Getting Credit For Demonstrating
As reported in the April 8, 2006 edition of the Washington Post:
Montgomery Is Criticized Over Credit for StudentsFrom Mark Twain:
"The Montgomery County schools' decision to grant students community service credit for attending Monday's immigration rights protest is raising concern among some parents as well as activists who say officials should focus on education, not political advocacy.
"Montgomery is the only Washington area school system offering students credit for taking part in the event, to be held on the Mall...
"[S]tudents will receive service learning hours for participating in the rally as long as they do so under the supervision of a community group that has been approved by the school system....
"School systems in Virginia and the District do not have community service requirements. Although teenagers there have been among the most active in protesting the immigration legislation, no systems planned to grant credit for participation in Monday's rally. However, in Fairfax County, school officials said a teacher in a government class, where a service project is often assigned, may choose to consider the rally as part of that requirement."
"Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today."
posted by Always On Watch @ 4/08/2006 08:13:00 AM
67 comments
67 Comments:
UNBELIEVABLE - no. love the twain quote - if you hadn't pointed it out as his, i would have thought it to be a beamishism! good morning aow.
here's an article for you, quite possibly o.t., but it's early:
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20060407-090604-1952r.htm
Nanc,
Excellent article in that link. And the author points out something which most Westerners just don't get--adherence to Islam overrides capitalistic incentives:
It would be nice if Christians en masse got at least as visibly upset over the threats toward Mr. Rahman and other Third World believers. After all, Muslim leaders threatened to incite people to "pull him into pieces" if the Afghan government freed him. Alleged moderate cleric Abdul Raoulf said, "Cut off his head." He added Mr. Rahman could survive only in exile.
Another cleric, Said Mirhossain Nasri, told the West thanks for helping but to "butt out" in Mr. Rahman's case.
"We are a small country and we welcome the help the outside world is giving us. But please don't interfere in this issue," he said. "We are Muslims and these are our beliefs. This is much more important to us than all the aid the world has given us."
And I'm all for calling them on their commitment. Cut 'em off! No more U.S. aid of any kind. Boycott their oil; they can't eat oil.
Why are we suddenly experiencing all of these social changes? The frequency of such events as this one, including the raising of the Mexican flag over that of the Stars and Stripes, might suggest that it is all part of a leftist plan, but since most leftists are incapable of planning we'll have to think of another reason.
Maybe we are only getting what we deserve as a nation of "other priorities." Perhaps if nothing is sacred to us anymore, we incur exactly this kind of social upheaval.
Here's another Twain quote, one of my favorites: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
you're right mustang - the world is moving at a maddening pace. from what i know, it will get bad and then it will get better and then it will get just about as bad as bad can get and then God will step in and put an end to all of this - for crying out loud - tornado in israel? God's talking - nearly nobody is listening.
I say no credit, fire the staff involved, and suspend those who skipped class to be somewhere else.
Brooke,
Lots of outraged calls to the school on this one.
We'll see how many students take to the streets. Montgomery County might be on spring break, but I'm not sure as the systems' schedules vary in the D.C. area.
My students rarely have time to demonstrate for any cause: "No assignment too large, no grade too small."
mustang, This has been going on for a long time, but I think we are 'seeing' more for two reasons. One, the media is on board with this foolishness and thus gives it more exposure at every opportunity. Second, I don't think it's reached the point to break the "apathy barrier" yet. We conservatives tend not to get too upset at all the bluster. My hope is that we quietly express our opinions during the mid-term elections. There have been absolutely no demonstrations from the sizable Hispanic community in Memphis...mostly because I think they know the folks here wouldn't stand for that crap and the riot squad would arrive in short order.
Since American intellectuals turned anti-American, starting peri-Civil War era, and with the rise of the Progressives in late 19th century, "educators" have been intent in taking over America's children. Thus, they are virulently pro-public school, not despite its record, but because of it. Since the 1960s, they have ridden the wave crest of liberalism, a crest that has run out of juice and just passively crashes on shore these days, but has hardly run out of advocates. Part of the goal of these leftists is to mold our youth in the image of their fondest dreasm: that takes the form of robot-like socialists. Students demonstrating-on-cue just warms their hearts and measures some of their success.
