Noam Chomsky: How the Young Are Indoctrinated to Obey

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Noam Chomsky

Chomsky: How the Young Are Indoctrinated to Obey
Forty years ago there was deep concern that the population was breaking free of apathy and obedience. Since then, many measures have been taken to restore discipline.

April 4, 2012 |


Public education is under attack around the world, and in response, student protests have recently been held in Britain, Canada, Chile, Taiwan and elsewhere.

California is also a battleground. The Los Angeles Times reports on another chapter in the campaign to destroy what had been the greatest public higher education system in the world: "California State University officials announced plans to freeze enrollment next spring at most campuses and to wait-list all applicants the following fall pending the outcome of a proposed tax initiative on the November ballot."

Similar defunding is under way nationwide. "In most states," The New York Times reports, "it is now tuition payments, not state appropriations, that cover most of the budget," so that "the era of affordable four-year public universities, heavily subsidized by the state, may be over."

Community colleges increasingly face similar prospects – and the shortfalls extend to grades K-12. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/education/154849/chomsky%3A_how_the_young_are_indoctrinated_to_obey/

[modrepub]

1. In PA

they've cut millions of dollars in the last 20+ years. So much so that I think state contributions amount to under 10% of most state school budgets. Even so the repubs in my state continue to rag on them and dictate what they should do.

[xchrom]

2. du rec. nt

[bemildred]

3. Yes, the culture war is real, and it's about who gets to keep all the money. nt

[backscatter712]

4. K&R

[countryjake]

5. K&R!

[idwiyo]

6. K&R

[Brigid]

7. Now just how in the hell . . .

Are we supposed to build a strong future for this country if the young are not given a quality education? Of course, Tony Benn, former British MP, has a few theories on this as it relates to health care. See the extra features on the "Sicko" DVD for further details.

[bemildred]

8. I was wondering yesterday when did we stop training citizens

for their role in our democracy? Because we sure as hell did.

We used to get much more worked up about guilting people into voting too. Now it's all about restricting voting any way they can think up that might be legal.

I remember as a young adult being very annoyed about all the stuff that I really NEEDED to know (generally centering around issues of sex, money, and politics), that nobody taught me. The young are treated like fair game in our culture, so it's no wonder we are going downhill as a nation.

[Brigid]

9. The last thing TPTB want to see . . .

Is the proletariat flocking to the polls on election day. If that happens, they might even take it into their heads to start voting in their own best interests. Can't have that, now can we?

[Octafish]

10. Gee. Who would benefit from a dumbed-down population?

[Doctor_J]

11. Stupid people vote republican

they're trying to offset the changing demographic by a) purging voters, and b) keeping people ignorant.