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Interversity Quotes"I think it's time to ask the Standardistos: Where's the test for compassion? For honesty? For curiosity? For moral commitment? Until they can answer, let's tell them to shut up." —Susan Ohanian (One Size Fits Few: The Folly of Educational Standards) Interversity ProjectsEchoes of Orwell:The purpose of this webforum is to promote a lively discussion among students and faculty alike about George Orwell's 1984 and the parallels or echoes found in today's society. |
[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Author Index][Thread Index] Re: Beneath the Gates Foundation's "Good
Hi Susan I think Kathy Emery and Susan Ohanian do a fine job in their book demonstrating the interests behind NCLB, etc., and this piece on Gates just deepens the linkages between his fist pounding on school doors, disguised as a educational donation, and the systems of capital that form his brass knuckles. What to do? Well, I think what we need to do is urgently, but patiently, talk to people about the need to get beyond capitalism, and show them how the system of profits poisons everything around them, including reason itself. We need to remember that a better world is possible, and what we do counts. And we have to urge direct action, to show people they are what they do, responsible for the construction of their lives, if not their birthrights, and since that is true, they have a duty to collective take action against capital, at its choke points, and the best choke point in the US is school. Test boycotts and throwing military recruiters off campuses is a good start. Petitioning is no harm, but it is not direct action and, hence, is not a good way to sustain a movement, though it can be used to get things going, spread understanding. We need to break down the culture of opportunism, racism, ignorance, and cowardice that wrecks the academy, and that envelopes the teaching force, making them take positions as missionaries for capitalism, voluntary servants, against their own interests. The more school workers at all levels fail to take direct action against NCLB and the war, the more they themselves are hurt by it, and their students as well. There is no easy way out of the crisis we are in, and not a multitude of ways out. It is likely that the harder the activity, the more courage it takes, the better it is. The postmodernist notion of pluralistic resistance is sheer nonsense. Justice demands organization, and organizational discipline, as distasteful as many people think that may be. I think we need to articulate an ethic of community. equality, democracy, internationalism, and anti racism that can guide organizational action (without organization, nothing) and be used to elevate peoples' class consciousness, and to test leaders, in order to overcome the "meet the new boss" hex that has plagued revolutions and reforms. And, two plugs, I think we need to build our own press, and rely less on the bosses' press, by helping George Schmidt (Substance News in Chicago....subscribe) and others build the base for a resistance news, and build the Rouge Forum Conference in Detroit, March 1 to 4, as that is the only group of any size in the US, based in schools, that take a position linking Imperialism, Capitalism, Racism, War, and NCLB. http://www.pipeline.com/~rgibson/rouge_forum/TheirWarsLeft%20Behind.htm http://www.substancenews.com/ best r At 08:42 PM 1/7/2007 -0800, you wrote: Wow. What a good piece of journalism. Ive written to the reporters and
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