Here's where folks on the right must beware. Part of the push for decades now has been toward the general idea of "national service." I see a lot of people on the right taken in on this issue by the left and support it as good for our youth. Whatever good deeds these kids do is irrelevant compared to the underlying goal of community service, etc. (Of course, being good citizens in the communities is a "good thing," to clear up this.) The goal, however, is to mold our youth into compliant leftists, ultimately servants of the state. Folks on the right are getting a bit of "taqiyya" from these "educators," who really are up to no good.
"We are Muslims and these are our beliefs. This is much more important to us than all the aid the world has given us."
So apparently, killing Christians is more important then living in a free country were both men and women have opportunities for education and employment.
No matter what, after 911 we had no choice but to take out the Taliban. I don't even know any Democrats that say otherwise on this issue, but now that they have been mostly killed or imprisoned, why are we bothering to continue trying to help this country? They clearly don't want our help. They would rather live in accordance to ninth century standards. We have lost more lives after defeating the Taliban then we did in ridding the country of them.
By the way Mustang, that was a great quote by Mark Twain.
we love our "the week" magazine subscription and especially the wit and wisdom, this from mark twain in there this week:
"let us be thankful for the fools. but for them the rest of us could not succeed."
The goal, however, is to mold our youth into compliant leftists, ultimately servants of the state. Folks on the right are getting a bit of "taqiyya" from these "educators," who really are up to no good
Which is why we must fight the battle in our homes. I've noticed a strange phenomenon at our house. My son tells me our house is known as the strictest one among his friends "his dad's a policeman"...But given the choice they always choose our house to gather, and they have opened some very interesting discussions and given me the opportunity to short-circuit some of that mess before they are exposed to it. I'm seeing them learn about hidden agendas and how to watch for them. The key to resisting what you speak of is to expect it and understand it. After that it's not so hard to see through it.
truth - our kids are also under strict guidance and they love it - it seems the kids whose parents are both in the home thrive on this structure. my heart breaks for their friends who have only one parent in the home as they seem to want to spend days on end here. our children encourage them to hug us goodnight and we tell them we love them.
our children also have teachers who care and pray for them so feel more secure in their school environment - the transition from home to school to church and back again seems only natural.
I saw that in the Washington Post this morning. Even though I live in Montgomery County, I must say that I was a bit surprised too.
However, I'm going to suggest that to the French students demonstrating against the First Job Contract.
Right now, they're demonstrating and getting no credit for it! Shouldn't they too could get better grades for being in the street while they could confortably be studying in class...? ;) ;)
I've been thinking about this whole thing. Now I am wondering, shouldn't students who sell drugs in school get business credit?
How about the young high school junior who is arrested for prostitution, shouldn't that count as community service?
The young teenager who had a baby in her sophomore year might be able to get health services credit, or maybe something for biology.
The fact is that the quest for knowledge isn't enough any more. Why? Because it isn't tangible.
In today's schools, there are plenty of opportunities to reward students for their extracurricular activities, we just need to look harder and use our imaginations.
Or not.
Mustang,
Sure, let's throw out the entire curriculum in favor of having students get real-life experiences. We can even invent special end-of-the-year awards for those who have achieved the most in their forays.
I need FJ here....One of the philosophers mentioned something about puppy dogs would one day be standing up for their rights. The point was, of course, that democracy, a noble ideal, becomes both dangerous and ludicrous if taken to the extreme. Plato comes to mind, but I'm not sure I'm right about that.
Super Frenchie,
Thanks for stopping by.
Somehow, though, I don't think the French students much care about getting an extra credit. LOL.
Crusader,
They clearly don't want our help. They would rather live in accordance to ninth century standards.
Fundamentalist Muslims are committed to their beliefs.
On the other hand, the West makes excuses for the ideals we claim to hold dear.
Truth,
Too many parents are leaving it up to the schools to do the parenting. Of course, parents have been encouraged to do so for some decades.
