Our education system is not overrun with bad teachers.  We do not have a bad teacher crisis.  Our problems stem from the fact that we are still running an industrial age education system, but we are no longer in the industrial age.  The rest of the world, that is far surpassing us, has geared their education to the technical age.  They understand a need for highly educated scientist and engineers.  We produce mostly high school drop outs, service sector folks, and all the money is made in the financial markets. 

This teacher bashing is just another way for the rich and powerful to keep the focus off of them.  Our failures in society stem from the inability of our supposed "leaders" to do any actual leading.  We stopped electing people with intelligence, compassion, broad worldviews, and a forward thinking philosophy.  Instead we have a bunch of greedy self important worthless figureheads, who couldn't solve a problem if their life depended on it. 

The progressives have lost their hope, and have stopped voting.  After the Democrats sold out to the very same corporate interest as the Republicans, there stopped being any real change.  Now we just have two parties that are essentially the same.  So all of our crises remain in crisis, and they continue to try and keep us fighting amongst each other.

The reason are country is in shambles, and a great deal many of us are struggling even when we have jobs has nothing absolutley nothing to do with teachers unions.  The top education system in the western world is 100% unionized.  Stop blaming the teachers and look to where the real culprits are.  All the people, who still have tons of money, even though we had a supposed financial crisis.   They are cutting jobs and cutting essential programs, yet corporations and Wall Street are doing great. 

Before the 1980s, working and middle class Americans were well compensated for their work, and they had pretty decent benefits.  The country was actually doing quite well.  Then over the course of these last three decades, things began to change.  The middle class began to shrink, and poverty began to rise.  Good paying jobs began to disappear to be replaced with minimum wage jobs.  The countries wealth began to concentrate back at the top similar to the pre-depression era known as the Guilded Age.  We began to see quite the dehumanization of the poor, and now teachers are being demonized. 

Divide and conquer is the tact of oppressors.  It would do us all some good if everyone would just read up on their history, and not the version of history that comes from people with an agenda.  Like conservatives and libertarian "historians", who completely brush over just how crappy things were before FDR, and just how great they were for the people.  That is what this is all about.  It is about the people.  Those of us who make the country run.  The ones who fight the wars, police the streets, put out the fires, teach the kids, make the sales, build the products, cook the food, grow the food, stock the store shelves, and all the other tasks required to keep the economy running so that others can enjoy the profits.  

We need to be looking at the bigger picture, and paying attention to the rampant corruption across the country.  Politicians, judges, and regulatory agents are all being bought and paid for by the wealthy elite.  When that happens there is no real freedom for us, and no real democracy.  That is the way the county operated all the way up until around the time of the New Deal.  That is when the government really started protecting the people.  When the politicians began undoing the framework of our economic security, that is when it all began to fall apart. 

Sometimes the wealthy and powerful get greedy, and they attempt of control the masses.  This is one of those times, and we need to stop falling for it.  We need to band together.  The financial regulations, that stabilized the economy and prevented the devastating boom and bust cycles, need to be returned.  We need jobs with livable wages, and we need a competitive education system.  Most importantly, we need to kick corporate interest out of politics, and off of regulatory commissions. 
What we do not need is more privatization and deregulation.  If we continue down this path, things will only get worse, as they have been for the last three decades.

Where Have All The Good Men Gone?

There are so many problems, and yet no one is addressing them.  Beyond just our immediate economic issues, which are about to be made worse from rising gas prices that will drive up food prices, there are huge global issues that we need to consider.  We need leadership that is willing to step up, and start us back on the path of success.  Even China is working towards energy independence.  They know that we need to get to the point where we can run the world on renewable energy.  

All of our politicians are nothing more than self-absorbed narcissist.  They aren't doing anything that is good for the people or good for the world.  Gone are the days when we had forward thinking men who would step up to the challenge of moving America closer and closer to perfection.  The world is changing and we can either change with it or we can be left behind.  There is something almost magical that happens with people when they receive a liberal education.  Access to worldly knowledge makes you a better human being.  The more people we educate the better we make society.  If we add other securities such as gainful employment, living wages, affordable food and housing, health care, and other safety nets, then we can truly move closer to a peaceful world.   This is something FDR knew. 

From FDR's 1944 State of the Union Address:

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights -- among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty. We have come to a clearer realization of the fact, however, that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. "Necessitous men are not free men." People who are hungry, people who are out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a Second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all -- regardless of station, or race, or creed. Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries, or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of farmers to raise and sell their products at a return which will give them and their families a decent living;

The right of every business man, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, and sickness, and accident and unemployment;

And finally, the right to a good education.

Another interesting tidbit of American history is that I think coincides with this: in the Federalist Paper No. 84, Hamilton actually argues against putting the Bill of Rights into the Constitution.  He felt that it would be interpreted as the only rights that people have.  It seems perhaps they should have heeded his warning.  Today, a large portion of the society would like to take us backward to the "Guilded Age" in which only the wealthy had a chance at success.  A time of lax regulations and no organized labor.   

The progressive vision is lost from American politics.  No one is looking into the future, or preparing for the inevitable.  Our society has become a man eat man world with little concern for the ramifications of our actions.  We have lost our compassion and humanity.  Instead of working towards creating systems that reach the most amount of people, we blame the have-nots for their lot in life.  Without really looking at the bigger picture.  We value money over compassion for our fellow man.  I hope that in the wake of this crisis that tomorrow's leaders will step up, and bring some humanity back to governance.

