Capitalism is like the county fair. There's a ticket booth... and if you run around, doing what the owners of the fair want you to do, you can eat funnel cakes, ride fancy rides, and win tokens by competing in the strong man swings a hammer, the squirt gun horse race, or whatever.
At the end, if you are better than everyone else, you get a jack daniels mirror, or a led zeppelin glow in the dark poster. That's how i perceive rich people driving bmws & spending their leisure time on their yacht. It's really not very impressive at all... Kind of makes you a douche bag. And though you've got the jack daniels mirror, the real winner is the owner of the fair. You are essentially a tool. I'm far more impressed with a Native American grandma who can weave a beautiful rug and owns nothing.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Education in America
some thoughts on education in America:
"Productivity" has been a cherished value for some time. It is also the cause of global warming, toxic waste, and a growing plastic continent in the Pacific Ocean. Fundamentally, what is needed, is far less productivity, especially in childhood when the mind is forming. A society that values "thought" and "intelligence" cannot be a society that values "productivity" in itself. Our crisis in America in "science and math" isn't that we don't punish people enough for not studying these subjects; rather, it's that progress in science and math is the result of thoughtful people who imagine ways to improve the possibilities of life. People that are taught to be "productive" are not thoughtful, and have no reason to imagine anything.
The "crisis" in American education is not a crisis of teaching techniques. It is a crisis of values. The "managers" of our society, are by in large, "rich business people," who are in fact, uneducated themselves. Knowing how to sell hamburgers does not qualify Ray Kroc as one who understands education. As long as "profit" and "productivity" remain the core values of our society, we will continue to have inferior schools with students that have no real incentives. As long as we continue to conflate the notions of "success in business" with "success in life" our education will be a failure. We're like 100 years into hundreds of strong criticisms of these values... yet they continue to remain unchecked, and become more powerful everyday.
"Productivity" has been a cherished value for some time. It is also the cause of global warming, toxic waste, and a growing plastic continent in the Pacific Ocean. Fundamentally, what is needed, is far less productivity, especially in childhood when the mind is forming. A society that values "thought" and "intelligence" cannot be a society that values "productivity" in itself. Our crisis in America in "science and math" isn't that we don't punish people enough for not studying these subjects; rather, it's that progress in science and math is the result of thoughtful people who imagine ways to improve the possibilities of life. People that are taught to be "productive" are not thoughtful, and have no reason to imagine anything.
The "crisis" in American education is not a crisis of teaching techniques. It is a crisis of values. The "managers" of our society, are by in large, "rich business people," who are in fact, uneducated themselves. Knowing how to sell hamburgers does not qualify Ray Kroc as one who understands education. As long as "profit" and "productivity" remain the core values of our society, we will continue to have inferior schools with students that have no real incentives. As long as we continue to conflate the notions of "success in business" with "success in life" our education will be a failure. We're like 100 years into hundreds of strong criticisms of these values... yet they continue to remain unchecked, and become more powerful everyday.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Pre-meditated Murder?
It seems to me that George Zimmerman's 911 call is an attempt to establish a "self-defense" case for a pre-meditated murder. Take a listen:
If you listen to Zimmerman's 911 call at :58 on this video, you will hear:
"Now he's coming towards me. He's got his hand in his waistband. And he's a black male."
later at 1:21:
"He's coming to check me out. Yep. He's got something in his hands."
I don't know what can be proven legally in regard to these comments. What I do know is that people do put guns in their waistbands. However, Trayvon had no gun, but skittles and an iced tea... And it is quite difficult to imagine anyone putting a can of iced tea or skittles in their waistband.
The use of the term "waistband" to me seems to be Zimmerman creating an evidence trail to show he "feared for his life" so he can legally kill someone under Florida's "stand your ground" law.
I am very curious to see what Zimmerman may have been writing, googling, or chatting about in the months and years leading up to this killing. It would not be surprising to me if mounds of evidence of a long-standing desire to kill someone is present.
This seems like a disturbed individual waiting for an opportunity to carry out some dark fantasy, nothing like a man in fear due the presence of a "suspicious individual."
If you listen to Zimmerman's 911 call at :58 on this video, you will hear:
"Now he's coming towards me. He's got his hand in his waistband. And he's a black male."
later at 1:21:
"He's coming to check me out. Yep. He's got something in his hands."
I don't know what can be proven legally in regard to these comments. What I do know is that people do put guns in their waistbands. However, Trayvon had no gun, but skittles and an iced tea... And it is quite difficult to imagine anyone putting a can of iced tea or skittles in their waistband.
The use of the term "waistband" to me seems to be Zimmerman creating an evidence trail to show he "feared for his life" so he can legally kill someone under Florida's "stand your ground" law.
I am very curious to see what Zimmerman may have been writing, googling, or chatting about in the months and years leading up to this killing. It would not be surprising to me if mounds of evidence of a long-standing desire to kill someone is present.
This seems like a disturbed individual waiting for an opportunity to carry out some dark fantasy, nothing like a man in fear due the presence of a "suspicious individual."
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