No demonstrations in Memphis? Glad to hear that some students are remaining in school.
the latest dhimmi pusher has hit warren AND a.c. in the last couple of hours. yeah, like this contrarian would go along with that program!
Nanc,
Are your children in a private school? Or are the public schools in your area not completely secularized?
OT here...Are you going with that avatar that Warren displayed today? I like it!
George Mason,
On the local news here, I heard one of the leader's of the planned April 10 demonstration specifically tell the students not to carry the flag of any country other than that of the United States. He also encouraged students to go to class and droned on about the importance of education; I guess he doesn't know that most schools are out for spring break. I just thought to check Montgomery County's schedule. School is not in session on Monday.
Students demonstrating-on-cue just warms their hearts and measures some of their success.
Of course, none of these demonstrations are spontaneous; all are carefully choreographed.
Nanc,
I'm there!
for brownieboy IF he EVER shows his nasty little face again:
http://www.antiprotester.blogspot.com/
specifically the "another iraq fallacy falls" posted saturday, 4/08/06.
and now for an apology from the dhimmiwitted one, please. i'll promise to forget just what a hateful little turd he is.
aow - no, the kids are not in private school, but it is a small christian town with christian teachers and the superintendent has the ten commandments hanging on his wall. the middle school secretary is a noah's ark fanatic so the entire office is done in that motif. the counselor's husband is a pastor in one of the largest non-denom churches in town. one would play hell trying to get away with ANYTHING here!
i have homeschooled in the past and that was rewarding, but now that i'm going back to work full-time, that is out of the question for the near future. ours are the best kids - we could not be more pleased with them. they make being parents easy.
i love the avatar also - i just cannot figure for the life of me why warren thinks i'm contrary! lololol!!!
beamish is a little concerned with the fern avatar for freedomnow. guess he missed the whole story a few months ago.
We need field application taught in our schools. Don't just teach a kid trigonometry, show him how his calculation can put a 155mm mortar rocket down the gullet of some dumb bastard.
Make education exciting again. Have them join the adventure. Aim high. Lets make our kids be all they can be. The fre, the proud, the public school graduate.
Fold the Department of Education into the Department of Defense now!
i worked for an agency that was close friends with the secret service, specifically arms training and counterfeiting (strange combo i know) - once they came and gave us uzi training - they said an 11 year old israeli school kid could take one apart and put it back together in about twenty seconds. amazing - israel, where EVERYONE is a soldier. i'm letting my envy slip show, i know...
Do you suppose they would let the students earn credits for taking part in a pro-Second Amendment or pro-life rally? Can the student get credits for taking part in a rally that he/she supports or does it have to be something the school board supports? You can't live in Missouri if you don't like Mark Twain.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
I don't know anything about "puppy dogs" demanding their rights, but Plato did say something about a different pair of animals in his "Republic" that behaved in a certain way....
Freedom, I replied; which, as they tell you in a democracy, is the glory of the State--and that therefore in a democracy alone will the freeman of nature deign to dwell.
Yes; the saying is in every body's mouth.
I was going to observe, that the insatiable desire of this and the neglect of other things introduces the change in democracy, which occasions a demand for tyranny.
How so?
When a democracy which is thirsting for freedom has evil cup-bearers presiding over the feast, and has drunk too deeply of the strong wine of freedom, then, unless her rulers are very amenable and give a plentiful draught, she calls them to account and punishes them, and says that they are cursed oligarchs.
Yes, he replied, a very common occurrence.
Yes, I said; and loyal citizens are insultingly termed by her slaves who hug their chains and men of naught; she would have subjects who are like rulers, and rulers who are like subjects: these are men after her own heart, whom she praises and honours both in private and public. Now, in such a State, can liberty have any limit?
Certainly not.
By degrees the anarchy finds a way into private houses, and ends by getting among the animals and infecting them.
How do you mean?
I mean that the father grows accustomed to descend to the level of his sons and to fear them, and the son is on a level with his father, he having no respect or reverence for either of his parents; and this is his freedom, and the metic is equal with the citizen and the citizen with the metic, and the stranger is quite as good as either.
