Most of us have served at least a l2 year prison sentence.
We have served time in many buildings under the watchful eyes of countless guards, each with their own
methods of keeping we prisoners in our seats, quiet and under control--all in the name of education.
I believe that it doesn't make much difference whether we served our time in the rigid German schools that not only produced Hitler, but a nation that followed him or a country club type school where everyone sat in circles around the "facilitator", called him/her by first name, cracked bubble gum, slouched in their seats, wore caps backwards and talked endlessly about democracy. In both cases, the medium is the message and the medium is a prison.
I believe that most people are so accustomed to having an authority figure hovering over them, that they look
at a school/prison atmosphere as normal and healthy, to where they would feel lost without it. When those
raised in this environment have some leadership role, they follow the authoritarian model that they have
been raised in. Where would they have experienced anything else?
Erich Fromm's, "Escape From Freedom" says it so well. Most escape freedom by going to authoritarian
institutions, such as churches, schools, governments and many social organizations, which will tell them what
to do.
It seems to me that as the gap between the rich and poor grows and the public becomes more fearful and
apathetic toward having any control over their situation, the wrong leadership, by coming up with the
right enemy/scapegoat, could cheer this nation into a frenzy and lead them in whatever insane direction,
much as Hitler did the Germans.
Dick Gallien
|
|