By: Gary D. Barnett
“Freedom means freedom from forces and circumstances which would turn man into a thing, which would impose on man the passivity and predictability of matter. By this test, absolute power is the manifestation most inimical to human uniqueness. Absolute power wants to turn people into malleable clay.”
Author: Eric Hoffer
Many wonder why things are as they are today, why unique and sovereign individuals gather in large groups en masse, (as one) why they seek and embrace the herd mentality, and why they demand a dominate government, when this behavior can only lead to a loss of identity and an elimination of all critical thought. This does not happen due to a lack of intellect, it does not happen because of any intentional desire for one to destroy his own free will, it is the result of purposeful long-term planning on the part of the ruling class, and the voluntary acceptance of dependency by the masses. This technique, is in essence, the use of people as chattel, little different than that of animals, by the select few in society whose aim is to control all others. It is humans using and abusing humans as a matter of policy. This is why the (State) government schooling system was created in the first place, and in today’s highly technological environment, this designed experiment is proving its worth to the evil ‘elites,’ and their controlled pawns in government.
None of this, as mentioned above, was or is accidental in any regard, as allowing the general populace to remain self-reliant, entrepreneurial, self-sufficient, and fully literate, is anathema to the authoritative element of society, and is considered by the powerful ‘elites’ a deadly weapon against their rule and domination. The elimination of the individual in favor of the lie that is the ‘common good,’ the dumbing down and indoctrination of each generation of children from infancy to adult by structured intellectual obsolescence, and the propagandizing and promotion of a general attitude of non-existent ‘equality’ and entitlement, leads directly to dependence on the State.
To examine our distant past, is to walk in a world that is completely opposite of this totalitarian hell-hole that is America today; an America that has been voluntarily surrendered to the few. This is due to a total breakdown of the individual in society, replaced by cogs in a machine of scared, non-thinking, dependent, conforming, lost souls, hiding in a collective mass of confused people without purpose. This once society of independent free men has allowed others to control their lives, instead of accepting themselves, and pursuing life as a confident individual. This has happened because most have turned over their children to a government system bent on destroying their drive, their individual talents, and their unique abilities to live, grow, prosper, and follow their own path, without resistance from any illegitimate authority; especially given the harm caused by the heinous ‘public’ (government) schooling system.
According to research confirmed by The Columbian Phenix and Boston Review in 1800, “no country on the face of the earth can boast of a larger proportion of inhabitants, versed in the rudiments of science, or fewer, who are not able to read and write their names, than the United States of America. Literacy had been an obsession in America since as early as 1642. In Massachusetts, children were to be able to read and understand the principles of religion and capital laws of the country at this time. Thomas Jefferson even stated in the 1770s: “Those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny; and it is believed that the most effectual means of preventing this would be, to illuminate, as far as practicable, the minds of the people at large.”
During much of the 18th, and throughout the 19th century, literacy was nearly universal in this country, but there is much more to this story. Basic literacy, reading, is one thing, but knowledgeable and active literacy is a different matter. In the past basic literacy was only the beginning, as gaining great knowledge, having the ability to communicate with others intelligently in conversation, and being able to write and successfully present thoughts and information, was common. Even with this advanced society of the time, much more was required in order to remain free and prosperous. That was the independent spirit of the individual, entrepreneurial drive, self-reliance, and a high degree of confidence.
Most all desired to work for themselves, own their own businesses, and even if one began work as an apprentice or not, he wanted to use all knowledge and assets gained in order to soon work for himself. Most all businesses were small and private long ago, including of course the massive number of small farms, and interest in working at a ‘job’ for someone else was rarely considered. The horrendous corporatism of America changed all that, and for it to be successful for the corporate class moguls, and the new massive government, the dumbing down of society was necessary. And what more perfect solution could there be to indoctrinate an entire society than a prison-like existence, brainwashing, and obedience training centers called ‘public’ (government) schools?
Now literacy took on a whole new meaning, as a high percentage would still be ‘literate,’ (could read) but only enough to be able to understand their orders, not to be intellectually awake, and able to discuss the important matters of a dissenting society, but simply a large body of drones doing the work of their masters instead of working for themselves. This is the America of today, one of weakness, compliance, nationalism, and State worship; all living under tyranny, instead of a society made up of intelligent, happy, and moral citizens, entrepreneurs, critical thinkers, and dissenters.
So long as people continue to expect government to give them things at the expense of others, so long as they think of government ‘welfare’ as a right, so long as they expect to be protected or enriched by government laws and policies, so long as the masses look to the collective herd instead of self, so long as this population continues to ‘vote’ and accept their political masters, and so long as people do not become fully independent, self-responsible individuals, the State will rule, and the people will be condemned to slavery.
The total negation or elimination of the State, along with its heinous institutions, would go a long way toward allowing people to once again embrace the idea of the individual, critical thinking, self-determination, independent existence, and regain the freedom they have lost.
“Independent study, community service, adventures and experience, large doses of privacy and solitude, a thousand different apprenticeships — the one-day variety or longer — these are all powerful, cheap, and effective ways to start a real reform of schooling. But no large-scale reform is ever going to work to repair our damaged children and our damaged society until we force open the idea of “school” to include family as the main engine of education. If we use schooling to break children away from parents — and make no mistake, that has been the central function of schools since John Cotton announced it as the purpose of the Bay Colony schools in 1650 and Horace Mann announced it as the purpose of Massachusetts schools in 1850 — we’re going to continue to have the horror show we have right now.”
~ John Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
Reference links:
The Ultimate History Lesson–John Taylor Gatto and Richard Grove
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2023 GaryDBarnett.com
Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.