The Mumbo Jumbo of Teaching Comparative Political Systems?

I wrote about this earlier, but I had it rotting in my out tray, so here is goes. In PETIR editorial, The law minister suggested introducing “comparative political system in the classroom.” I am not going to mince my words here: to paraphrase, that’s just another way of saying, hey, we are losing ground here; market share is frittering away and a time will come will the edifice will simply come crashing down – so let’s just get them young when they’re still green shoots.

This latest mumbo jumbo by the law minister merely confirms my belief that ALL politicians are a homogenous class of bent snake oil artist whose only interest is to secure their interest at every cost and opportunity –just so we are all on the same page. I have nothing against “comparative political system” education per se – in fact, I happen to believe, its good stuff for students to know the difference between capitalism and communism along with why the shining path and Hezbollah seem to do nothing except lob rockets over the West bank in Israel . And if you read my recent essay here, I dont even believe Capitalism is Capitalism anymore! Here it is! 

How long can Singapore remain a welfare free state?

Coming back to the whole idea of Comparative political education. You know what? I really believe Political awareness is a good thing; if done properly, its as good as soul food, it can nourish understanding and that way if someone on TV tells you do give 10% of your earnings to build a shopping mall in the name of Jesus, armed with the right political thoughtware; you can just as well rightly, tell that con man to fuck himself! So lets be clear; I am all for political education and the whole process of understanding of the larger and broader world. I even believe it will help many to connect the dots to make sense of this messy world.

But where I disagree with the law minister is this sort of syllabus should NEVER be feature in the classrooms where the general audience happen to be kids – for one we all know their thumb drives stand at zero; for another they don’t even have squat in terms of life experience to compare and contrast what’s churned out, let alone begin to question the merits and pitfalls of a system (good or bad) – if the whole idea of the law minister is directed to the tertiary level where the subject matter at hand is directed to students who are studying economics, political science or pursuing a Phd in origami; then I say go for it, let it rip! But I draw the line on kiddies gaps only because however and whatever the form and shape of this so called comparative mumbo jumbo at the end of the day; it will ultimately end up like some fatuous blur, that will confuse rather than enlighten – raise more questions than answers. That’s one reason why I am against the whole idea state inspired education when its political in nature. It’s the same reason why we don’t allow tobacco firms to sell their cancer causing products without a stern warning from the surgeon general coupled with gruesome pictures of what can go wrong if you keep on puffing –

In truth the gaps are way too narrow already, clustering politics or for that matter products and services with kids can only lead to the fine line where one day we wouldn’t even be able to distinguish indoctrination with reality; its bad enough that the marketing manifesto is already pursuing this ideal in earnest – don’t believe; go to your local golden arches and what do you see; play pens; fridge magnet trinkets – this is what happens when the line between products and reality is blurred its disturbing because what it does is lull us all into the false belief; this is a great family locale; somewhere to dump the kiddies so that I can go off for a spot of shopping and still feel completely safe that all is well. Never mind that your kids are munching on artery clogging beef patties that I wouldn’t even consider feeding to my dogs; never mind that super sizing is just another gimmick to promote an obesity inducing food – I am sure all these facts can be leeched out with rounded corners and pastel colors just to give one that balmy feeling, “we are safe!” Truth remains just like political education to kiddies and junk food– most of the bad stuff have been virtually unreported.

The media doesn’t expose the scam – why because these guys are one of their biggest advertisers. So in the final analysis; it all boils down to you; the parent, to winnow the good from the bad and there’s no better way to start exposing the facts corrosive political education in whatever guise it may be couched in by just working through the why’s, how along with what may be the pitfalls. This is serious stuff – although I suspect hardly anyone knows it just yet. To most people, this whole idea of political comparative education sounds benign enough. There’s just one problem. It’s a fantasy. And a dangerous one at that – But none of this is explained to parents. Instead, the media colludes in the slick presentation of the law minister as if he is offering a prescriptive cure for our times and its all done in the name of preserving the collective good. Call it what you want, minor tinkering; but my take is if it goes wrong even with the best intentions; the consequential effects will be long term. These days if you think things are tough, that’s like bitching about having to queue up from time to time at the ATM for the world’s most confused auntie who has forgotten her key in numbers – in the future; things are going to be maybe 10 or 20 times tougher for them; they need to compete against the world; they need to be able to see the big-picture if they stand any chance of crafting a solution and to do all these things – it’s not enough for them to just think critically; they need to think laterally as well just to get in the bread queue – so all this tinkering with kiddies should just stop; if a political wants to perpetuate their class politics do it outside the classroom; if they can’t seem to find the imagination to prosper online to win the hearts and minds game do it outside the classroom; if they want to cling on to power at every cost and everything; go ahead and do it; but leave outside the classroom. In short education and politics is like poison; they should be kept separate always – the pay out’s just dont square off with the exhorbitant cost if we get it wrong.

