Three R's 111914

Remember the "Greatest Generation," those people that created an American century?

Born in the late 19th and early 20th century, many first or second generation Americans, they built modern America by brainpower.  They created aviation, tying the world together.  Henry Ford is credited with inventing mass production, but Ford knew it was his workers that solved the problems and made it work.  They pioneered oil exploration and highway designs that serviced Ford's automobiles.  They built bridges spanning rivers and dams electrifying the nation.  They designed rail networks, radio networks, medical networks, business networks and created a cultural network that was America, then exported that culture to the world.

Tempered by two wars and a great depression they remained visionaries seeking to build a better future.  Many of this great generation were the products of one-room schoolhouses that slowly disappeared by mid-century.  Often the teachers in those schools had a limited education themselves but they taught a love of learning that emerged as a problem solving generation.  Those teachers left a legacy of cowboys carrying books in their saddlebags, builders who solved complex math in their heads and libraries for continued learning. As the one-room schools disappeared neighborhood schools staffed by teachers who knew their subjects rather than theories replaced them.

As the teachers who loved sharing knowledge began to disappear they were replaced by an education industry strong on theory but unable to inspire student's visions of the future.  America's lead as the world's most literate began to erode with the industry producing graduates who could neither read nor balance a checkbook.  America began to slip down the literacy ladder; the problem was obvious the solution was not.  The education industry saw money to be made, theories flourished.  Billions were spent on mega-schools, better football but education was lost in a maze.  The industry discovered even more money could be made by building smaller charter schools, big bucks but limited education.  The industry reassessed, building schools cut into profits why not just write tests and lobby politicians to subsidize the industry by making its test mandatory across the country.  Teachers were relegated to being petty bureaucrats keeping records and attending meetings on testing theory.  In the 50s President Eisenhower warned against the military industrial complex, he did not foresee the conspiracy dangers of political- educational industry.

A legislator recently proposed a law requiring his political ideas be added to curriculums.   Religious and social groups along with fringe elements are demanding their teachings. Textbooks have become politically correct but factually flawed. "Reading, Riting and Rithmetic" has given way to radiating rabid radicalism; or maybe it's raucous, rattlebrained, rascality.  It may be time for rebellious parents to overthrow the reckless, recalcitrant education theorist and reexamine, refurbish and reestablish an old education theory leading to a learning renaissance.  In that theory parents take an interest in academic accomplishment, trusted teachers are freed to inspire students' to visions and judge when their student have mastered the three "Rs."

Spoken? 110614

Election 14 is over; long live election 16 which began in election 08.  The GOP (Grand Old Party) scored a great victory in election 14 wining control of the Senate and claiming the majority has spoken in the states.

Like most politics today it is mud that is being flung at the electorate.  The majority didn't speak, only about a third of the electorate even bothered to vote.  Contested elections were squeakers meaning a majority of slightly over a sixth ruled the day.   The Republicans true to their name, claim a mandate for revolution.  The election was neither a mandate nor a call for revolution, it was a statement of their message control.

Election 08 was also a GOP statement which colors the American culture.  The GOP allowed a Black man to be elected to prove it was no longer racist while obstructing that President's ability to govern, supporting 19th century stereotypical racial theories.  Even before the votes were counted the GOP was actively demonizing the candidate/president and arguing his every action, even protesting the color of his suit.  Possibly the party's expectation was that a horrified electorate would give the President his "come uppance" in the next election and swing further to the right.  The vote did swing right but to the party's own horror their "Token" returned to the White House.

Election 14 may be the most expensive in history, estimates range between one and ten billion dollars spent in a by-election.  The electorate will probably never know its true cost as much of the money falls in the non-reportable category. In part the spending reflects deep pockets attempting to buy legislative agendas but also it  is the result of a growing campaign industry that fuels and feeds on elections. The GOP became a frenzied mob dragging by standing Democrats along on the sole issue that the President  is the devil to be cast out with all of his followers.

From the GOP's point of view they now have the best of both worlds, total control of the legislature,  control of most states and a lame duck President to blame for everything.  Its  target is not achieving the American dream but gaining control of the country in election 16.  The swing to the right is not unexpected, it follows global reactions to long periods of liberal governance.  The GOP however is fractured as never before, there is no consensus on anything except that the left has carried the country in the wrong direction.

The GOP's direction? No platform, but a look at the past few years of "Red" state control give an indication.  Gerrymandering districts to favor GOP voting and dilute minority influences, restrictive voting qualification, elimination of labor protections in favor of big business, hostility to women's issues and the only recognized religion is evangelical Christianity.  The new majority has proclaimed that it will eliminate the Federal Reserve and turn its functions over to Wall Street money men, the same people that gave the world the 2008 crash.  In short the GOP actions look a lot like the mid 19th century when minorities didn't dare vote, women had no vote, labor was told how to vote, good Christians knew how to vote, buying a vote was cheap  and big money approved the results or votes disappeared.