Why education must be liberated – and delivered – from government

It was just a quick note on a recent Agora Financial (Laissez Faire) newsletter, talking about how Anti-Lockdown Protests (TM) are evil but Defund-Police and Black-Lives-Matter Protests are good and create no “public health” problem. Here’s a bit:

“I certainly condemned the anti-lockdown protests at the time, and I’m not condemning the protests now, and I struggle with that,” University of Texas epidemiologist Catherine Troisi fessed up to the Times. “I have a hard time articulating why that is OK.”

“Instinctively, many of us in public health feel a strong desire to act against accumulated generations of racial injustice,” added Brown University epidemiologist Mark Lurie. “But we have to be honest: A few weeks before, we were criticizing protesters for arguing to open up the economy and saying that was dangerous behavior. I am still grappling with that.”

Obviously, there are MANY problems with government control of education, whether that is PK-12 government-run/tax-funded (GRTF) schools, or the massive state university systems OR “private” universities (and other schools) which are largely funded by government grants, government-provided student loans, and other money. (Always with strings attached.)

But THESE are examples of how science and research are CORRUPTED by government on a massive scale. It is NOT just “politicized science.” It includes the basic teaching of fundamental, objective facts. And not just the intellectual pollution of research, both scientific and social. The very subjects of research which are permitted by government, directly and indirectly, impact our daily lives now and in the future.

History tells us that the Inca’s empire did not use the wheel for ANYTHING but children’s toys. It never seemed to occur to the people that wheels could make life better. Even in high-altitude mountains. History again teaches us that for some reason, Roman cavalrymen did NOT USE stirrups! While these two examples may NOT have resulted from government action, they demonstrate that a lack of education – a lack of understanding and being inventive and open to new ideas – can lead to serious consequences.

And what do we have in schools and universities – from the nursery school and day care center to post-graduate training and research? They are restricted by political correctness, the growing power (and corruption) of the courts, and the fear and greed for power by politicians. And increasingly, the fear of the mob. Both physical mobs AND virtual mobs on-line in social media.

It of course has much to do with money and security. The universities AND “public school” systems in general live in incredibly comfortable financial conditions, courtesy of money stolen from current and future taxpayers. And shoveled with ever more (and bigger) shovels by bureaucrats and politicians.

While, indeed, courtesy of the Pandemic Panic and a growing fear of mob violence and destruction and looting, while providing LESS and LESS actual services of ANY quality. More and more of these educational institutions are intending NOT to reopen in the Fall – or for the foreseeable future. They claim fear of what is in effect a very bad cold or flu as an excuse for doing that. Of course, while they pretend to “teach” most students though distance learning, these organizations continue to be ever-greater parasites on the body politic. Their staff (especially administration) continue to draw their salaries: the various “support staff” being of lower value, are those laid off: janitors and cooks and teachers’ aides and the like. What a marvelous con!

It is more and more obvious that the ONLY solution is the complete, total separation of education – ANY kind of education – from government control. Of any kind. I will go so far as to say that would include such things as MILITARY education: the corruption of West Point, Annapolis, and Colorado Springs is as bad as that found in the University of California system, Princeton, or any other governmental education institutions.

It is a matter of liberating people (and resources) who do often have a calling to teach, research, and spread knowledge. If we fail to deliver these people, and therefore those they teach, from the evil control – the dead hand – of government. At ANY level. If we wish these Fifty States (and the rest of the world) to prosper and have any chance of peace, we must tear down this evil and corrupt system, replacing it with true teaching – real education – controlled by parents and for the benefit of children. Not of teachers, educrats, politicians and those who want to destroy society.