Yes, he said, that is the way.
And these are not the only evils, I said--there are several lesser ones: In such a state of society the master fears and flatters his scholars, and the scholars despise their masters and tutors; young and old are all alike; and the young man is on a level with the old, and is ready to compete with him in word or deed; and old men condescend to the young and are full of pleasantry and gaiety; they are loth to be thought morose and authoritative, and therefore they adopt the manners of the young.
Quite true, he said.
The last extreme of popular liberty is when the slave bought with money, whether male or female, is just as free as his or her purchaser; nor must I forget to tell of the liberty and equality of the two sexes in relation to each other.
Why not, as Aeschylus says, utter the word which rises to our lips?
That is what I am doing, I replied; and I must add that no one who does not know would believe, how much greater is the liberty which the animals who are under the dominion of man have in a democracy than in any other State: for truly, the she-dogs, as the proverb says, are as good as their she-mistresses, and the horses and asses have a way of marching along with all the rights and dignities of freemen; and they will run at any body who comes in their way if he does not leave the road clear for them: and all things are just ready to burst with liberty.
When I take a country walk, he said, I often experience what you describe. You and I have dreamed the same thing.
And above all, I said, and as the result of all, see how sensitive the citizens become; they chafe impatiently at the least touch of authority, and at length, as you know, they cease to care even for the laws, written or unwritten; they will have no one over them.
Yes, he said, I know it too well.
Such, my friend, I said, is the fair and glorious beginning out of which springs tyranny.
Glorious indeed, he said. But what is the next step?
The ruin of oligarchy is the ruin of democracy; the same disease magnified and intensified by liberty overmasters democracy--the truth being that the excessive increase of anything often causes a reaction in the opposite direction; and this is the case not only in the seasons and in vegetable and animal life, but above all in forms of government.
True.
The excess of liberty, whether in States or individuals, seems only to pass into excess of slavery.
Yes, the natural order.
---
-FJ
btw - the "metic" mentioned above can be likened to a "guest worker" or "illegal alien"....
...She-dogs being equal to she-mistresses sounds like an advert for PETA...
...and masters fearing and flattering her scholars sounds like the current course offerings in the modern university..."ethnic studies", "gender studies", "peace studies", and other "critical theory" courses that are "anti-establishment" in their very nature and full of friendly "professors" who do nothing but chat with their students about their liberal opinions and causes all day and encourage their young and inexperienced scholars to become activists who reACT, on the basis of this criticism rather than think about the potential repercussions of simply "reacting" to what "is" and seeking a balance....
...and many other parallels to modern day events and life too numerous to mention.
-FJ
Did I mention that horses and asses marching down the streets running at anybody who won't clear the way for them might serve as an apt metaphor for a modern "peace/social justice" or "international ANSWER" street demonstration?
-FJ
FJ,
Maybe I was wrong about those puppy dogs. My memory often plays tricks on me. ;)
FJ,
horses and asses
Too bad that we don't have Balaam's ass in the streets these days.
Sorry, couldn't help myself.
FJ,
Addendum: excellent interpretation you have there. Allegorical in nature. Or perhaps extended metaphor. I sometimes get those two mixed up.
You would know better than me. I am something of a Jack Chopstick...
I wonder if the WaPo could sell more newspapers with a headline like..."Metics Ride Horses and Asses through the Streets of Montgomery County"? N-A-A-A-H-H! That sounds more like a headline Franklin might have printed for the Pennsylvania Gazette.
Blackamore, on Mulatto Gentlemen
Set a Beggar on Horseback, &c. Chesh.
Mr. Gazetteer,
It is observed concerning the Generation of Molattoes, that they are seldom well belov'd either by the Whites or the Blacks. Their Approach towards Whiteness, makes them look back with some kind of Scorn the Colour they seem to have left, while the Negroes, who do not think them better than themselves, return their Contempt with Interest: And the Whites, who respect them no Whit the more for the nearer Affinity in Colour, are apt to regard their Behaviour as too bold and assuming, and bordering upon Impudence. As they are next to Negroes, and but just above 'em, they are terribly afraid of being thought Negroes, and therefore avoid as much as possible their Company or Commerce: and Whitefolks are as little fond of the Company of Molattoes.
