Repubs save schoolchildren

[G-spotter]

I would be rich beyond my belief.

You owe me three dollars.

 

You don't believe in much.

[No. 13 Baby]

Nothing funnier than an overfed white boy talking about how he (and his ilk) has transcended racism.

[tvashtarkatena]

Over 90% of black people vote Democrat now. Far more than whites, they've long realized that the conservative agenda means making them dissappear; into political disenfranchisement, slums, or the criminal justice system. This is in spite of the religiousity of many black communities. And by the way, the decades long trend has been for African Americans to abandon the Republican party, not the other way around.

 

Good luck winning black hearts and minds, conservatives. Yeah, have you got a deal for them. Only one problem: on average, they're simply not as stupid as you are.

Edited September 8, 2009 by tvashtarkatena

[Peter_Puget]

[billcoe]

 

Highly recommended book "Lenin's Tomb". They note that Stalin was 5'4".

[kevbone]

[j_b]

I think Kask is approaching this from a "The medium is the message" standpoint and I think it is a valid argument. Obama has isolated a captive audience of soon to be voters. This wasn't a speech to the children at prime-time, this was presented in the classroom. How is that not at least a slight abuse of power? The content of the motivational speech is all warm and fuzzy with personal anecdotes and heart wrenching stories but you have to admit that it will have an effect on the political thinking of the audience even if the motives were entirely innocent.

 

I tend to agree but it is certainly no worse than pledging allegiance to the flag and a nation under god every day, which conservatives have no problem with forcing every school child to do including non-believers.

[kevbone]

I tend to agree but it is certainly no worse than pledging allegiance to the flag and a nation under god every day, which conservatives have no problem with forcing every school child to do including non-believers.

 

 

Holy crap.....post of the week right here.

[kevbone]

What do you call a young adult cancer patient with health insurance?

 

 

A Canadian.

[Kimmo]

The conservative brain resists and fears the idea of a dynamic future. It clings to the perceived safety of the status quo and pines for the moral and cultural superiority of a mythical past. It is inherently a mistrustful brain, and this mistrust extends to ideas, which must either be acceptable by the like-minded or rejected outright. This self imposed intellectual embargo drives the conservative to rely on emotion more than intellect, which is why the most banal and obviously manufactured messaging seems to resonate in the conservative mind. Such messaging need only spring forth from the holy trinity of heartfelt themes: patriotism, family, and God, smothered in the sauce of anti-liberalism, to hit home.

 

The conservative brain is not without its contradictions. It is both a glass half full and half empty brain: on one hand, its paranoia perceives an unraveling world that is out to get the like-minded keepers of the faith, who must, in turn, repel the invaders. On the other, no matter what happens, God or a belief that things will remain the same will save us and everything will be OK. This must be an incredibly stressful existence, because in a world where everything is obviously not OK, there must exist a nagging doubt in every conservative's mind that this really is a fight for survival and that God or his equivalent has gone on an extended vacation with no forwarding number.

 

oh my god, we love you tvash!

[Fairweather]

The liberal brain resists and fears the idea of a dynamic future. Global warming alarmists. It clings to the perceived safety of the status quo and pines for the moral and cultural superiority of a mythical past. It is inherently a mistrustful brain, and this mistrust extends to ideas, which must either be acceptable by the like-minded or rejected outright.Fairness Doctrine Revival. This self imposed intellectual embargo drives the liberal to rely on emotion more than intellect, The election of Barak Obama, images of starving children, polar bears adrift. which is why the most banal and obviously manufactured messaging seems to resonate in the liberal mind. Such messaging need only spring forth from the holy trinity of heartfelt themes: communism wrapped in enviro-green, abortion, submission to government smothered in the sauce of Christian fearmongering, to hit home.

 

[Kimmo]

fairyweather and kkk, why do you guys get so upset when people use the "n" word? is it because yall's think it denigrates the black folk?

[Kimmo]

just tellim you love him.

[No. 13 Baby]

This self imposed intellectual embargo drives the liberal to rely on emotion more than intellect, The election of Barak Obama

 

A Bush supporter with the chutzpah to broach voting based on intellect -- bravo, my friend!

[tvashtarkatena]

The liberal brain resists and fears the idea of a dynamic future. Global warming alarmists. It clings to the perceived safety of the status quo and pines for the moral and cultural superiority of a mythical past. It is inherently a mistrustful brain, and this mistrust extends to ideas, which must either be acceptable by the like-minded or rejected outright.Fairness Doctrine Revival. This self imposed intellectual embargo drives the liberal to rely on emotion more than intellect, The election of Barak Obama, images of starving children, polar bears adrift. which is why the most banal and obviously manufactured messaging seems to resonate in the liberal mind. Such messaging need only spring forth from the holy trinity of heartfelt themes: communism wrapped in enviro-green, abortion, submission to government smothered in the sauce of Christian fearmongering, to hit home.

 

 

For a guy who claims to love space science, you seem to have a weird blind spot regarding the study of this planet.

[ivan]

I think Kask is approaching this from a "The medium is the message" standpoint and I think it is a valid argument. Obama has isolated a captive audience of soon to be voters. This wasn't a speech to the children at prime-time, this was presented in the classroom. How is that not at least a slight abuse of power? The content of the motivational speech is all warm and fuzzy with personal anecdotes and heart wrenching stories but you have to admit that it will have an effect on the political thinking of the audience even if the motives were entirely innocent.

 

I tend to agree but it is certainly no worse than pledging allegiance to the flag and a nation under god every day, which conservatives have no problem with forcing every school child to do including non-believers.

in discussing the speech w/ my students today, most classes came up w/ this exact point - they also mostly agree: who cares? school's all about ignoring shit you could care less about - ignoring a potus speech is as easy as not standing for the pledge, sleeping through class, not dressing out for gym, etc. they asked, if the problem conservatives have is that this speech was being foisted on a "captured audience", isn't the fact that they're forced to be in school the problem?

