Forum Post: Occupy... Education?
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 30, 2011, 8:12 p.m. EST by HighSchooler00
(23)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I have read in various places that a good deal of OWS protesters are college students/graduates; I can see why. The job market is vicious, prejudiced, and generally very difficult to get into, even for the best. Those who were not born with God-given gifts will find it nearly impossible to remain employed fairly. It's all up to luck.
HOWEVER, what if an educational podcast was set up on this site by the various learned members of Occupy, or groups were formed to teach the more important points of various professions in the camps? Not only would this help the Occupy protesters get jobs when they succeed, but it would also be open to the 99%. Not only would this benefit the 99%, but it would also combat those who make it their life's work to spread mistruths and propaganda about Occupy.
Just an idea- HighSchooler00.
"The job market is vicious, prejudiced, and generally very difficult to get into, even for the best. Those who were not born with God-given gifts will find it nearly impossible to remain employed fairly. It's all up to luck."
listen, kid, whoever told you that is a bitter, full of shit asshole who hasn't met his or her own expectations of wild success.
it is not easy, and like everything in life, luck will play a role. but that doesn't mean it is how you described it. not even close.
also, the 99% idea is a myth. there are so many more groups than just the 99% of people who aren't in the 1% of income earners. I am not close to the 1%, but I am also not even close to the bottom 40%. and by that, I do not mean income, I mean all the things that allow one to earn better income. things idiots downplay like perseverance, confidence, hard work, intellectual curiosity, and emotional control.
if you are still in high school, don't let this left wing nonsense infect how you think. opportunities are boundless and you can be as successful as you want if you work for it (almost all the time).
Take, for instance, the teaching field. Everywhere you look, there's some lazy bum of a teacher who just wants to move up in the system. They're not there to educate, they're there because it's somewhere to be. Very difficult to become a teacher- I have heard this from now 3 different people, all of different political views. Connections are more important than they should be.
And yes, I'm aware that the 99% idea isn't totally true. A catchy slogan, yes. However, it gets the point across- the abolishing of corporate greed would benefit more than it would harm, thus the majority. It's Occupy's slogan, so I thought that it would be more in-tune with their message.
And slizzo, though I respect your posts and point of view, please don't insult the people who "told me that", as nobody did. That's me talking; I'm not a sock puppet. Sure, I used a hyperbole or two to get my point across, but the job market is absolutely not as fair as it could and should be.
Lastly, you didn't address my message of free education for the benefit of those not financially equipped for college- those who are in poverty cannot afford it without a scholarship. I would know. Thank you for not using offensive language; just because I'm a teen doesn't mean I support swearing like one.
teacher's unions have nearly ruined education and the profession. their top 3 priorities have to do with fundraising and the election of democrats. educating kids is something like 7 or 8 on their list. it is a shame.
"the abolishing of corporate greed would benefit more than it would harm" - I think you meant "excessive greed" because without a corporation's desire to make more profits, there would be much more harm than good. not even close, in fact.
"but the job market is absolutely not as fair as it could and should be" - that statement is debatable, but not unreasonable. your initial claim that "It's all up to luck." was not. if that was hyperbole, you went too far with it. why not be precise in expressing your ideas? one of the reasons this ows thing cannot be taken seriously is because of the overwhelming number of ridiculously absolute posts. if you see "All..." or "Every..." or "Not one..." you should know you're probably looking at some bullshit.
your podcast idea seems fine.
Very true. I've noticed a lot of absolutes, but I never really thought about them as people being serious; rather, I regarded them as people trying to make their points. Also, I concede the point that it's not all up to luck. That was a foolish thing to say in the first place.
And yes, I did mean "excessive greed". It's strange that one of man's greatest downfalls could drive him to succeed.
-edit- When I say, "very true", I meant with the absolutes.
"I've noticed a lot of absolutes, but I never really thought about them as people being serious; rather, I regarded them as people trying to make their points."
probably true, but if you are making a point that is worth making, there is no need to embellish it with overblown hyperbole and absolutist nonsense.
why erode the credibility at the same time the point is being made? seems counter-productive.
maybe it's that the point isn't worth making in the first place.
Perhaps. I'm sure that there are some out there like me, though, that just make honest mistakes.
[Removed]
I'm a college student now, but like in high school I can see some kids are working hard and others are having a good time and barely getting by. I've picked a major that provides a job skill, not some useless degree that's easy to get but no business wants. If I'm lucky because I believe I'm lucky and I'm going to keep at things until I get that job. I'd like to see pod casts of experiences, but like the posts here, some will be useless and be full of propaganda, not all, but some.
Yes, and without doubt the propaganda ones would do more harm than good. However, as long as there are people out there willing to share their learnings and experiences, than I think it might work. Does anybody know how to contact the runners of the sight? If nobody objects, I'll try and get in contact with them. So far, all I've seen is a press link.
