The really frightening thing should be that government schools don't have to change a whole lot to do this. Many of them already have 8 ft. chain link fences around them, couple that with the Prussian derived marching to and from classes that began with compulsory school attendance in the mid-nineteenth century and you have the complete government school experience.
Suddenly the idea of separation of school and state takes on a new urgency, doesn't it?
It should make a good impression on those kids, and I'm sure they didn't go for it. Trouble is, in defeating the Nazis,Japanese, and Communists, we seemed to have picked up a lot of their ways. Kind of like our "leaders" saw how our enemies controlled their own people, and thought, hmmm, maybe we should give that a try.
I went through a similar experience in grade school. Some of the students that go through this program on the bottom of the simulated social system will develop a life long hatred of socialists and their systems. In this simulation every one should get a chance at the bottom to fully appreciate the simulation. And make sure that everyone gets held back once for political reasons after they have excelled at something. This will give a taste of what the common folk endured.
Considering the fact that most of their teachers and administration - now and in the college years to come - subscribe to the same SICK political philosophy that led to these horrors, it's more than a bit encouraging to see that ONE SCHOOL at least is doing something to help their students understand the evils of commun-/social-ism.
Naturally, I'm 100% sure that the teachers followed up with their vision of a utopia - somehow making the twist to "what we want is commun-/social-ism without all the bad stuff."
Sadly, most of those mental-midgets really BELIEVE that it's possible to fulfill Marx's ideals and build their "utopia" without all the "icky stuff" like torture, {STRIKE}concentration{/STRIKE} er... "re-education" camps, murders, purges and etc.
The thought just occurred to me that the REAL onus of these "lessons" was probably about *OUR* desire to build a wall to stop the invasion from the south - thus making US the evil stasi and their "utopia" the better choice.
I can see it now - "See what happens when you start building walls between countries?"
WV (perhaps the best EVER): "hypnispu"
"Hypni-spew" - noun - Invisible substance that teachers spread all over their students while trying to turn them into good little {STRIKE}commies{/STRIKE} "progressives".
The good {strike}commie{/strike} "progressive" teacher spends most of her time spouting hypni-spew intended to make her students believe that collectivism is better for everyone than individual Liberty.
Sure, they figured out it wasn't fun to be on the wrong side of the wall, but did they really get it? Was is explained to them that the wall was the product of Marxist thinking? Do they understand the relationship between Marxism, Socialism, and Communism? And last but certainly not least, do they understand that certain people are trying to make America into East Germany?
The state of most schools today is a good enough example of a totalitarian regime, further simulation is unnecessary. I have to have a background check, my driver's license electronically scanned into the Stasi... uhhh... I mean school computer system just to enter the "hallowed halls" where my kids are held hostage eight hours a day. Oh, and at my expense, of course...
Here to hoping that all the "common people" on the east German side remember this and develop a good disgust and hate for statist and socialist garbage. Hope they rotated the kids through being in charge and being a commoner, so they all know how much it sucks.
On an intellectual level, I agree with your guys' politics, but your tone is becoming increasingly like that of the Troofers mocked in that episode of South Park.
There certainly are some uncomfortable tendencies in government and society at large today, but in this case, you're jumpin' at shadows that ain't there.
And I can speak with some authority on this, considering I'm only two-years removed from that dreaded compulsory schooling. "Prussian and totalitarian".... Seriously? Damn, I wish... then maybe there would have been some meaningful standards of discipline and decorum.
I agree with Gaige that you are overthinking this. It was a 1-day lesson in being ruled by pr*cks. It would have been good to follow it up with a presentation by an immigrant from the failed Communist states, or perhaps a viewing of "The Lives of Others". I agree with patrick henry above that too many of the teachers probably sympathize with the politics of the SoBs who used to run E. Germany.
Am I the only one who gets chills in reading this story?
The really frightening thing should be that government schools don't have to change a whole lot to do this. Many of them already have 8 ft. chain link fences around them, couple that with the Prussian derived marching to and from classes that began with compulsory school attendance in the mid-nineteenth century and you have the complete government school experience.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly the idea of separation of school and state takes on a new urgency, doesn't it?