Kids should be left alone.

 Darkness 2010

(Due to the prohibition on Darkness and his renegade crew – the Council of the Wise has issued an all points bulletins to bar this essay from The Strangelands / you can still read the same essay in Ekunaba, Phi Beta Kappa and please circulate it through the love story division of the Brotherhood Press currently administered by Aurora; she will help you to find these reads – we will get our message through – as the brotherhood says: we go where no minds dares to go! – this message has been issued by the ICG Interplanetary Communication Guild – we have received information even the Confederation has issued out a all points bar on Darkness & Company; he is officially a criminal – this is a public service announcement by the ICG / Pls note: the ICG flies the Free French Flag; we have been assured protection by the Francois and his team -so any attack on the ICG will be in direct contravention of the Free Interspacing Communication Sheild Pact 78303)

N.B DO BOOKMARK THIS SITE, IF SOME OF YOU CLAIM, YOU ARE MISSING OUT, BOOKMARK IT, THAT WAY WHEN WE DECIDE TO TAKE OFF SOMEWHERE ELSE, AT LEAST YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO CONT READING SOME OF OUR STUFF . BOOKMARK, IT AS WHEN THEY TAKE OFF, AS THEY DO, AT LEAST, YOU WILL HAVE A LINK, DO IT NOW!– ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO BOOKMARK THIS SITE IS THIS HAS HAPPENED  RECENTLY – http://singaporedaily.net/2010/01/11/daily-sg-11-jan-2010/#comment-7611 , THE BP HAS BARRED ALL FUTURE ESSAYS TO BE POSTED BY THE SINGAPORE DAILY. I DID ASK BABY DARKNESS ABOUT THIS AND THIS IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY, ” There are two ways to read, one is you let someone spoon feed you like a baby. The second is you choose what and how you want to eat.  Remember, if your body is a temple. Your mind has to be the altar piece; it’s the linchpin that makes possible the grand idea of La Convivencia with you and your community, spirit, mind and perhaps 7 million other things– without this one thing, the power to choose, you are simply a cactus on a window sill! 

So understand this little rich girl, there is reading and there is reading, there is a world of difference, if you dont even bother to argue with the belief, you are what you eat. Then you would have absolutely no problem understanding – why, you are most definitely without a shadow of doubt what you read and dont read.

You can certainly categorize what I write, but you have no right to judge ……that was what Singaporedaily did – a broad line has to be drawn, otherwise, dont be surprise, if someone decides its card blanche to give you and me the mushroom treatment, “feed you shit and keep you in the dark.” So this has nothing to do with Anime 3 and her rubberband brigade. I value her readership and support, but this is a bigger sphere we are dealing with here – so this is where I will draw the line…it will hurt…like that other fake site, Temasek review that kept faking doss attacks; but how could they let the real wolf out without first planting the idea in peoples mind, “if it can happen to me, it will also happen to you,” Think about it – they cried wolf – we helped, but this time, I am not going to stick my neck out for no one…its everyman for himself….I dont even care, if the whole house catches fire…call it tough love, but if you aren’t a hard man, then you shouldn’t be in the ring and that’s the only way to deal with people who cry wolf – dont worry dotty, the readers will eventually pick up the scent…they always do, you just wait and see, dont ever sweat the small stuff, life is too short – Darkness 2010……”Missy Dotty

Read the latest BP Essay published on the 14th January 2010

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