My libertarian ears always perk up when I come across one of our long-time talking points from a "mainstream media" outlet where I wouldn't normally expect to find it ... especially when the talking point is treated seriously instead of just being thrown out there as red meat for ridicule.
Today's instance of that comes from The Atlantic, a fairly "progressive" publication. Today's episode of its "Good On Paper" podcast is titled "The Dark History Behind Public Education" at the publication's web site and "The Real Origins of Public Education" at Youtube.
Pull quote from professor Agustina Paglayan, the episode's guest:
The expansion of primary education in the West was driven not by democratic ideals, but by the state’s desire to control citizens .... And to control them by targeting children at an age when they are very young and susceptible to external influence and to teach them at that young age that it’s good to respect rules, that it’s good to respect authority.
Wow!
The Atlantic is the kind of publication where I expect to come across talking points about e.g. "defending PUBLIC EDUCATION, the PILLAR of our democracy, from the RAVAGES of even mild reforms like charter schools, FOR THE CHILLLLLLLDREN," not someone at least mildly channeling John Holt or John Paul Gatto.
Is this a first sign of the piss-poor excuse for a mainstream "left" in American politics starting to reconsider its attachment to government day prisons ... er, daycare centers ... er, "schools?"