When People by their Industry or good Fortune, from mean Beginnings find themselves in Circumstances a little more easy, there is an Ambition seizes many of them immediately to become Gentlefolks: But 'tis no easy Thing for a Clown or a Labourer, on a sudden to hit in all respects, the natural and easy Manner of those who have been genteely educated: And 'tis the Curse of Imitation, that it almost always either under-does or over-does.
The true Gentleman, who is well known to be such, can take a Walk, or drink a Glass, and converse freely, if there be occasion, with honest Men of any Degree below him, without degrading or fearing to degrade himself in the least. For my Part, I am an ordinary Mechanick, and I pray I may always have the Grace to know my self and my Station. As little as I have learnt of the World, whenever I find a Man well dress'd whom I do not know, and observe him mighty cautious how he mixes in Company, or converses, or engages in any kind of equal Affair with such as appear to be his Inferiors; I always judge him, and I generally find him, to be some new Gentleman, or rather half Gentleman, or Mungrel, an unnatural Compound of Earth and Brass like the Feet of Nebuchadnezzar's Image. And if in the Way of my Business, I find some young Woman Mistress of a newly fine furnished House, treating me with a kind of Superiority, a distant sort of Freedom, and a high Manner of Condescension that might become a Governor's Lady, I cannot help imagining her to be some poor Girl that is but lately well married: Or if I see something in her very haughty and imperious, I conclude that 'tis not long since she was somebody's Servant Maid.
With Regard to the Respect shown them by the true Gentry and the no Gentry, our half Gentry are exactly in the Case of the Mulattoes abovementioned. They are the Ridicule and Contempt of both sides.
There is my former Acquaintance (but now he cannot speak to me) the lumpish stupid Jack Chopstick, while he kept in his natural Sphere, which (as that of all heavy Bodies) is the lowest, the Figure he made among Acquaintance of his own Rank was well enough; none of us envy'd him, 'tis true, nor none of us despis'd him: But now he has got a little Money, the Case is exceedingly alter'd. Without Experience of Men or Knowledge of Books, or even common Wit, the vain Fool thrusts himself into Conversation with People of the best Sense and the most polite. All his Absurdities, which were scarcely taken Notice of among us, stand evident among them, and afford them continual Matter of Diversion. At the same time, we below cannot help considering him as a Monkey that climbs a Tree, the higher he goes, the more he shows his Arse.
To conclude with the Thought I began; there are perhaps Molattoes in Religion, in Politicks, in Love, and in several other Things; but of all sorts of Molattoes, none appear to me so monstrously ridiculous as the Molatto Gentleman.
I am Yours, &c.
BLACKAMORE.
The Pennsylvania Gazette, August 30, 1733
I suspect the asses have tired of domestic life and yearn to return to the wild.
I went and saw "V for Vendetta" last night w/my oldest son. From Anarchos Productions. Leftist delusional paranoia transformed into celluloid.
-FJ
FJ,
From Wikpedia:
Balak was king of Moab around 1200 BC.
Revelations 2:12 - 2:14 says about Balak: 12 `And to the messenger of the assembly in Pergamos write: These things saith he who is having the sharp two-edged sword: 13 I have known thy works, and where thou dost dwell -- where the throne of the Adversary [is] -- and thou dost hold fast my name, and thou didst not deny my faith, even in the days in which Antipas [was] my faithful witness, who was put to death beside you, where the Adversary doth dwell. 14 `But I have against thee a few things: That thou hast there those holding the teaching of Balaam, who did teach Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices, and to commit whoredom; (above is quoted from Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible.)
Just now, I watched the trailer for V for Vendetta. Similar to The Matrix, of course. Young people now seem to like such films.
You're a good dad to sit through that kind of celluloid with your son. How did you fare? I can hope that the special effects were worth your trouble.
