Melissa Benn's article in the Guardian illustrates one of the key obsessions in socialist thinking (if that ain't an oxymoron): the gap. In this case it's the gap between the education on offer at the top, fee-paying schools and that available at the bog-standard state comprehensives.
As usual you get the clear impression that what bothers her is not the disaster of state-run schools, but that some lucky bastards, due to accident of birth, escape from the socialist cesspit. If only, she opines, everybody could be equally fucked up by the lunatic fabian brainwash, no one would notice how bad it is.
As usual you get the clear impression that what bothers her is not the disaster of state-run schools, but that some lucky bastards, due to accident of birth, escape from the socialist cesspit. If only, she opines, everybody could be equally fucked up by the lunatic fabian brainwash, no one would notice how bad it is.
7 comments:
One thing that never gets reported on with the education debate when it involves the poor schools and the rich schools is parental involvement.
When I was at school one of my mother's side-jobs was organising fundraising drives at schools. And the thing that surprised her was the it was the richer schools that got behind these drives, volunteered their time for school fairs and got involved with school life thereby giving the school a personal identity.
On the other hand, many of the parents at the state-run schools had no interest in helping out and didn't see why they should contribute at all to their child's schooling experience.
The Guardianistas always like to promote our differences but seem to think that everyone cares the same about education. Sad as it is, there are parents (or more realistically, mothers and grandmothers) who see no benefit in education. But why would they when we live in a country where you're charged for higher education but rewarded for having a stranger blow up your hole without a condom.
If you hand a one time only magic wand, one end of which would divide the entire country's wealth up equally between everybody, and the other end of which would double the wealth each individual holds right now, you can always trust a socialist blow the opportunity to improve everybody's lot and to wave the first end instead.
HS,
the leftists scorn such 'middle class' activity, and feel guilty when they do it.
AE,
that's a strange conundrum. I think it might be quite fun to equalise everything and see how long before we get back to good old inequality.
Nobody will notice how bad it is because they'll have been taught not to. That's the idea, I think.
Angy Exile - don't wave that double-your-wealth wand yet. Wait until I've got some.
I think it might be quite fun to equalise everything and see how long before we get back to good old inequality.
Yes, it'd only be a matter of time, wouldn't it? And that's what socialists will never let themselves think.
Leg-iron, er... maybe it would make you write twice as quickly and your ideas for a dystopian near-future wouldn't keep getting overtaken by reality :-D
TT "I think it might be quite fun to equalise everything and see how long before we get back to good old inequality"
About ten minutes or so.
Politicians aside, and those who make their livings of the crumbs and those born to better parents, we are more or less as our talent, and ability suggests.
A small wager with anyone who cares to bet? My son (who is two) will absolutely graduate from an Oxford college in 2029. A bottle of chateau Margaux if I am right, a case if I am wrong. Any takers?
Thus better parents.
And whilst I am on the subject, Melissa Benn, kinda, er, no.... really
Honestly
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