Wednesday, December 06, 2006

The Education Racket

The state should have no hand in the education of individuals’ children.  Ever since the state’s foray into the field of education for all, the dumbing down of individuals has accelerated.

John Derbyshire notes this in a piece titled The Dream Palace of Educational Theorists wherein Derbyshire has much to say about the sorry state of affairs within the supposed halls of learning, and the educational theorists who muck about in this field.  A few choice pieces from Derbyshire’s pen.

There is the public school racket, in which homeowners and taxpayers fork out stupendous sums of money to feed a socialistic extravaganza in which, when its employees can spare time from administration, “professional development” sabbaticals, and fund-raising for the Democratic Party, boys are pressed to act like girls, and dosed with calming drugs if they refuse so to act; girls are encouraged to act like boys by taking up advanced science, math, and strenuous sports, which few of them have any liking or aptitude for; and boys and girls alike are indoctrinated in the dubious dogmas of “diversity” and political correctness.

And this.

If you read much Ed Biz theorizing, you find yourself wondering how a single field of human enquiry can contain so much error and folly.  One answer is that educationalists wilfully—ideologically, in fact—ignore the understanding of human nature that the modern human sciences are gradually attaining, and cling doggedly to long-exploded theories about how human beings develop from infancy to adulthood.  From false premises they proceed to false conclusions.

And this, too.

In the end, all left-liberal prescriptions for educational improvement end up with two demands:  that governments should spend more money on schools, and that parents should work harder at parenting.

Read the whole thing.

Posted by John Venlet on 12/06 at 09:29 AM
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21st Century Prohibition

Do-gooderism continues to rise, like a well leavened dough will, in this country of ours, with New York City leading the way, with admiring props from the state of California, by prohibiting trans fat. 

This city, which lays claim to the Statue of Liberty, which supposedly beckons to those desiring freedom, has decided that obesity is not to be addressed individually, but collectively, so that each individual may suffer for the good of us all.  Bollocks.

I wonder if this development will induce Michael Moore to put his New York City residence on the market?

New York Bans Most Trans Fats in Restaurants

UPDATE:  Will this new prohibition do any good?  In all likelihood, no, as even the New York Times editorial board recognizes.

The phasing out of trans fats from all city restaurants, not just fast-food chains, won’t do much about the obesity epidemic but it could save people from heart attacks and death if administered properly.

Did you catch the last portion of that sentence?  ”...but it could save people from heart attacks and death if administered properly.”

If “administered properly.”  What exactly does that mean?  It means additional layers of tax funded nannies to be ever on the patrol for your own good.

The editorial.

Posted by John Venlet on 12/06 at 08:13 AM
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Basement Nuclear Fusion

Some of the best known companies were initially created and run from individuals’ basements and garages.  An aspect of being American that is reminiscent of days gone by, when individuals were more apt to go it alone, rather than searching the state’s hand for goodies ill gotten for re-distributive purposes.

Thiago Olson, a 17 year old young man from Rochestor Hills, Michigan, has been tinkering in his parent’s basement, and this is what he has come up with.

In the basement of his parents’ Oakland Township home, tucked away in an area most aren’t privy to see, Thiago is exhausting his love of physics on a project that has taken him more than two years and 1,000 hours to research and build—a large, intricate machine that , on a small scale, creates nuclear fusion.

Excellent.  I admire the young man’s ability.  But, I would counsel the young man to set his aspirations a bit higher, so that his creativity is not ill used.

Someday, he hopes to work for the federal government—just like his grandfather, Clarence Olson, who designed tanks for the Department of Defense after World War II.

TEEN GOES NUCLEAR: He creates fusion in his Oakland Township home

Posted by John Venlet on 12/06 at 07:37 AM
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She’ll Be Called Alot of Names

Here’s a headline, utilized by World Net Daily, for a story on recent comments made by Dick Morris regarding Hillary Clinton:  Dick Morris: Hillary wants to be ‘President Rodham’

I’m certain the Field Marshall does desire to be known as “President Rodham” in all the villages of the America.

But it is the following comment, also made by Dick Morris, which illustrates that the nature of Rodham is not really different than that of her lying husband Bill.

“Here, she spent two years telling New Yorkers she’s undecided about running for president [to] get them to re-elect her to the Senate. And now, she has to go through this pantomime, this charade of decision-making so she doesn’t look like a liar for the past two years, which she is.”

Posted by John Venlet on 12/06 at 07:24 AM
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