A response to a ant-union argument.

The Unions are not necessary.  We have laws in place now to protect workers. 

We also used to have strong financial regulations that protected and stabilized our economy.  We had a fair and equitable system in which hard work was rewarded.  That didn't stop the Republicans from tearing down that model, and leading us to this disaster we face today.  Then the Democrats decided if you can't beat them join them.  Now we have a government that works for the best interest of the wealthy elite.  Feeding the people's heads full of empty promises and full out propaganda.

The unions keep wages competitive in both the private and public sector.  They are not the reason that state and local governments are broke.  We need to stop playing into their divide and conquer tactics.  The real crooks are the politicians and their wealthy friends. 

The Koch brothers have invested a whole lot of money into the campaigns of these union busters.  They have even got themselves a supreme court justice or two.  What do the Koch brothers want?  They want the freedom to pollute as much as they want, pay as little as they want, and not have to worry so much about such annoying things as worker safety.  They are true libertarians.  Here's a little insight into the Koch agenda.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all

What we have in our government now is an official corporate Oligarchy.  Notice that this recession is only really hurting us.  We bailed out Wall Street, and the wealthy are wealthier than ever. 
They owe no loyalty to America.  They only care about money and power.  If they ruin this nation, it doesn't matter they are already investing in the next big super power.  

We need to stop playing their game.  They want us to fight amongst each other.  Attack the unions, the immigrants, the poor, the youth, the liberals, the conservatives....scapegoat after scapegoat. 
The conservative propaganda machine is growing ever stronger with them now having NBC.  

For those who are interested, there is a social media movement brewing.  Come take part in the development of a new era of American progress.  It is time to take back what is rightfully ours.  It is time to put back in place a government that works for the people.
http://www.cognitivepolicyworks.com/handbook/

Demand Action Not Promises

We need a functional government.  One that can use science, philosophy, and history to restructure society.  We will not transition away from oil as long as there is money to be made in oil.  We don't need petroleum or coal as much as the owners of those commodities would like you to believe. 

Corporations are not the innovators.  It is scientist, inventors, and engineers who innovate and create.  They will do it no matter who is signing their pay checks.  If we are serious about moving forward technologically, then we need to stop kidding ourselves that these corporate conglomerates are going to do it. 

Some of our greatest technological advancements came from government organizations.  Computers, internet, the energy efficient LED, solar power, and a whole slew of other things were developed to fulfill needs of the government. 

Capitalism is very useful, but it really isn't working out well for us right now.  Supply side economics is only beneficial for the people who have control of the commodities.  It is actually really bad for small business, since huge corporations are the ones reaping the benefits.  It gives them even more power to squash the competition.  

The only ones really suffering in this recession are those of us in the bottom 80%.  While some of the top may have seen a small reduction in income, they still have more than enough money.  The rest of us have to survive on our monthly incomes, so when they are reduced or eliminated we have nothing. 

We have stopped working as a society and have moved towards an everyman for himself mentality.  The civilizations that work together are the ones who succeed.  If we are only concerned about the here and now, we will never fix the real problems that we face.  Our infrastructure is crumbling, our education system isn't competitive, our politicians are useless, the problems that caused the economic disaster weren't fixed, and we falling further and further behind.  

The Democrats and the Republicans care about one thing remaining in power.  Stop giving it to them.  Stop buying the bullshit they sell you.  They pit us against each other all the while they sell our country and its assets to the highest bidder.

Corporations were not driven out of the country, because of taxes or regulations.  They left because their only loyalty is to money. 

We need to work together not against each other if we want to make our county a better place for everyone.  We have to start thinking more long term. 

For anyone who is interested, there is a real movement brewing to undo the corporate Oligarchy, and put America back on the right track.  It is a movement of the people.  Let's capitalize on social media and spread the message.  Take part in the developing the progressive handbook that will shape this movement. 

http://www.cognitivepolicyworks.com/handbook/

Why I support the Wisconsin Democrats

They are doing their jobs. Like their fellow Republican senators, they are also elected by their constituents to represent them, and that is what they are doing. The unions already agreed to cover more of their own benefits and they have agreed to take a pay cut. It is the Republicans who are refusing to compromise.

Seriously, I am no more a fan of the Democratic party that has abandoned the people for the same lure of financial wealth, but at least these guys are attempting to protect the rights of people.

Are people really not aware that this entire issue happened because of deregulation coupled with deficit spending IE tax cuts and huge war budget? Our recession and deficits have absolutely nothing to do with unions, and everything to do with programs that actual redistribute wealth to the top 1%.

Wake up and pay attention to who is actually robbing the coffers. It isn't the teachers who, with their years of education, could certainly make more in the private sector. The minimum is a bachelors degree + certification program, but they are required to continue working towards their masters degree. They are not overpaid or over compensated for the level of education they receive. Year after year they must contend with budget shortfalls, and often spend much of their own money to provide supplies for their classrooms. The size of their classrooms continue to increase while parent participation decreases. They bare the burden of blame for a system that they actually have little to no control of. This is all scapegoating to keep your attention diverted. Why are we attacking teachers when they didn't crash the market or finance wars we couldn't pay for? They aren't awarding no-bid contracts to companies that they have stakes in. They didn't undo the post-depression regulations that led us to decades of stability, growth, and a strong middle class.