It should make a good impression on those kids, and I'm sure they didn't go for it. Trouble is, in defeating the Nazis,Japanese, and Communists, we seemed to have picked up a lot of their ways. Kind of like our "leaders" saw how our enemies controlled their own people, and thought, hmmm, maybe we should give that a try.
ReplyDeleteI went through a similar experience in grade school.
ReplyDeleteSome of the students that go through this program on the bottom of the simulated social system will develop a life long hatred of socialists and their systems. In this simulation every one should get a chance at the bottom to fully appreciate the simulation.
And make sure that everyone gets held back once for political reasons after they have excelled at something. This will give a taste of what the common folk endured.
Mixed feelings...
ReplyDeleteConsidering the fact that most of their teachers and administration - now and in the college years to come - subscribe to the same SICK political philosophy that led to these horrors, it's more than a bit encouraging to see that ONE SCHOOL at least is doing something to help their students understand the evils of commun-/social-ism.
Naturally, I'm 100% sure that the teachers followed up with their vision of a utopia - somehow making the twist to "what we want is commun-/social-ism without all the bad stuff."
Sadly, most of those mental-midgets really BELIEVE that it's possible to fulfill Marx's ideals and build their "utopia" without all the "icky stuff" like torture, {STRIKE}concentration{/STRIKE} er... "re-education" camps, murders, purges and etc.
The thought just occurred to me that the REAL onus of these "lessons" was probably about *OUR* desire to build a wall to stop the invasion from the south - thus making US the evil stasi and their "utopia" the better choice.
I can see it now - "See what happens when you start building walls between countries?"
WV (perhaps the best EVER): "hypnispu"
"Hypni-spew" - noun - Invisible substance that teachers spread all over their students while trying to turn them into good little {STRIKE}commies{/STRIKE} "progressives".
The good {strike}commie{/strike} "progressive" teacher spends most of her time spouting hypni-spew intended to make her students believe that collectivism is better for everyone than individual Liberty.
Ulterior motive: was this actually a career preference survey?
ReplyDeleteThe unseen observers have surely found proper minded apparatchiks they might steer toward careers in law enforcement, nyet?
Sure, they figured out it wasn't fun to be on the wrong side of the wall, but did they really get it? Was is explained to them that the wall was the product of Marxist thinking? Do they understand the relationship between Marxism, Socialism, and Communism? And last but certainly not least, do they understand that certain people are trying to make America into East Germany?
ReplyDeleteWe had a more relaxed version of that exercise when I was in middle school. I was told that I was not allowed to overthrow the oppressive government.
ReplyDeleteThe state of most schools today is a good enough example of a totalitarian regime, further simulation is unnecessary. I have to have a background check, my driver's license electronically scanned into the Stasi... uhhh... I mean school computer system just to enter the "hallowed halls" where my kids are held hostage eight hours a day. Oh, and at my expense, of course...
ReplyDeleteHere to hoping that all the "common people" on the east German side remember this and develop a good disgust and hate for statist and socialist garbage. Hope they rotated the kids through being in charge and being a commoner, so they all know how much it sucks.
ReplyDeleteI saw a hands-on history lesson, that was all.
ReplyDeleteOn an intellectual level, I agree with your guys' politics, but your tone is becoming increasingly like that of the Troofers mocked in that episode of South Park.
There certainly are some uncomfortable tendencies in government and society at large today, but in this case, you're jumpin' at shadows that ain't there.
And I can speak with some authority on this, considering I'm only two-years removed from that dreaded compulsory schooling. "Prussian and totalitarian".... Seriously? Damn, I wish... then maybe there would have been some meaningful standards of discipline and decorum.
I think the exercise seems to have left a suitable impression on the youngsters. Don't tolerate totalitarian regimes or their shenanigans.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gaige that you are overthinking this. It was a 1-day lesson in being ruled by pr*cks. It would have been good to follow it up with a presentation by an immigrant from the failed Communist states, or perhaps a viewing of "The Lives of Others". I agree with patrick henry above that too many of the teachers probably sympathize with the politics of the SoBs who used to run E. Germany.
ReplyDelete