Art Pearl Against the World

The goal of No Child Left behind and all the so-called allied state education reform is to bring all of public education under corporate control. This is not a conspiracy. It is clear, straight-forward and unabashed. Every president from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama has endorsed it. President Obama heralds "We must ensure that our students will be able to compete in the global economy" almost every time he talks about education. All such endeavors to undermine democracy begins by scaring the shit out of us  This one began with a corporate created presidency- the now exalted Ronald Reagan. Reagan, as you may remember appointed a commission - The Commission on Educational Excellence - and that Commission issued a report, A Nation at Risk , That report, in its second paragraph evoked terrifying images associated with McCarthyism. If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have vi...

This economic mess has been a long time coming. Reagan as good as any place to begin. Shortly before Ronald Reagan was elected president the economy slipped into a deep recession. In1982 unemployment rate rose to 9.7 percent (In 1979 the unemployment rate was 5.8 percent). The Reagan solution was “supply side economics.” George Bush called it “voodoo economics.” Supply side economics according to one of its gurus. Arthur Laffer. would, for every 1% reduction in taxes produce 1% increase in tax revenues, (although in 2008 on the Daily Show Laffer insisted he never said such a thing). Amazing the number of stupid things people say that later they claim they never said. Whatever called, it was, in truth, the same ole’ aggregate consumer economics. What made it different was that the underpinning for consumer demand did not come from wages and savings but from an ever increasing debt. One of the most telling points Reagan made while campaigning for the presidency was the increase in nation...

Before television or radio or even the phonograph there were songs. Songs were hot in politics. There was a song for every political position. Songs enlivened political campaigns and up until very recently promoted presidential candidates. Songs enabled people to invest in, participate and actually enjoy political campaigns. Although it was not necessarily true that the candidate with the best songs won the election. In 1860 many songs were created to be sung at rallies for Abraham Lincoln and for his rival Stephen Douglas. For whatever it is worth more songs were sung for Lincoln than were sung for Douglas. Consider one such song: Old Abe Lincoln came out of the wilderness Out of the wilderness, out of the wilderness, Old Abe Lincoln came out of the wilderness Down to Illinois Oh, aint I glad I joined the Republicans, Joined the Republicans, joined the Republicans, Ain’t I glad I joined the Republicans, Down in Illinois To get you into the spirit of the thing know that it was ...

Sarah Palin brought the house down, no great accomplishment at the Republican Convention, when she answered her question, “What was the difference between a soccer mom and a pit bull? by quipping “Lipstick.” She made a few other house downing quips, the most telling and revealing of broad and deep ignorance skewered Obama for his community service. The widespread laughter revealed that neither she nor her audience had a clue what community service entails. How could they, considering who was there. The selection of Palin to be John McCain’s running mate seemed to many as hasty and not carefully considered. It was hardly that. McCain, trying desperately to distance himself from Bush and Chaney is doing what every Republican seeker of this year’s presidency has aspired to do - cover himself with the mantle of Ronald Reagan. McCain, like Reagan, is ushering in a “New Morning.” The McCain pitch is a reprise of a distant past, the coziness of small town America, a recreation of a "Bygo...

The United States has the biggest, the most technically advanced and the most expensive military this world has ever kinown. That much military may be far more than we need to adequately defend against any real or imagined threats, that much military may not only not protect us, it may actually threaten our security. This is how we stack up Rest of the World $500 billion 2004 est. United States       $623 billion FY08 budget China                   $ 65.0 billion 2004 Russia                  $ 50.0 billion France                 $ 45.0 billion 2005 United Kingdom      $ 42.8 billion 2005 est. Japan                   $ 41.75 billion 2007 Germany              $ 35.1 billion 2003 Italy                     $ 28.2 billion 2003 South Korea         $ 21.1 billion 2003 est. Source: Global Security.org other sources differ in detail but not in substance. All agree US spends at least 8 times more than any other country spends There are at least four good reasons wh...

Professor Higgins, sexist as he was, wondered, “Why can’t a women be like a man?” I, great patriot as I am, wonder “Why can’t China be like us.” I fervently believe that the whole world would be very much happier if every country was exactly like the United States of America. Just think how wonderful it would be if everywhere you went it would be just like not leaving home. Imagine a McDonalds there, a Starbucks here (that is one still open for business) a Wal-Mart right around the corner, nothing could be cozier. China does have McDonalds and other good stuff, but that doesn’t make China like us, no siree. You see, with the Olympics just about to commence the Chinese government has issued an order to all foreign owned hotels (private enterprises) that they are to install monitoring devices and spy on their guests or face “severe consequences.” This has got Sam Brownback up in arms. And he would like Congress and the President to do something about it. This is pretty damn serious. If w...

On July 15, 2008 The President held a press conference. That in itself is newsworthy. The last one he held was on April 29. This one was much like the last one. He entered the arena with characteristic swagger and was jolly as jolly can be. As soon as he started talking it is clear he has spent the interim on some far off planet.. He apparently prides himself on a disconnection to reality. Way back in February he was asked what advice would he give to people facing the prospect of $4 gallon gasoline. His response, “Wait a minute. What did you just say? You’re predicting $4 a gallon gas?” and when told that’s what people in the know were saying, he revealed. “That’s interesting. I hadn’t heard that.” Fast forward to the July press conference, when reminded of his earlier statement, he briskly cut off the reporter with ”I’m aware of it now” as if that exculpated him. I do believe that while we have drastically lowered our expectations and our standards to a point where all we want in ...