No I didn't mean to dump on the ones I might think are bad, I'd look at all of them, just realize everybody bends the truth. This will get me all kinds of hate posts, but look at Maddow and Limbaugh, not going to get into who is good or bad, they both tell you only enough truth to make their point, it's human nature. Just have to be aware that everyone has a bias.
Sorry no idea who runs things.
Oops, sorry. Wasn't trying to come off defensive, I was agreeing with you. Ah well, perhaps somebody knows. Thanks for posting.
Our educational system is fucked.
Take history - it's a part of us, who we are and how we came to be what we are. We, this generation, owe it to the next to provide that information to them, so that they can see the patterns that exist in history and continue the journey of the human race into a future of peace and prosperity, a place where human dignity and human rights have real meaning and value.
Literature is a big part of that learning, of culture, of origin.
Math and Science - these too have history, and cultural roots, some of which impact political considerations of eons past. Issues such as earth is flat-ism are repeating themselves now. To know and understand one's history is to be armed with the knowledge of how things may be shaped today, and to what end.
Math and science are the foundation of civilization - without them we cannot maintain all we have built.
That we place the next generation in bondage while we meet our own obligation to them - is surreal and absurd, some abstract rendering of Dante's deepest circle rendered whole upon the canvas of life.
And so it is true - the whole world has gone mad . . . .
It will take some time, but perhaps together we can make a difference.
.
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Oh wait - was this the wrong thread?
Might be, but it doesn't matter. It's a good post, and even if you didn't mean it to be for this thread it's relevant and good point.
"That we place the next generation in bondage while we meet our own obligation to them - is surreal and absurd, some abstract rendering of Dante's deepest circle rendered whole upon the canvas of life."
Couldn't have put it better myself. I think the Native Americans had a good philosophy- "We're borrowing the Earth from our children, so treat it respectfully." It's a shame that we didn't listen when we had the chance. Maybe you're right; maybe we can make a difference. And that's what Occupy's trying to do, I guess.
When this nation was born we were given a gift, a promise, by contract. That contract - our Constitution - recognizes that we do have certain inalienable rights. In many ways it was a promise then that remains unrealized to this day.
We have yet to achieve that measure of fairness from our society to each individual, and there are those with every generation it seems, who would seek to tip the balance in their own favor.
I guess that's what America is going through right now- though their intentions were noble (or perhaps not malicious), the ill-conceived acts of 50-some years ago have made modern life much more precarious. Good comment on the Constitution, by the way.
what needs to happen is we need to point out that you are not in a school, you are in a jail for kids. They don't teach you, they indoctrinate and control you. They don't use educational methods to do this, they use power and control mechanisms to do this. they aren't trying to educate, and the end product is not an education. What needs to happen is we need to show that there are better methods and processes, and better ways to educate, we can employ modern teaching methods instead of using methods archaic for two centuries. Occupy education is a good idea for reasons you probably don't know about, including the simple fact that what we have now is a dumble downed control system, not an educational system. We need to get to work on the assorted sciences, and we need to build a knowledge base thats not attached to and a tool of propaganda.
http://occupythiswiki.org/wiki/Education_Reform
Maybe I was lucky, I had good teachers that helped me learn to question things. There were kids at school too that only came because they had to, they never gave it much effort, that was their choice. Whatever your idea is for education, what are you doing to make it happen? Too many people stop once they just say an idea.
Actually, I've noticed that too. I forget which country it was, but it was one of the modern 1st world countries; I think it may have been Japan. Anyway, they supposedly give less education in needless fields, like music for an engineer, or art for a teacher. Nor do I imagine that they've cut teacher pay so much.
When you're referring to the control system, are you talking about the rigid, inflexible learning environment present in most schools? Do elaborate- I plan to be a teacher (of a sort) eventually, so this kind of thing is important. Perhaps I can do some good in the world by positively influencing the next generation. Also, what do you mean by "ways I probably don't know about"? I really would like to know.
Thanks for the response.
-edit- I've seen evidence of the propaganda you mentioned first hand. My 8th grade textbook barely mentioned any of the US's failings; none of the various books have gone into detail about the shady politics that took place during the cold war. And nobody, not one person, has failed to give me a funny "What are you on, and where can I get some?" look when I mention that what the US is doing now isn't the only way forward.
peel back the veil and everywhere you look in every place and way and space and discipline and city muni code they are crooked through and through in every last detail and lying and spinning and dumble downing the public. Sociology makes both political parties obsolete. Civil Engineering same thing. Political science would tell us that both parties are actually social parasites and that the USA is a fascist corporate oligarchy using "capitalism" and the vestigal organs of "democracy" in a make believe rigged casino con game scam caste system.
the TRUTH is more than the republicans or democrats could bear, it strikes them down like lightning time and time again.. IF you know what the truth IS.
http://occupythiswiki.org/wiki/Paradigm_Shifts;_How_they_Work,_What_makes_them_tick,_and_how_to_make_one_happen_now.