All Things American
Chris Herz | 22.02.2004 17:54
New Labour's admiration for all things American is not just to be found in its respect for military "solutions", but in its educational policies as well.
Like many Americans I read the British press faithfully. Our media is alike dishonest and illiterate -- wholly the creature of a purblind corporate orthodoxy. Every story is vetted from this perspective. And what is published is the product of persons whose "education" is mostly rote training in acceptance of authority and its orthodoxies.
Your Prime Minister Poodle often displays his enchantment with all things corporate and American. Never so much of course, as in his unthinking support for the new-fascists and warmongers in Washington. But he copies their lead in other areas as well. Educational policies among others.
How fortunate for your poor benighted island that your Prime Minister and his minions have now discovered that education is no longer necessary. A population that is to be the target of propaganda is better off left in ignorance. If the military or low wage jobs is to be the lot of most everyone, why waste precious resources on educating them?
Now after removing most educational benefits for higher education, New Labour reveals the next step in the programme. Compulsory drug testing will be introduced for British kids.
We in the USA are quite used to this programme, which has been in effect over here for many years. It has been quite successful. It has accustomed kids to the most intimate levels of governmental/police intrusion. It has placated the ignorant into the belief that something is being done about a social problem. It has led to the unquestioning use of drug testing in offices and factories. It has enriched the proprietors of the firms that produce the kits, enabling them in turn to support their favorite politicians. In short, its use has helped to build an unquestioning attitude to official abuse.
Just as an aside, it is thought to be an unsupportable abuse of authority to subject to the same level of intrusive scrutiny the bank accounts of the rich for evidence of trafficking or money laundering. And of course, the use of piss-testing on upper-crust persons is totally out of the question.
Of course, for the purpose of reducing drug abuse, testing in schools and elsewhere has proven a bust. But that was never the real purpose.
Another question: When will Prime Minister Blair propose the admission of Britain to the Union as our 51st state?
Your Prime Minister Poodle often displays his enchantment with all things corporate and American. Never so much of course, as in his unthinking support for the new-fascists and warmongers in Washington. But he copies their lead in other areas as well. Educational policies among others.
How fortunate for your poor benighted island that your Prime Minister and his minions have now discovered that education is no longer necessary. A population that is to be the target of propaganda is better off left in ignorance. If the military or low wage jobs is to be the lot of most everyone, why waste precious resources on educating them?
Now after removing most educational benefits for higher education, New Labour reveals the next step in the programme. Compulsory drug testing will be introduced for British kids.
We in the USA are quite used to this programme, which has been in effect over here for many years. It has been quite successful. It has accustomed kids to the most intimate levels of governmental/police intrusion. It has placated the ignorant into the belief that something is being done about a social problem. It has led to the unquestioning use of drug testing in offices and factories. It has enriched the proprietors of the firms that produce the kits, enabling them in turn to support their favorite politicians. In short, its use has helped to build an unquestioning attitude to official abuse.
Just as an aside, it is thought to be an unsupportable abuse of authority to subject to the same level of intrusive scrutiny the bank accounts of the rich for evidence of trafficking or money laundering. And of course, the use of piss-testing on upper-crust persons is totally out of the question.
Of course, for the purpose of reducing drug abuse, testing in schools and elsewhere has proven a bust. But that was never the real purpose.
Another question: When will Prime Minister Blair propose the admission of Britain to the Union as our 51st state?
Chris Herz
e-mail:
cdherz44@yahoo.com