Is the GOP attack on public schools also so that the public system will be replaced

[applegrove]

Last edited Tue Feb 14, 2012, 01:55 AM - Edit history (1)

by more religious schools in the future, leading to more gullable graduates who will then make good GOP footsholdiers? Cause it seems good information, secular and involving critical thinking, like that found in many public school curriculums, is the enemy of the GOP.

[RKP5637]

1. Certainly sounds plausible to me! Speaking of foot soldiers. Around here the

name of the religious schools are so militant sounding, like they are preparing to go to war. Over the years I've grown to really loathe religion.

[toddwv]

2. Who knows why? There are probably several reasons.

A good education is a great equalizer. It doesn't guarantee socio-economic advancement but it makes the likelihood much greater.

It's almost like the right-wing is attempting to reverse any progress we made in the past 100 years as they continue their war against education, science, infrastructure, labor rights and civil rights.

It's mind-boggling that anyone that is making less than $250,000 a year would support them.

[unblock]

3. republicans have many reasons to want to end public education

a) profit
b) creation / evolution
c) their version of "civics", not that that's taught anymore anyway
d) bible study
e) their version of economics, history, science, literature, and of course their version of spelling and grammar

[NAO]

4. Yes. That is out in the open, self admitted by conservatives

They were planning for it in the 1980s when I was in high school.

[kestrel91316]

5. YES.

[TheKentuckian]

6. If they must have any at all for the masses. Education is for the heirs of the betters

with various training and apprenticeships for a few of the operational and creative producers.

The idea that education is largely a waste of money runs strong through the wealthy power set, I think too many ignore obvious trends.

[The Genealogist]

7. Their attacks on public schools boil down to these basic things, I think

1) Public schools are not making enough money for rich people. To have a perfectly good resource to exploit for profit is a grave, grave sin among RWers in general.

2a) Republicans do not completely control the message in public school classrooms. Republicans HAVE to control that message. That is how they gain and keep power. This is a fundamental problem, I think, in Republican eyes.

2b) People learn to think in school. Closely related to 2a. Republicans do not want people who think, they want compliant people, reactionary people, people who do not question. It is not good for the plutocratic corporatist theocracy into which they want to totally transform the United States.

[applegrove]

8. I think you've nailed it. Said it much better than I could. Still, in Ontario, the

Tory candidate wanted religious school boards and i think that is what they were doing. Trying to get more compliant students that way. Because they certainly cannot complain that Ontario public schools are not doing well - they are doing great. So the idea of privatizing would not work in Ontario - the public wouldn't fall for it. We are proud of our public school system. So the Conservatives in Ontario were left with trying to come up with a way of 'softening up' the students and all they could come up with was religious schools.

[mick063]

9. One Percenter Nirvana

The One Percenters believe that all government agencys should be privatized.

Their argument to willing listeners is that private enterprise is much more efficient than government. They argue that equivalent work done by the private sector is cheaper. They argue that the services would be better.

What they are really thinking:

We are gonna score a ton of cash off the taxpayers. We will just buy off a couple politicians and set fees so high, that we must find a means to hide it from the taxpayers. Or at least make it so confusing they would need an academic major in law and a minor in economics to understand it. Meanwhile, we will demonstrate our ability to keep our promise of doing it cheaper by eliminating the pension program, offering our version of an "enhanced 401K", reduce our contribution toward co-pay for health insurance, and lock out those that wish to negotiate the next labor agreement. Finally, we will simply change the touch tone menu program at our Customer Service office and offer roughly the same level of customer service support that the government did.

[saras]

10. Sort of. No schools for the poor but prison, religious school (ala Handmaid's Tale) for the middle

And, of course, complete license for the upper classes.

[Citizen Worker]

11. The republicans have been getting a lot of support from a good many democrats. Case in point,

Obama's education secretary, Arne Duncan.

[pnwmom]

12. Of course. They want public money to finance religious schools.

[MadHound]

13. It is not just a GOP attack,

It is a bipartisan attack. Go look up Race to the Top, it is Obama's initiative in this war on public education.

[libtodeath]

14. Not sure

it is anything to do with religious schools with many of them but just wanting dumb and easily frightened and controlable sheep.

[WCGreen]

15. Of course it is...

They have been against public schools since the 1800's...

[Myrina]

16. ... because an uninformed/uneducated populace

... is so much easier to control through fear and "the Devil's gonna get ya!" -isms.

[hifiguy]

17. Umm, YES!

Critical thinking skills are the last thing the economic royalists and religulous loons want the populace to possess.