Tag: education in America

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CHAPTER 3
DENAISSANCE

Reverse-engineering the West

But what of those decadent ages in which no ideal either grows or blossoms?
Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution. (more…)

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Part 4

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

The landmark legislation Plessy vs Furguson (1896) (more…)

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CHAPTER 2
THE LAST GLASS BEAD GAME

Decommissioning The Universities

It is difficult to imagine that there is either the wherewithal or energy within the university to constitute or reconstitute the idea of an educated human being and establish a liberal education again.
Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind (more…)

Part 3 (Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here.)

As a nation it is imperative that we meet present and future challenges in a competitive global environment. I’m not holding my breath. Chinese kids are learning trigonometry and how to assemble and disassemble a Type-191 assault rifle blindfolded while American kids are taught that racism is why we suck as a country and you can identify as a fruit salad (and we won’t tell your parents). (more…)

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Part 2 (Read Part 1 here)

I refused to be intimidated as a middle aged white teacher. On one occasion between classes, because it was simply more convenient, I used a student restroom. Upon exiting, a fellow teacher told me, “Man, don’t ever do that again! You lookin’ to die?” (more…)

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Part 1

It has been said, “Teaching is the greatest act of optimism”, and it is. I just retired from education after thirty-plus years as a high school teacher. (more…)

FBI Special Agent George G. Liddy in 1935.

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Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 here)

The Environment

Since I’m a tree hugger, this was a rather difficult chapter for me. Still, I’ll give it a fair hearing. Liddy begins by demonstrating that there is still plenty of fossil fuel, and that there will be for a long time. I’ll grant him that point, though it’s somewhat more complicated than that. As easier-to-reach reserves are depleted, there’ll be diminishing returns which will eventually make the price of fossil fuels exorbitant, or even prohibitive. (more…)

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Part 1 of 2 (Part 2 here)

The late, great G. Gordon Liddy certainly was a remarkable individual. History best knows him as the most colorful of the Watergate burglars, and the only one who kept his mouth shut throughout. After the statute of limitation expired, he had plenty to say about his motivations, especially in his autobiography Will. Leading up to that misadventure, he had been a member of the FBI when it was more respectable. (more…)