There is a very big difference between applying the golden rule between individuals and between an individual and a large institution, whether private or public. The larger the institution becomes, the less the morals of the individuals that make it up affect the institution; it becomes "soulless" in a sense. Most individual teachers certainly care deeply about their students, but how often do you hear about "administrations" forcing political policy into curricula? Teachers know it is just so much PC nonsense, but they have to teach it anyway. As far as the factory goes, my personal experience with 20+ years working for DOD has shown me that government has ample experience in "hammering individuals into shape."

Put any label you like on a tyrant, and they're still a tyrant. When governments, corporations, or socialists enslave you, guess what: you're a slave. If you don't think socialists, communists, fascists, global warming greenies, or anyone else want to "hammer you into shape" too, then you have a rude surprise waiting for you.

Parent = breeder = livestock: that's what they think of you.

What exactly was this cause? I doubt that it was education. Again, I say this is another dangerous mindset. If children are thought of as hostages, what happens to the children if their demands are not met?

I see your point Waffler. He did say in a sense and he didn't say children are actual raw material. However, it does show a dangerous mindset. When someone starts thinking of you as raw material, or a piece of meat, or just another economic good to be used by someone else to their own benefit, there is a problem. People are human beings, individuals with their own aspirations and freedom to choose their own path in life. When someone starts to think of you as something less than human, look out. It won't be long before they start treating you that way.

Fascism and progressivism of the early 20th century are very closely related. Both are socialist movements. Mussolini started his political life as an international socialist but became disillusioned with it when he determined that the international movement would never really succeed because of national rivalry. Then he became a national socialist because he believed he could make it work on a national level. Progressivism draws its inspiration from Fabian socialism (ie international socialism). Progressivism is not just about social reform, it is economic as well. FDR's New Deal was entirely progressive and economic and Mussolini would have been proud to call it his own.

I guess I'm just a victim of a government school education. Thanks for noticing.

I would say this scientific experiment is a "success". We are again being exhorted to accept our humble role in life, just as in the days of Carter's malaise. Why just the other day in Oregon Barak Obama said, "We can't drive our SUVs and, you know, eat as much as we want and keep our homes on, you know, 72 degrees at all times..." Why is it progressives' "progress" always seem to make our lives worse?

Of course the "true God" is the collective of uber-elite socialists and the "Kingdom of God" is the State. Dewey was an unabashed Fascist (progressive, in other words).

By the way, I read something sadly hilarious here the other day...............http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-05-18-zeroes-main_N.htm?csp=34. It seems many schools are making the minimum score on tests a 50 instead of zero. Maybe that's how those 1300 wonderful government schools get their test scores up.

Newsweak, hmmm? Somehow I think I'll leave that propaganda rag on the table in the dentist's office. I'm sure those 1300 schools are the cream of the crap, though. What happened to that concern for the children and the good of society that all of the the indoctrinators, oops, I mean educators, are always touting when it comes time for a school levy? If I was a cynical man, I might think teachers were in the business for a paycheck.

Interesting, Archer. I sometimes wonder why the failure rate of students is so high and why even when they do graduate, they seem to have not mastered the basics, much less the ability to analyze and apply logic and reason to a set of facts. Through some peripheral experience with a teenage niece, I have come to believe that children are not as stupid as some think they are. They know when they are being fed propaganda rather than being taught, and they decide to simply opt out of the education system altogether. There might be some old fashioned teenage rebellion involved, but even so, if I had to choose between accepting PC propaganda and nothing, I would probably choose nothing as well.

I have always wondered why anyone would think taking the advice of a congress of thugs and dictators would be a good idea. Why would any American need the advice of North Korea, for instance, on how to educate our children? On the other hand, North Korea seems to do a very thorough job of "educating" their children (we love you, Great Leader).

Waffler is wondering why all of these brilliant men disagree with him. Hmmm...why is everyone else crazy, and I'm the only sane man in the world? Public education is doing the work of the Fascism of Mussolini, Hitler and every other totalitarian that has ever been. Construct and assemble the people to their liking so they can build the machine of the State, with the dictator pulling the switch of course. We are all just impersonal cogs in the machine (who can be replaced if necessary).

Aldous Huxley was perhaps a greater visionary of the future than George Orwell. People will volunteer to be slaves if they have bread (well, maybe Doritos) and circuses (and a HD plasma TV to watch them on). The only thing missing so far is actually identifying the alphas, betas, gammas, deltas, and epsilons by having them wear different colored coveralls, but we all know who they are anyway.

"Oh, Brave New World! Look what man hath wrought!"

Who educates the State in civic virtue? Mussolini meant what every socialist means: that he is the State and, therefore, he is virtuous.

This is a long time project to control the dumb masses, from the evangelistic propaganda projects of anthropogenic global warming in the schools (who says we don't have "religion" in school?) to "reality" TV, to the popular, amoral sluts of Hollywood. Even if it is not actually an organized conspiracy, the lazy "common people" will complete the project on their own.

"A professor is a mediocrity who is an expert in the works of great men."---a quote from someone.

Archer, I don't mind knowing what the Bible or Al Gore says, but I also want to know the motivation behind why they say what they say.

Knowledge can be a very dangerous thing in the minds of bad men.

A co-operative educational system is just fine, as long as each parent has the option to withdraw their children from it.

Children should be educated in the principles of freedom, primarily by their parents and then by themselves. The government schools certainly have no interest in teaching them freedom.

Are comets and earthquakes more common nowadays? They must be because an illiterate native American is no rarity at all. What changed? Could it have something to do with the robot factories we call public schools?

Schools like these are found in your own library at home, not in some collection of government approved textbooks of PC indoctrination.