Some thoughts on autodidactism, degrees and public education

I've always admired autodidacts -- I even became one myself, although some might question the quality of the teacher and the education received so far. I say "so far" because a main trait of most autodidacts is continuous learning. Perhaps we feel the need to try harder since most people don't respect an education which doesn't give you letters to place after your name. Although I should be bitter over all the snide comments regarding the superiority of a degree over autodidactism, I've always equally admired those who through years of college  acquired a degree. As an adult I became more impressed with a person's intellect and how it's integrated into the whole person than by what methods knowledge was acquired. I have been a little put-off, though, when people have used their degrees to undeservedly elevate their status.

One thing I've learned is that knowledge is free for anyone to gain, and that just because someone has a degree doesn't mean they have retained much knowledge or still possess the desire to learn. Years ago I was grandfathered into a therapist position in which I supervised therapists with Master level degrees, although I didn't even possess a bachelor's degree. There was grumbing in the beginning until I proved I knew what I needed to know and eventually gained their confidence and respect -- and, hopefully, it made them think about learning from a different perspective. It's strange how we think about education and this has created degree factories pumping our graduates who never really grasp the art of learning, which is a lifelong process. To gain a decorative degree and stop learning is practically useless and a waste of a valuable experience.

Learning, for me, is one of the greatest pleasures I experience. I still get excited when I buy a new book -- it's like the anxious prospect of finding a treasure, another piece of a puzzle. The love of learning is far more important than memorizing information from a text book long enough to pass a test.

The state of education today pains me, and I wish we could find an answer to the problem and inspire young people to develope a love for learning. Sometimes I think schools, to a degree (no pun intended), have become obstacles to real education and to learning how to think. Although I don't have an answers to the problems of education, I sincerely believe it lies within the private realm and not in the public education system.

We sorely need innovation, new ideas, marketing campaigns, internet emphasis from influential, popular figures, technological creativity and just a general concern for lifelong learning. Even at mid-age, in a quickly changing technologically advanced society, people need that discipline of lifelong learning to adjust to the changes -- I have a feeling it would even extend lifespans and add to the enjoyment of later years by keeping things interesting and challenging. It's never too late to learn.

If you're not a part of the solution, then...

A lot of people are worried about the extreme rhetoric coming from the right. They think it's even more extreme than false accusations of racism from the left against Rush Limbaugh, so it must be bad. I also keep hearing that the information from the right is false, but I don't see any proof, except the silly responses to hyperbole. Perhaps part of the problem is that the left understands hyperbole only when they use it, but not when it's used against them.

Those of us who don't consider ourselves either right or left have a choice in deciding who is most correct when evaluating all the rhetoric. I choose the right after much evaluation. I can find very little I agree with from the left these days, except maybe with the faction which wants to end the wars, but even then the reasons for ending the wars are likely different. I believe that politics have interfered with war efforts, and since that's the case, I say end the wars. Plus, I no longer trust the assessment from government regarding threats to our national interests. We haven't been attacked since 9/11, and since the enemy can no longer be found and eliminated, it puts our troops in a bad situation. I don't want our country to spend money and lose lives to rebuild and protect Afghanistan -- I don't think we have the support or cooperation of the Afghani people.

Everything else coming from the left seems counter-productive to a healthy, prosperous, vital and free America. From the pseudo-science of global warming to the healthcare reform, the left pushes policies and regulations which will violate individual rights and bankrupt the country.

If I have a problem with the right, it's that there's not enough resistance to the left's policies and regulations. It seems that one possibility is for the private sector to push the Republican Party back to sanity in order to avoid collapse and a long period of stagnation and high unemployment. The Democrat Party is unravelling, and it's obvious that they've pushed for changes which are destructive to our country, and will continue to do so -- now is the time for the Republican Party to develope a plan to turn it around -- it's now or never.

One of the first courses of actions should be to end all corporate welfare, so that small businesses are strengthened to compete in an open and free market. Then, offer tax breaks to small businesses so that they can grow and start hiring. Scrap the heathcare reform plans offered by the Democrats and institute free market solutions to healthcare -- scrap cap and trade. Rescind all irrational regulations regarding drilling for oil. Phase out Social Security with private retirement plans. Begin the transfer of public education to private education. We need a ten year plan to transfer the welfare state to private assistance organizations.

