also posted at
http://www.principiadiscordia.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=394&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15I've been thinking about this for the past couple of days. I think I can point out why I don't believe change comes quickly. And it comes down to where the machine gets its power.
The Machine's real power lies in its ability to control the educational methods used on its children. Dubbya really doesn't frighten me. The fact that 1/4 of our population voted for him (assuming 50% voter turnout; optimistic, I know) does. And it frightens me that there are people who still support him. And the problem lies in our educational system.
In school, we are taught to read and write. We are taught "Critical Thinking Skills". And we are taught how to "Read for Comprehension". We are taught this because for the past 400 years, the written word has been the primary means of transmitting and storing information. But, as The Commander has pointed out, we are undergoing an Information Revolution. People no longer read, but rely on TV, Radio, and Movies for day to day information and entertainment. But I have not seen any courses on how to cope with this type of information except on the college level. Method of understanding this type of media must be taught in high school, or even sooner. Change begins with education. That's step one.
Then comes step two: Parents need to know Learning comes BEFORE Grades. Intresting concept, isn't it? Far too many paqrents today will go to the mat to drag their kid's grades up by lowering the standards by which students are judged. That leads to dumber parents for the next generation, leading to such arguments as "Why should my kid have to learn something I never did?" and "My child needs to be with children his own age!". I hope I don't have to explain how silly these arguments are. But parents are too concerned about, as my own parents put it, "Getting a piece of paper that'll get you more repect." Yes, my father, a lawyer and teacher, said that.
The really big thing, though, is that we (ie, Americans) are still struggling with Puritan laws, still fighting over (forgive me) minor issues like bigamy, adultry, and homosexuality. Alan Greenspan is nearly identical to Joseph McCarthy in method and ethic. And Americans are fully falling for it again. So after forty years, there has been no real change. Catch 22 - we can't make any real change while the Machine is in place, we can't destroy the machine until real changes take place.
Enough from me now, my loverlies. I have to tune in the Daily Show so I can get the real news for a change
