🚀 go-pugleaf

George W. Bush versus Education
There has probably never been a more stupid United States pResident. Bush
bragged about being a C student. He calls Greeks "Grecians" and said he was
happy to be in "Jolly old Ireland"-while visiting England.

Bush's knowledge of the environment is pretty much limited to his belief
that people can coexist with fish-if they can survive Dubya's war against
the environment. Government officials of other nations have publicly called
Bush a moron, though the White House generally manages to force an apology.

Ironically, Bush's legendary stupidity may be his most endearing
characteristic. It has spawned countless jokes, comedy skits and even books
about "Bushisms." I certainly can't think of anything else associated with
Il Dunce that is funny.

But the humorous aspect of Bush's stupidity is lost on the millions of
children trapped in America's derelict public schools, most of which have
been privatized behind the public's back. For generations, America's schools
were parasitized by corrupt Democrats and teachers unions using tactics
strikingly similar to those employed by Dubya.

While Bush's bogeyman is foreign terrorists, Democrats and teachers unions
warned teachers and parents that they'd better support Democrats and
teachers unions-OR THE CONSERVATIVE HORDES WOULD GET THEM.

Fort Demopublican
I like to think of public education as a fortress being devoured by termites
while wolves circle in the surrounding forest. The wolves are conservatives,
waiting for an opportunity to force schools to post the Ten Commandments and
turn children into market shares. The termites are the liberals that have
long been destroying public schools from within.

Just as Democrats have generally supported George W. Bush's war against
terrorism, so have they supported his war against education. The National
Education Association has publicly challenged some of Bush's policies, but
the NEA never walks its talk. Frainkly, I suspect the NEA's criticism is
merely propaganda, designed to make the public think that America's biggest
former teachers union is still fighting the good fight-a fight it apparently
lost interest in more than a decade ago.

Public education is a keystone issue. It's a perennial favorite campaign
issue, probably ranking among the three top issues more frequently than any
other issue. Every president wants to be the EDUCATION PRESIDENT, every
governor the EDUCTION GOVERNOR. All political candidates want to be seen
hugging children as they spout their boilerplate rhetoric about how much
they love kids or want to spend more money on schools, blah, blah, blah. Yet
candidates who talk about protecting education funds from corrupt elements
are as rare as George W. Bush's good deeds.

The #1 Issue?
Education may also be America's biggest scandal. Corruption is rampant in
America's public schools. It's so pervasive and the scandals so enormous
that many people can't even believe the truth when they hear it. People just
assume that an institution as important and sacred as education must be in
good hands.

Education is also the great equalizer. Though Republicans may be the biggest
threat, Democrats are also pros at exploiting education. Even Ralph Nader
apparently doesn't have a clue about education; his presidential campaign
education statement sounded like something he borrowed from a Democrat.

When I discovered that an organization headed by Ralph Nader presented an
award to the corrupt Seattle School Board, I did some research and concluded
that Nader is a member of the Education Mafia. That explains why he has
never said anything negative about Green Party of Seattle operative Brita
Butler-Wall, whose education crusade is one of the biggest jokes in town.

Corporate Games
Like a cartoon character who saws off the branch he's standing on, liberals
warned of the evils of privatizing education while they were privatized
behind their backs. That's right-corporations now control public education.
Any teacher or parent who thinks they have a say in school policy should try
to fix the system. Can you even make your voice heard?

Corporations were behind Bill Clinton's sinister Goals 2000, which led us to
George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. I prefer to call it the No Child
Left ALIVE Act.

Computer technology and fantastic wealth makes Bill Gates one of public-er,
privatized-education. His partner in crime, Paul Allen, bankrolled a charter
school initiative in Washington State in 2000. Though I support school
choice in principle, I do not support it when it's manipulated by corporate
scum.

In 1995, Big Business recruited a derelict retired general (and friend of
Colin Powell) named John Stanford to accelerate the privatization of Seattle
's public schools. Stanford spit in the public's face and ruined some of
Seattle's biggest schools while the Seattle Times-which endorsed George W.
Bush-and other corporate media praised him as a god. Never had Seattle seen
such bizarre press.

Stanford was apparently being groomed for a position as U.S. Secretary of
Education. He spokle at a Democratic naional convention, and Al Gore wrote
the foreword to Stanford's amazingly lame book, which was published and
publicized at the very time Gore climbed Mt. Rainier during his presidential
campaign. It was a sensational publicity stunt, but Republicans didn't
publicize it-because they're in bed with the Education Mafia, too.

Can you imagine a better choice for George Bush's Secretary of Education
than John Stanford, who claimed to be apolitical? He was a retired general
who was supported by Colin Powell. Like Powell, he was also an Uncle Tom-an
African American who does the bidding of the white plantation owners.

But Stanford died of leukemia, and Bush appointed another token black from
another school district (Houston) as America's Secretary of Education.
Stanford was replaced by Joseph Olchefske, a derelict white superintendent
who followed George Bush's lead by using the Attack on America as an excuse
to exploit children even more ruthlessly. Olchefske is also reportedly being
considered for a position in Washington, D.C., which is a magnet for corrupt
school officials from across America.

The #1 Defense?
Education is a bleeding wound, but it could also be our best defense against
corporate tyranny. After all, parents still have a duty and a right to
defend their children. If millions of parents across America gave George
Bush the middle finger and refused to allow their kids to submit to
high-stakes tests, what could Bush do? In fact, teachers could turn America
upside down if they just put their feet down and refused to go along with
Big Business as usual.

Public-corporate education is also a powder keg, a colossal web of monstrous
scandals that could explode if people began investigating, publicizing
and-most important of all-caring about them.

But anyone who wants to fight the Education Mafia needs to distance
themselves from all major political parties, because they all have their
faces buried in the trough. Learn the shocking truth about education, along
with strategies for fighting back, at Education Revolt!