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Although scholarship is supposed to be
the search for truth,
there is no need to search for truth
when you are dogmatically certain
that you have already found it.
That is too often the mindset
of the left in academia,
where contrary views are penalized
by restrictive speech codes
and faculty hiring decisions
include ideological litmus tests,
while even visiting public speakers
are limited to those
acceptable to the left.
At least, that's my opinion.
Actually, it's
somebody else's opinion, too,
and he wrote it first,
but screw him.
I'll just take credit for it,
conversationalists.
I mean, why bother acknowledge him ?
There are no standards
of professionalism
or professional courtesy
in business, or publishing,
or media any more.
The rich screw the poor
more than ever,
and if you can find
a media source
that's not just bullshit,
lies, deception, and spin...
well, you've found something.
*******
They say that a mind
is a terrible thing to waste.
I disagree emphatically !
I think that a mind
is a wonderful thing.
And, I think that
it is a terrible thing
to waste a mind.
*******
One way to waste a mind
is to tell it to read -
like the way they tell you
to drink milk.
At least the dairy industry,
in exhorting you to drink milk,
is specific about
what you should drink -
that is, milk.
The education industry,
on the other hand,
will let your mind consume
all kinds of mental junk food -
mind-wasting garbage,
preferably liberal poison -
as long as you're
filling a seat
and generating education income.
So, when Gov Arnold's
B Team
of bratty, sharp-elbowed,
Republican brats
spins out some
"education reform"
that shuffles the money around
a little bit
and twiddles with teacher tenure,
don't expect sharp-minded
people with any gravitas
to get excited about it.
They're not even BEGINNING
to address any important
education issues.
If anyone thinks those
twiddling little "reforms"
are going to change the
abysmal public education culture,
they're wrong.
Today from Weintraub
"The poll unearthed
this interesting but disturbing fact:
Only 29 percent of Californians know
that education spending
is the biggest program
in the state budget,
which it is, by far.
Almost the same number -
28 percent - cited prison spending,
even though the state
spends about $5 on education
for every $1
it allocates to the prisons.
Where does all of this
leave Schwarzenegger?
His best bet...
...If he does go forward,
this poll suggests
that he would be wise
to offer a little basic education
about how the state spends its money.
Misinformed voters who think
he is spending more on prisons
than the schools
are not likely to look kindly
on his proposals."
In a recent column,
Weintraub called Gov Arnold
a public information girlie-man.
And it's come right back
to bite Arnold in the ass,
as they say.
While Arnold claimed to be seeking
creative, dynamic, out-of-the-box
thinkers with gravitas,
he has instead surrounded himself
with exactly the opposite -
experts in the political culture
of confrontation, polarization,
spin, and demagoguery.
His best bet would be
to re-group
with a new group,
putting most, if not all
of his ballot measures on hold
until next year.
The best thing he could do
for education
is to educate the public
and himself
on education issues.
If the public doesn't understand,
and Arnold doesn't understand,
no significant reform will occur.
Shuffling a few spending categories
and twiddling with tenure
are red herring distractions.
We must start with
what's taught
and who teaches it,
and who makes the decisions
about what's taught
and who teaches.
Wanna know more ?
I'm here for you.
*******
I think that Liberalism
and Mean Spirited Fundamentalist
Conservatism are
terrible things to waste.
And the sooner we accomplish
the wasting of them,
the better !
*******
Source Reluctantly Acknowledged
(Damn ! My standards of professionalism
are just too damned strong to overcome !)
Do Facts Still Matter ?
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