[Magdalen] Trump, education and children

[Sally Davies]

So important to hold in mind, Jim. When I think how many times I heard our
President Zuma dismissed as a crass, socially skilled but intellectually
challenged hick from the backwoods of Natal...greedy yes, but a man that
can be controlled by rational interests. Not like his predecessor who
over-thought everything and was impervious to facts once he'd made up his
mind...

For sure, Zuma thinks differently to those with a privileged education. No
doubt about it, his values are distinctly illiberal, though shared with
more people than city liberals would like to imagine. His strategies
embrace both Zulu military tradition and the strategies of modern
terrorism, oops, I mean "freedom fighting".

He shares the Trump habit of saying what people around him want to hear
whilst keeping his own thoughts to himself.

But that doesn't make him a dummy, it actually makes him a dangerous
unpredictable enemy. Even now, clinging to the last shred of what's left of
our constitutional Presidency, he's firmly focused on the people who won't
go against him - the poorly educated rural constituency who will always
give him and his party the benefit of the doubt because they never
considered anything else; and the people he put in power, who owe him and
fear exposure just as much as he does.

Trump made what money he made for himself, by marketing things that no one
had previously thought needed marketing - buildings - and he did it by
turning himself into a brand. A fairly unique approach that doesn't seem to
work for anyone else - except perhaps on a smaller scale the Paris Hiltons
and Kardashians who become famous for being famous without actually doing
anything fame worthy.

Our experience in South Africa suggests that those people who are saying
he's preferable to Ted Cruz because Cruz is a fanatic, couoldn't be more
wrong. Mbeki was a fanatic, but who's done the most damage to the fabric of
our democracy? Who's subjected every institution of democracy and the State
to "capture" by venal interests and corrupt people?

Our Constitution is very young compared to that of the USA but it was and
is widely admired. The threat against it is Majoritarianism within a party
that doesn't allow individuals to think for themselves and in which
disagreement is seen as disloyalty.

I'm depressed but not surprised at Grace's comments on her experiences of
the US education system. It seems that when Mrs Thatcher, that great friend
of Ronald Reagan, said "There is no such thing as society", she offered a
(bleak) vision of the future under policies like hers, rather than a
statement of contemporary or general fact.

I do however place hope in young people, that enough of them around the
world do want to be part of a society and a planet capable of working
together to make things better. That's why I'm dreaming of a "Children's
Crusade" against Trump and everything he stands for. They're the one social
group he won't be able to belittle or demean!!

Sally D





On Sunday, 03 April 2016, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:

> The classic mistake is assuming someone you dislike acutely is a dummy.
> Underestimating someone is essentially the same as being overconfident, and
> that's how people get killed. Just sayin'
>
> I suggest we not be overconfident, because the presidency is at stake. But
> then, what do I know?
>
>
>
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
>
> On Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 2:12 PM, Christopher Hart <cervus51 at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
> > Maybe not, but that degree doesn't prove that he knows squat about
> > government or foreign policy.
> >
> > On Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 2:06 PM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
> > oppenheimerjw at gmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > > He has a graduate degree in business. A dummy he ain't.
> > >
> > > James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> > > *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not
> preserved,
> > > except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
> > >
> > > On Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 3:49 AM, Sally Davies <sally.davies at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > My question: Is he in fact "uneducated" himself and literally unaware
> > of
> > > > either facts or ethical issues or even political sensitivities;  or
> is
> > he
> > > > making a cynical and deliberate appeal to the millions of citizens
> who
> > > do,
> > > > genuinely, appear to be uneducated and ignorant and frandly
> malevolent?
> > > >
> > > > Education was a key "old liberal" value, then the money people came
> in
> > > and
> > > > over my lifetime I've seen it become more and more vocationally
> driven.
> > > At
> > > > the same time the social status of teachers has been massively
> degraded
> > > > (along with their real salaries and benefits), and educational
> systems
> > > have
> > > > been required to do more with less. Higher education has not become
> > more
> > > > accessible, in fact it seems that it's been rolled back in every way
> > > > intellectually and financially.
> > > >
> > > > The USA may be a particularly egregious example, but it seems to me
> > that
> > > > every industrial country now has an enormous, angry, ill
> > > > educated rent-a-mob; uncomfortably reminiscent of the former
> > > > Austro-Hungarian empire in the years between the world wars, or
> France
> > > > before the Revolution. Except that this bigoted, hateful and ignorant
> > Vox
> > > > Populi is more easily expressed and extended via social media.
> > > >
> > > > I've read that children in America are being deeply affected by
> Trump's
> > > > shenanigans (and maybe the other republican candidates as well to the
> > > > extent that they espouse bigoted or cruel opinions);  and it's
> > > interesting
> > > > to me to watch my own childrens' reactions to him - as they like kids
> > all
> > > > over the world spend a lot of time online and the online world is
> > > dominated
> > > > by the USA, so to them Trump is a very real and horrifying figure.
> > > >
> > > > Our youth minister was recently on a tour with a group of
> Evangelical,
> > > but
> > > > indisputably well educated Americans; some of whom, to her amazement,
> > > were
> > > > supporting Trump. So it'ss not as though all of his supporters are
> > > > uneducated, either theologically or in any other way.
> > > >
> > > > As for me, I don't know if I do believe in education as a foundation
> > for
> > > > social progress any more. Maybe too many people are just not capable
> of
> > > > benefiting from it...and those countries that have continued to
> invest
> > in
> > > > education and have achieved a higher standard, had much less economic
> > > > inequality to start with.
> > > >
> > > > Maybe we need to see a child-led campaign against Trump - let the
> > > children
> > > > speak and give us all the benefit of their honest, clear vision.
> > Though I
> > > > am heartened by recent reports that his ratings overall have slipped
> > far
> > > > behind both the Democratic candidates.
> > > >
> > > > Sally D
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Saturday, 02 April 2016, M J _Mike_ Logsdon <mjl at ix.netcom.com
> <javascript:;>>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > A political analyst a few minutes ago on Chris Hayes' show on MSNBC
> > > said
> > > > > something to the effect of, "I've followed presidential politics
> for
> > > five
> > > > > decades, and all during that time there has never, EVER, been a
> > > candidate
> > > > > -- and that includes Pat Paulsen's candidacy -- so positively
> > > uneducated
> > > > in
> > > > > regard to domestic and foreign policy as Donald Trump."
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Christopher Hart
> >
> > List Mail Address: cervus51 at gmail.com <javascript:;>
> > Personal Mail: cervus at veritasliberat.net <javascript:;>
> > Twitter: @cervus51
> >
>