[billcoe]

Sounds like your kids pretty much have it together Ivan:-)

Newt Gingrich evidently said on the news that he thinks Obama’s school speech was “good for America,”. Good for him, I do too.

[Fairweather]

The liberal brain resists and fears the idea of a dynamic future. Global warming alarmists. It clings to the perceived safety of the status quo and pines for the moral and cultural superiority of a mythical past. It is inherently a mistrustful brain, and this mistrust extends to ideas, which must either be acceptable by the like-minded or rejected outright.Fairness Doctrine Revival. This self imposed intellectual embargo drives the liberal to rely on emotion more than intellect, The election of Barak Obama, images of starving children, polar bears adrift. which is why the most banal and obviously manufactured messaging seems to resonate in the liberal mind. Such messaging need only spring forth from the holy trinity of heartfelt themes: communism wrapped in enviro-green, abortion, submission to government smothered in the sauce of Christian fearmongering, to hit home.

 

 

For a guy who claims to love space science, you seem to have a weird blind spot regarding the study of this planet.

 

I have yet to encounter a prof who's bitten down as hard on this hook as you. But then it is you & yours who seem to cling to the idea of a static Earth, so I guess your point is lost on me.

[ivan]

this was a dead horse awhile ago, but in case anyone's actually interested in how a social studies teacher handled this one (exciting!), here was my plan:

1. pre-viewing - discussion/intro - history of presidential addresses - what have you heard already? what do you expect to hear?

2. questions for considering during 18 minute speech:

A. What is his message? What do you think about that message?

B. The message is hardly a unique or new one – how effective do you think his version of it will be? What are alternative/better ways to achieve the same end?

C. Many conservative Americans think the President had an agenda or goal beyond that message – what evidence did you see of that and what could that agenda be? How fair is that criticism?

D. What other criticisms can be fairly made about this speech?

E. If we accept the conservative premise that this speech was pure propaganda we are still left with this fact which we can not hide from: Propaganda is everywhere! How should we prepare ourselves to live in a world of propaganda? What/ Where is the best way/place to learn to recognize and disarm it?

F. The President spoke of setting a goal this year. If you’re planning on setting one for yourself, what will it be and what is your plan to achieve it?

3. view address

4. post viewing - 10 minutes to write responses to questions above

5. discuss questions - individual voting - 1-10, how effective a speech?

[JosephH]

A+

[billcoe]

Ditto on the A+ Ivan. If the "computer" is done tabulating and averaging it, what did the kids rate the effectiveness of the speech?

[underworld]

this was a dead horse awhile ago, but in case anyone's actually interested in how a social studies teacher handled this one (exciting!), here was my plan:

1. pre-viewing - discussion/intro - history of presidential addresses - what have you heard already? what do you expect to hear?

2. questions for considering during 18 minute speech:

A. What is his message? What do you think about that message?

B. The message is hardly a unique or new one – how effective do you think his version of it will be? What are alternative/better ways to achieve the same end?

C. Many conservative Americans think the President had an agenda or goal beyond that message – what evidence did you see of that and what could that agenda be? How fair is that criticism?

D. What other criticisms can be fairly made about this speech?

E. If we accept the conservative premise that this speech was pure propaganda we are still left with this fact which we can not hide from: Propaganda is everywhere! How should we prepare ourselves to live in a world of propaganda? What/ Where is the best way/place to learn to recognize and disarm it?

F. The President spoke of setting a goal this year. If you’re planning on setting one for yourself, what will it be and what is your plan to achieve it?

3. view address

4. post viewing - 10 minutes to write responses to questions above

5. discuss questions - individual voting - 1-10, how effective a speech?

 

seem like reasonable topics. i'd just suggest to take the word conservative out of it all together. we are all americans...why introduce the polarization?

 

 

[tvashtarkatena]

"we are all americans...why introduce the polarization?"

 

Unfortunately the poster hasn't the remotest prayer of understanding just how funny this statement is.

[olyclimber]

I just noticed a google ad for a free Ann Coulter newsletter on the bottom of the page! Be among the first to read her news letter!

[ivan]

 

seem like reasonable topics. i'd just suggest to take the word conservative out of it all together. we are all americans...why introduce the polarization?

 

i guess b/c the criticism's have mostly been from conservatives, not liberal, so it was more precise to use the adjective - it was also a continuation of a lesson last week where we discussed political identities, took quizzes/polls on the subject, and in general tried to make sense of the words "liberal" and "conservative" in popular speech

 

bill, the kids were largely unimpressed i'd say - just eyeballing their hand-votes (the kid w/ 11 fingers had the spinal tap option too!) the average was somewhere around 5 (but hardly anyone went as high as 7, there were more 1s, n' 2s) - most felt it was a repetitive message - some thought he was bragging too much on himself (the word "i" is used a good bit)and perhaps more interested in improving the economy than their own little lives - there were complaints that he didn't list less glorious occupations on the list of goals (just doctors n' lawyers, they said - i said it woulda been a little wierd if he had spetn 5 minutes listing all of america's trades though)

 

i challenged them to find subtle, non-verbal messages - no one mentioned it until i prompted them, but he was wearing a blue tie and standing in front of a blue background - intentional subliminal adverting for the democratic party?

 

regardless, the discussion alone made this a very worthwhile activity for my class - a lot of animated kids poking fun at old people has alwasy tickled me in the brain-stem it also provided a good opportunity to put up a pie-chart of the federal budget, discuss the concept of priorities as revealed by spending, the nature and sources of funding for public education, etc.