What a letter from Blackamore! You a lumpish stupid Jack Chopstick. I doubt it!
AOW..Jus when u thought it couldnt get any more insane..what next?..credit for sellin Ecstasy or um credit for spreadin HIV amongst their peers...Arrggg!!!
I wanted to see V for Vendetta strictly because I'm a comic book nut and Alan Moore rocks, but when I found out the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix and other stupid movies) were allowed to go near the production of it, I opted for not seeing it and denying its existence.
Picture all the Left's charges and accusations against the right being "true" as a movie premise and then you enter the world of V for Vendetta. Iraq War cynically started...bird flu used to whip up terror...the right wanting to establish a fascist state and so designs viruses and kills its' own citizens for the sake of establishing a religious state (Christian, not Islam) symbolized by a NAZI-like flag w/cross vice swastika... religious goon squads raping innocent girls... tender loving homosexuals saving the day... anarchy as being better than order... having a revolution with no care for the "day after" the revolution...duplicating Guy Fawkes 1600 plot, but having the entire leadership discount this same method as a possibility... there were simply too many non sequitors for one movie...
-FJ
Ah, the old "Thousand Year Reich" / "building the kingdom" garbage spewed universally by leftists who get horny around AK-47s.
The comic book is probably better done, having been written before Bush became the bogeyman of disgruntled genocidalists.
From the horse's mouth...
Alan Moore, however, distanced himself from the film, as he has with every screen adaptation of his works to date. "All I'm asking them for," he reasons, "is the same kind of deal that they had no problem extending to Siegel and Shuster. I want them to say, 'We're not going to give you any money for your work, you're not going to get any credit for it, and we're not going to put your name on it.' I don't see the problem."[8] After reading the script, Moore remarked that his comic had been "turned into a Bush-era parable by people too timid to set a political satire in their own country.... [This film] is a thwarted and frustrated and largely impotent American liberal fantasy of someone with American liberal values standing up against a state run by neo-conservatives — which is not what [the comic] 'V for Vendetta' was about."
I wish I'd read Moore's comments before going to see the film. I might have skipped it... I knew it was about terrorists. I didn't expect to get the "whole" Marx inspired Frankfurt School fantasy.
-FJ
AOW,
Absolutely criminal behaviour.
Trust the state with lives of your children.
Southpark, "Little Bit of Country"...
Mr. Garrison: [about to write on the board, but turns around]
Oh, and by the way, children, there's a walkout scheduled today to protest the war in Iraq. So, uh, if you're against the war, run along outside, and if you're for the war, uh, stay here and we'll do math problems. [the kids quickly stare at each other]
[South Park Elementary, front entrance. The door open and all the kids run out. A cloud of paper signals their exit. Some of them twirl with delight. The boys come out singing]
The Boys: We got out of schoo-l! No more school toda-ay!
Kyle: What should we do?
Stan: Let's go see a movie! [they stop in their tracks as they hear "No war! No war!"]
Protesters: No war! No war! [a sea of them mill around on South Park Avenue waving various signs around] No war! No war! [One man wields an American flag. He lowers it while another reaches for a lighter and set the flag aflame.] No war! No war! [three men break into Tele's through its large window and steal various TVs] No war! No war! No war!
Mr. Mackey: [walks up to the boys with several signs in his hands] No war, m'kay?! No war, m'kay?! Oh uh, here you go, boys. [hands each of them a sign] These will help you protest. It's good to see that you care about peace, boys, m'kay? No war, m'kay?!
A voice: Excuse me, boys. [the boys look and the adult is shown] Tom Stansel, HBC news. Can you kids tell me why you marched out of school today? [behind him is the cameraman and an assistant, and behind her, the news van]
Stan: [pause] Uh... war?
Tom: Right. What about the war?
Kyle: [pause] Ih ih ih-t's g-gay?
Tom: Uh huh, and what aspect of it do you think is most gay?
Kyle: [looks at his sign] Uuuh, n-no blood for oil.
Stan: Yeah. [the mic moves back to him as he looks at his sign] War is not my voice.