We need Constitutional amendments to close the loopholes dealing with public welfare and interstate commerce, clarifying the limitations of government. Make spending cuts a top priority and eliminate every government program which is useless and a drain on tax revenues -- give this money back to the people in the form of tax cuts, then implement a plan to end income taxes after the cuts take place.

This is a start, and it's necessary to do these things if our country is going to survive and thrive in the 21st century. So, for all those people worried about extreme criticism with no proposals for solutions -- these are mine. Anything less is piddling at the cusp. I have little faith the Republican Party will offer these changes, so, if I'm correct, it brings us to the only other solution -- a third party revolution.

More evidence of the need for private education

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/07/10/how-californias-schools-brought-the-state-to-its-financial-knees/

I've become convinced that one of the most critical problems facing the US is education. Public education is a mixed bag, and I know it still has its defenders, but with all the problems, it seems anyone interested in education would have to admit it's time to begin seriously considering private solutions. Throwing more money at the present system and resisting private solutions are purely political and stubbornly ignorant.

Let's reuse the old foundation to renovate America after years of neglect

We are witnessing in the Chrysler bankruptcy the most egregious use of presidential power I've seen in a long time. The way Obama is bullying the Chrysler investors, who are acting rationally representing their business concerns, is beyond the pale -- it's an abuse of power and if it continues, it's grounds for impeachment. I don't want to over-react, but it's time to stand up to this would-be king and proclaim that America has no kings, queens or princes. This officious use of the bully pulpit in abominable for an American president and it represents the new mindset in government which thinks just because many in the country, like the weak-kneed hacks in the media, have bowed all should bow when His Majesty speaks.

This is characteristic of an unlimited government -- human beings misuse power and the natural tendency of government is to continue growing in power and control until it controls everything. This country was founded on the foundation that governments must be limited and that free people can handle their own affairs. This principle of limited government is the foundation on which we need to renovate the nation, nothing short will do. The new liberal, progressive idea of an activist government engineering society to a future of equality and fairness needs to be squashed -- it's an old idea which has failed, and the persistence of the notion that sooner or later we will get it right has to be revealed as delusional.

The truth is that without government intervention discombobulating the whole economy, producers, entrepreneurs, workers and consumers will re-order the misdirected capital and the economy will realign to go forward. Our greatest deficit right now is an educational deficit. The more people learn about the bigger picture, the better prepared they are to be independent, responsible players in the society of free men and women. Human beings are capable of purposeful action, co-operation, compassion, environmental sanity and moral action, but if we mis-educate people from the time they go to kindergarten until they leave school and enter the world of work, we restrict their vision and their capabilities and create dependency. One of our greatest needs is to completely dismantle government run education and allow the private sector to meet the educational needs of the country.

It's vitally important for all Americans to receive a broad education which prepares them for reality. The technological demands and the need to understand political and economic realities call for the best education possible, not dependence factories and madhouses where over-wrought teachers become baby-sitters, police and targets of abuse, and where kids kids run riot because the system has failed. The systemic problems in public education affect our whole society, and now they've created a division of poorly educated kids leaving public shools unprepared, then thrown into competition with kids who've received excellent private education or education from superior foreign schools. The government is taking these ill-prepared kids and expanding the welfare state which continues to weigh down the country with non-productivity and burdens on the productive who were fortunate enough, or worked hard enough, to escape the government's reach. The taxes required to support this broken system are onerous when we consider how that money could be used to promote human flourishing and a real equality of pursuit.

No, this New Foundation is nothing more than old ideas dishonestly presented as fresh -- we have a foundation -- now, lets tear down the poorly contructed, progressive structure and re-build America on private initiative and the spirit of excellence. We don't want anyone left behind because it will take all of us to accomplish excellence, each pursuing a path in their own unique way.

Stick that in your hip-irony and cynicism and suck on it -- the rest of us will grow up and throw away useless pacifiers (don't ask me what this means -- I got carried away).

Go, stimulus, go

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28657844/

Amurikans are rooting for a stimulus -- well, 40 something percent, anyway.

Once you dumb down the electorate with public education and indoctrination a lot of things seem like a good idea. I think they should be polling objective economists, even though the sampling would be small.