The coming fascism
This post will be a very pessimistic one. In the last twenty-four hours I watched two different videos, both of which illustrated the growing close-mindedness in American society. On one hand we watch while a high school assistant principal does everything he can to not talk reasonably to two students holding signs opposed to abortion. First he tries to get them to leave, claiming they don’t have the right to stand there (they do, as it is a public street and there is something called the first amendment protecting their right to speak). Then he accuses them of harassing people, which it is very clear from the video they are doing no such thing. Finally, he stands there trying to prevent others from seeing their signs, while yelling “La-la-la-la-la-la-la!” loudly to keep others (and himself) from hearing what they say. He really does this.
On the other we have a detailed video report from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) about the alarming hostility to free speech at Tufts University. This quote from the video struck me as downright terrifying for our future:
The climate at Tufts embodies several trends FIRE has seen growing in recent years. There is a shift away from the heavy-handed administrators posing the biggest threat to free speech on campus. Now the loudest calls for censorship are coming from the students themselves. … And in some cases like we saw first hand at Tufts, students are equating offensive or uncomfortable speech with violence. [emphasis mine]
Both videos are embedded below the fold. Please spend the time to watch both. I think you will be equally terrified. The left not only can no longer tolerate listening to any dissenting opinions, they have created a culture and mindset among the younger generation that makes dissent and freedom of speech downright impossible. And both the adults and the students of this intolerant culture are moving with increasing aggressiveness to try to shut down any opposing speech, sometimes with outright violence.
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Its always horrifying when people hide behind science to excuse mass murder.
You don’t need to be religious to be a good person but far too many people who are not religious lack any ethical or moral foundations and think of themselves as super enlightened while not comprehending the magical thinking they engage in and the religions they create for themselves.
Wow, that first video shows the very essence of “unhinged” like few things I have ever seen. I couldn’t help laughing at how ridiculous the assistant principal looked; at one point he seemed to get tired of singing “I love a Parade” and instead vocalized the song that plays in the Mario video game.
I’m happy to read at the link that the assistant principal has been suspended pending an investigation, and that the school has made a statement that they don’t support what he did.
I’ll be interested to see what happens in the end.
I agree that the first video is terrifying in its own way. But it’s also evidence of the pendulum going too far one way and starting to go the other way (I hope).
I’ll watch the second video at my next break from yard work; it sounds even more terrifying (with no comic relief).
Actually, I found the first video very encouraging in that those two kids did a marvelous job of standing up to a bully. Not many teenagers could do that. Hopefully this video will encourage more people to stand their ground to fascist tactics employed by the leftists in this country.
I just saw Trump speak, I’m not pessimistic.
People who work as teachers and become principals never leave school ever in their life. I think that is unsound for people without a rich life on the side. Also, dealing with pupils instead of grown ups all day hampers the maturing of social skills. I think they are easily fooled by PC media because they lack sufficient experience from the real society. Funny teachers and principals is a global phenomena. A similar professional hazard goes for priests.
I think that people who have retired from a life long career, any kind of career, would make the best teachers. Teaching should be more based on real life anecdotes. Instead of a plan for subjects and hours, we should create a myth for our time, a narrative like in ancient times. The natural format for transferring knowledge, at least in lower elementary school.
” vocalized the song that plays in the Mario video game” :-D
The principal in the video should be fired. He does not deserve a job that allows him to be in contact with children. His role in education will create more of the intolerance he displays.
Here is something no one is ever taught in school:
A right is a moral principle defining and sanctioning a man’s range of activity in a social environment. That is the definition of a right. A corollary to this is the principle that a man must never initiate the use of physical force in human interactions.
The validation for rights is that a right is what is necessary for man to exercise his faculty of reason. The initiation of physical force prohibits and negates reason. Reason is man’s sole and most fundamental natural tool of survival. As such, reason is that faculty which integrates the evidence of the senses into concepts.
None of this is ever taught in schools.
” As long as a hundred of us remain alive we will never be subject to tyrannical dominion because it is not for glory or riches or honours that we fight, but FREEDOM alone which no worthy man loses except with his life.”
From the Declaration of Abroath 1320
I hope the left gets everything they are asking for.
Never make a rule you are unwilling to have used against yourself.
pzatchok–
“Never make a rule you are unwilling to have used against yourself.”
Most excellent stuff!
Your creator gave you your rights.
Man or a government created by man does not give them to you, but he can suppress them for a period of time. He can also protect them.
Slowly read the Declaration of Independence to help emphasize each statement. Man was not mentioned as giving rights, but God was.
Our founders realized man was born with all his rights.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
the constitutions amendments enumerated them. Each succeeding amendment protecting the previous one.
This idea somewhat stems from the catholic idea of natural law. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote of natural law in the Bible back before 1274 when he died.
pzatchok–
again, great stuff.
It should go without saying, but as we all know, a worrisome number of our fellow citizens, think their Rights come from the government.
Perhaps this reasonable and well thought out suggestion by Richard Dreyfus will help cure what is going on in our schools today. I like it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb98PLF3N6M
Max,
I REALLY like Tucker Carlson. Unlike Hannity who always promises a “shootout” when he invites a leftist on his show (ho hum…), When Tucker invites a leftist on and they something stupid, He LAUGHS at them. I totally disarms them and instead of shouting past each other, the leftists suddenly find they have to explain and defend their position. It is one of the most refreshing developments in political talk shows in a long time!
What’s REALLY funny is when they try to make things up and LIE! Tucker and his producers are pretty sharp and almost always call them on it.
That being said, I’m with Tucker on this interview, I agree with EVERYTHING Richard Dreyfus said. We need to teach civics in our government schools again! I suspect we will have to banish the socialist teacher’s unions before that can happen.
Has anyone else noticed the booking. com ads? The kindergarten “teacher” who is clearly totally incompetent in her position that says “nothing is more important to me than my vacation”….
I have had experience with “teachers” exactly like that. They like to suggest that children are ADHD and should be medicated…
And you suddenly discover that no matter how involved, or how much you volunteer you are with the school, you will be informed that you are not an educator and your presence in the school is not appreciated…
I had to find the “contact us” page on there website and congratulate them for such an accurate portrayal of a worthless representative of a teacher’s union.
Peter F,
I have long believed that a person running for office must take a competency test on their knowledge of the Constitution and the law. I also believe that they cannot vote on a bill without knowing what is in it, and prove that knowledge with a test of questions from every page. If the bill is 2,000 pages long, the test must have 2 thousand questions… They cannot vote unless they get a 90%. They can retake the test as many times as they wish, but the questions will be different every time.
For all professional careers, competency tests are performed from operators of machinery to operators on the human body. If an engineer makes a mistake, the failure (such as in a rocket) can be spectacular.
When a politician creates a disaster or takes a bribe or just makes a mistake, there are no consequences except the misery and the livelihood of everyone involved.
How many times did we hear Hillary say she takes “full responsibility” and yet has never been responsible or suffered any consequences?
Every Trump rally chatted “lock her up”. Now he has given her a pardon, by not investigating and pursuing her. Forbidding anybody from going after her…
Max–
yepper– I have to take Continuing-Education credits every year, to keep my License.
While I do empathize with the competency-thought for Congress, I’d prefer Term Limits and wiping out any sort of Pension & health-benefits, for all elected officials.