Cartman: [reading Kenny's sign] Bush is a Naizi
Skeeter: [arrives with a crowd] Hey all you unAmerican bastards! If you don't like America, why don't you git out?! [moves his right thumb in front of his shoulder and to his right. With him are Jimbo, Ned, Stuart, and Craig's father Tom]
-FJ
Well, California still needs to repeal the law that states that only talentless leftist hacks may make movies in Hollywood.
I think Southpark is animated in either Taiwan or Korea. Or maybe it was China, I forget.
Regardless, it surely must be produced in a more tolerant and permissive place that is less subject to the whims of fascist Hollywood producers who have for too long suckled upon the teat of modern liberal positivism.
-FJ
Mr. Beamish,
California has a law for THAT too?
How many demonstrators out there today are students just having a good time? It's spring break, after all.
FJ,
Okay, I admit it....I don't know a thing about Southpark. It is all the rage?
I used to watch Southpark, before we dumped "options" and brought our cable bill back under $20/mo. I think its' now on some mainstream channels, but at some ungodly hour due to the language. And I doubt that it is nearly as popular today as when it first hit the market.
It is, however, perhaps the most conservative program on television today. It reminds me a lot of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Of Aristophanes.
And of course, we both know the power of "comedy" to "change the world". Too bad "tragedy" is often required to achieve a more salubrious effect (I suspect because it is less ephemeral and more "enduring").
-FJ
The problem with "demonstrations" and the weapons developed by your "peace studies" (and other critical theory based educational products) programs, mr. ducky, is that such lessons only apply in free and democratic nations. A good demonstration under Stalin, would simply fill a fresh graveyard. And THAT is why a classical liberal education is ever so much MORE useful, than a modern one.
-FJ
"What? You seek followers? You
would multiply yourself by ten, by a hundred, by a thousand?
Seek zeroes!"-- Nietzsche
The modern art consists of manipulating zeroes. The ancient art... infinities.
STRANGER: I think that we had better not cut off a single small portion which is not a species, from many larger portions; the part should be a species. To separate off at once the subject of investigation, is a most excellent plan, if only the separation be rightly made; and you were under the impression that you were right, because you saw that you would come to man; and this led you to hasten the steps. But you should not chip off too small a piece, my friend; the safer way is to cut through the middle; which is also the more likely way of finding classes. Attention to this principle makes all the difference in a process of enquiry.
YOUNG SOCRATES: What do you mean, Stranger?
STRANGER: I will endeavour to speak more plainly out of love to your good parts, Socrates; and, although I cannot at present entirely explain myself, I will try, as we proceed, to make my meaning a little clearer.
YOUNG SOCRATES: What was the error of which, as you say, we were guilty in our recent division?
STRANGER: The error was just as if some one who wanted to divide the human race, were to divide them after the fashion which prevails in this part of the world; here they cut off the Hellenes as one species, and all the other species of mankind, which are innumerable, and have no ties or common language, they include under the single name of 'barbarians,' and because they have one name they are supposed to be of one species also. Or suppose that in dividing numbers you were to cut off ten thousand from all the rest, and make of it one species, comprehending the rest under another separate name, you might say that here too was a single class, because you had given it a single name. Whereas you would make a much better and more equal and logical classification of numbers, if you divided them into odd and even; or of the human species, if you divided them into male and female; and only separated off Lydians or Phrygians, or any other tribe, and arrayed them against the rest of the world, when you could no longer make a division into parts which were also classes.
YOUNG SOCRATES: Very true; but I wish that this distinction between a part and a class could still be made somewhat plainer.
-FJ
always - do you begin to recognize the source of the 3/4's part coward from today's "Hamlet" quote? I'll admit, the answer will require some thought.
Ooops, the quote above is from Plato's "Statesman", I should add.
-FJ
FJ,
On one level, Hamlet had to choose between the barbaric and the civilized. He tried to be "civilized," and look what happened. As one of my student's put it, "The stage was littered with bodies."
In a larger sense, separating the barbaric from the civilized has driven the history of the world.
