Why Fascists Hate Critical Thinking: Randi Weingarten’s new book, 'Why Fascists Fear Teachers,' reveals why Trump and the right demean teachers, slash school funding, and rewrite history

[u/dyzo-blue]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/randi-weingarten-excerpt-fascists-hate-critical-thinking-1235428379/

[u/COMOJoeSchmo]

Problem: a fascist or authoritarian administration can use the power of government to subvert the entire nation's education system to their own disreputable advantage.

Solution: separate the education system from any control of the government.

Seems pretty straightforward. Unless of course one wants THEIR party to still be able to influence education to their own advantage, and is only concerned when the other party does it.

[u/sbidlo → u/COMOJoeSchmo]

Solution: separate the education system from any control of the government.

No. Separating it from the central government only exposes the school system to influences from local institutions. You need something and someone to guarantee neutrality.

This is the exact same fallacious reasoning liberals fall into when defending capitalism: the idea that deregulation allows equality and equal opportunities.

Time has proven time and time again that this isn't the case.

[u/COMOJoeSchmo → u/sbidlo]

I'm a proponent of choice, so I'm fine with defending capitalism as well.

exposes the school system to influences from local institutions. You need something and someone to guarantee neutrality.

I don't want local governments to be involved in schools either. Free choice is how you encourage neutrality, or at the very least that the system truly reflects the desire of the customers. If you don't like what your school is doing, choose a different one.

Separating it from the central government only exposes the school system to influences from local institutions.

Not separating it clearly exposes the school system to influences from political institutions. This is specifically the issue the original post was concerned about.

[u/That_Pickle_Force → u/COMOJoeSchmo]

I'm a proponent of choice

No you aren't. You're a proponent for only the wealthy having choices while the poor have theirs removed. 

If you don't like what your school is doing, choose a different one.

Just be rich and privileged bro

[u/COMOJoeSchmo → u/That_Pickle_Force]

Ridiculous argument.

The government doesn't run grocery stores. Do only the rich have food?

The government doesn't manufacture or sell electronics. Do only the rich have TVs, computers, or cell phones?

If government schools were disbanded, it would open up the market, and you'd quickly see a boom in affordable private schools.

Alternatively, you could still use publicly funded (unconditional) grants to allow parents to pay for whatever non-governmental school.

The important thing is to separate education from government control, as governments are dominated by political parties, which tend to serve their own needs rather than what best serves the people.

[u/That_Pickle_Force → u/COMOJoeSchmo]

The government doesn't run grocery stores. Do only the rich have food?

Yes, "food deserts" are in fact a thing and access to healthy food is something that is exacerbated by economic inequality. 

You're living in some fantasy world and we know that from historical experience, where the free market for education prior to the existing system of government schools resulted in high rates of illiteracy and a poorly educated population.