyet, not even to be remotely
considered
as a general plan.

Shortly afterwards Boortz was able to invite her to come visit in the states
and as soon as the plane touched down at Hartfield, he took her to a grocery
store before aught else. She was confused and dazzed, unable to believe what
she saw.

It reminded me of the flick Moscow on the Hudson where the character played
by Robin Williams defects to the US and when the person he is staying with
sends him to the grocery store to buy coffee, he is faced with dozens of
choices:
Folgers, Maxwell House, Starbucks, freeze dried, beans, drip grind,
Columbian, Arabica, Brazilian, dark roast, hazlenut flavored .... he freaks
out and
collapses.

Those firmly within the PS mindset, or just the schooling mindset whether
governemtn schools or not, are much like Boortz's Russian friend. They view
'education' as a single piece of mirthless bread got after waiting in a long
line
and there is NO other way to distribute bread that would not leave the masses
hungry. Those outside that paradigm are in an extensive bakery shop full of
rye, pumpernickel, sourdough, salt risen, raisin, brioche, tortillas, pita,
doughnuts, eclairs, etc. with no waiting in the thirteen year long line.

The edges of the indoctrination bubble are impenetrable. Any attempt to to
explain the nature, purpose, and function of schooling is bounced back from
the
walls of the bubble as "Not all schools are bad." "I know some teachers and
they are good people."

Yes. I doubt that the Soviet bread stores were *bad* per se. Doubtless they
were run and manned by people who were good people. But it doesn't follow
that that way of merchandising was the only way or was anything but very bad
itself.




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