I was listening to the KUNM weekly call-in show today. The discussion was economic development and, in particular, how tax cuts attract businesses. Everyone mentioned eduction repeatedly in the narrowest of contexts: a properly educated workforce attracts employers. I was saddened by how profoundly the Radical Right has damaged this country, specifically the cheap bastards who believe there should be no government beyond an army and police.

Education is NOT about attracting industry and finding jobs. Education keeps you from being someone else’s slave. Education enables you to think for yourself. To think critically and to escape the domination of other’s thoughts. At the same time, education teaches us to listen to those we disagree with, to allow for shades of truth, to appreciate context. The very last thing education is about is getting a job. An educated citizenry cannot be conned into giving up their rights. Educated citizens cannot be mislead by platitudes. An educated people can stand up to the lies of advertizers and politicians. It is our power, not just our livelihood. Don’t let the cheap bastards put blinders on you like a plow horse. mjh