Comedy can bring about gradual reform, but tragedy brings faster results. Not that those results are lasting, of course. In one war we usually find the seeds of the next.
Poor Hamlet! Gotta pity the guy even while wanting to slap him. I can't wait to find out my class's reaction to Hamlet; they reacted a bit unexpectedly to the outcome of Ivanhoe. I gave them the opportunity to write a sequel or an alternate ending.
Much of Brit lit is devoted to the conundrum of when to delay and when to act. See a modern analogy there with the present situation in the UK?
Off to watch a DVD now. North Country.
That was an interesting article (I'm only halfway through though). I simply wanted to mention that the Athenian army/fleet sent against Syracuse was enormous. When the Syracusan's saw it, they immediately panicked, and snuck some ambassador's out to seek out Lacadaemonian Sparta and get them to mount a "relief" and "lift" the Athenian siege.
In response, the Spartans sent two men. Experienced polemarch's who instilled so much confidence in the Syracusan army when they returned, that the Syracusans obeyed their orders unhesitatingly. They slowly began to turn the tables on the Athenians, forcing Athens to send yet ANOTHER huge army and fleet, to reinforce the previous one.
Two Spartans. Two. Defeated two Athenian armies.
This is the power of concentrating on infinities, instead of zeroes.
...but for now, back to the article!
-FJ
Freedom Now,
I don't have any patience with middle- and high-school students in the streets, particularly if they are waving the flags of other nations. Today's demonstration in D.C. had a predominance of U.S. flags, but not a totality. I think that I saw a higher proportion of U.S. flags in the videotape of yesterday's march in Dallas, but one can never be sure. In any case, the carrying of american flags was orchestrated by some Latino leaders.
The rally is indeed affecting commutes, despite the earlier proclamations to the contrary.
These marchers are trying to turn an economic/political issue into a moral issue, and that's a stretch, IMO.
---------Live Blogging---------
"Today we march, tomorrow we vote." Individuals being interviewed right now are freely admitting they came here illegally.
"We're not going to be criminals for something we believe in." Good grief! Think of the repercussions of that one.
----------End live blogging-------
Indoctrination is a trait that belongs to Fascist, Islamist and Socialist school systems.
Agreed.
What do you think of our avatar? I like the eyes! But I had to go back through your archives to understand "Fern."
I see that Nanc has dubbed me "Ow!"
AOW,
That was good research.
The American flags are a strategic ploy against the backlash of the anti-American nature of their recent protests.
It signifies that the Liberals are moving in...
Freedom Now,
Yes, using the American flag is a ploy.
I'm never going to forget some of the images I saw before the pr moved in.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This can't be true, can it?
From this source:
SEE, dear readers, the stage has reached when France is telling illegals to come forward and take good sums to return to their countries for good. “Hey, come and take this money, and go,” is the slogan.
Dear readers, the French government is giving as much as 2,000 to 5,000 euros to individuals and families respectively to entice them to get out. Yet, why would these illegals go away? What do they have back home? Economically they will be in hell, and politically too the situation will be bad. Will they want to go back to all those situations? On the other hand, they are finding themselves in a paradise, economically and politically.
Will they leave all that and go?...
More at the above link.
mr. ducky,
You don't want me to mention Stalin? Then here are two words for you... Prague Spring
-FJ
Duck,
I haven't seen Farmer around today.
It's bad enough we have rogue teachers using class time to abuse their students political views (see story on Alabama "science" "teacher" showing Bush is an A#%hole video:
http://mikesamerica.blogspot.com/2006/04/another-school-teacher-teaching-hate.html
But now you have an entire school district promoting a racially divisive agenda.
School choice anyone?
As for Plato, it follows that democracy undisciplined becomes "the man on horseback". The deconstructionists of America are panting for his arrival. We know who he is!
tmw
Merry Widow,
deconstructionists--Great word for them.
It does sound much more noble and intellectual than wrecking crew, demolition team or even the Hecatoncheires (hundred handed) who seek to overthrow (from within) our "collective consciousness".
-FJ
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