Joanna
----- Original Message ----- Who is writing what in this post?
Carrol
-----Original Message----- From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org] On Behalf Of 123hop at comcast.net Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 12:18 AM To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org Subject: [lbo-talk] The vicious thing....
"-- the braindead, Reagan-style anecdotes which repackage viciousness as common sense, the rebranding of cruelty as competitiveness."
OK. That's too good. I might have to steal it. And, of course, I know exactly what you mean. I think the deeper problem lies in the fact that we live in a world where "common sense" is vicious. I will be meditating on this for a while. If you have more to add, please do.
"what was most revolting was the barely-concealed hatred of critical reflection and thinking. There wasn't one iota of a love of learning or ideas, or of that unquantifiable magic of teaching -- those moments when even the least prepared of our students surprise us and surpass us."
Yes. I spent five years watching a magnificent teacher at work. This was Ronn Guidi, my daughter's ballet teacher and the founder/artistic director of Oakland Ballet. He was a mild-mannered man, passionate about dance, infinitely patient. Farthest thing from a ballet nazi you can imagine. The kids adored him. There was no dress code, people came to class in their jammies, students ranged in age from 5 to 82. But everybody killed themselves to do their best for him. And for each student, he somehow created a space in which they could grow into the best dancer they could be. He never threatened, never pressured.... Once in a while, he would smile and, as students got ready to do the next combination, he would say "Surprise me."
And they often did.
Joanna ---------------------------
But then it finally hit me: what got to me wasn't just the anti-intellectualism. It was the menacing note, the identification with imperial power. It was this creepy feeling that this is exactly the tone US soldiers use while reporting to their superiors on the latest colonial raid on some Pashtun village. Deep in the Empire's repressive political unconscious, American children are nothing but rebellious Arabs.
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