Blocked by memory
Limited by opportunity
Afraid of mobility
Paralyzed by stupidity?
Freedom to choose badly
Freedom to bully
Freedom is a power to manipulate evilly
Two and two is four
prove freedom is slavery.
poem- stand up June 19, 2014
“Why are teachers even bothering to picket,
when you aren’t getting strike pay any more?”
he asked.
I told him it was because teachers are moralists
who are defending democracy
and fair working & bargaining conditions
against a corrupt government:
A government that ignores the court rulings
spends billions of tax payers’ dollars appealing
judgments by the Supreme Court
and the United Nations saying they
are WRONG to steal from our kids.
It will pay billions for a stadium roof,
but will not pay for educating its children.
I told him that in such a war,
pay is a small thing.
We will fight, because if our government
succeeds in destroying OUR union
then every other working person in this province
is in peril.
If OUR contracts can be shredded with impunity,
so can YOURS!
We are fighting for YOUR rights
and for our students’ right to a properly funded education
against a government with an agenda
to destroy public education and the middle class.
We’re fighting for YOU! I told him.
“Oh,” he said.
Power September 4, 2012
Tags: democracy, elections, Ender's Game, leadership, orson scott card, Power, voting
Orson Scott Card. Ender’s Game NY: Tor, 1991. p. 239
People who crave power, ensure they get it eventually, in one form or another. Be it business or politics, if they have the desire for it, they will make it happen. One hopes that with the desire for power is an instinct or training for leadership as well. Fair leaders with wise attitudes are rare, I think! (Though I have come across many quite impressive leaders in schools over the years). Benign dictatorships are the most effective governments for a reason. Most people can’t be bothered with all those fine details. I often wonder if the heinous voter turn out in the US elections relates to the sheer volume of things on their ballots? How can Joe Everyman possibly make informed decisions when voting for everything from president to dog catcher, and complex referenda? It would require far too much research! It makes me glad that we don’t have this system in Canada. Sometimes excessive democratization of decision making is anathema to intelligent decisions! Joe Everyman generally will not have enough facts to make a sensible choice, and if he’s voting based on looks, popularity, or the dollars spent on spin, he is unlikely to get the best leaders, is he? One hopes power isn’t purchased, but is earned after demonstrating prudent wisdom. But when you consider that “cream rises to the top,” remember cream is really just fat. What’s floating at the top isn’t necessarily what’s the best thing for your long term benefit.
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