From: Michael Wiik (mwiik@messagenet.com)
Date: Thu Aug 15 2002 - 09:03:42 MDT
lcorbin@tsoft.com wrote:
> Here is a quote from Gatto's paper, just to focus on something substantive
that's there, and which is indicative IMO of his whole view:
> Public opinion is turned on and off in laboratory fashion.
> All this in the name of social efficiency, one of the two
> main goals of forced schooling.
> Do you honestly believe that anyone or any collection of
people can turn public opinion on and off?
In all times and places? No. Sometimes? Yes. Do I think this has been the main
goal of all marketing agencies, big media, public relations firms, political
parties, etc, and that the making of this art as a science is a fairly recent
(like roughly the start of the 20th century) phenomenon? yes.
I also think Gatto is being a little simplistic here when he says 'on and
off'. I think it is much more about framing the debate, defining the terms and
vocabulary. It's obvious (at least to me) that TV news analysis shows only
ever allow two definable and simple viewpoints.
And I have said before when discussing Gatto that it can't be that bad, since
I learned to read quite well and quite quickly perhaps especially as I didn't
even speak a word of english till age 4 or 5. But...
I recall doing about 4 hours homework in high school. That's not per
schoolnight. Or year. That's my total for high school. I did most assignments
for a class in previous classes on the morning it was due. You could say I
made my own homework since when I was home I read a lot, about the things I
wanted to read about. I don't think I've ever lived in any place that had less
than 1000 books, and multi-thousand volume collections were not uncommon. So
maybe Gatto is right, I learned to read well because of my own efforts, not
because of my american education.
For more fun, read http://www.rawilson.com/whistlepiss.html , which begins:
<<The most thoroughly and relentlessly Damned, banned, excluded, condemned,
forbidden, ostracized, ignore, suppressed, repressed, robbed, brutalized
and defamed of all Damned Things is the individual human being. The social
engineers, statistician, psychologist, sociologists, market researchers,
landlords, bureaucrats, captains of industry, bankers, governors, commissars,
kings and presidents are perpetually forcing this Damned Thing into carefully
prepared blueprints and perpetually irritated that the Damned Thing will
not fit into the slot assigned it. The theologians call it a sinner and try
to reform it. The governor calls it a criminal and tries to punish it. the
psychologist calls it a neurotic and tries to cure it. Still, the Damned Thing
will not fit into their slots.>>
-Mike
---- This message was posted by Michael Wiik to the Extropians 2002 board on ExI BBS. <http://www.extropy.org/bbs/index.php?board=61;action=display;threadid=52767>
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