This is the record of what happens when someone tries to do too much with too little for too many who did not care. Tomas Bruce, Seventh Earl of Elgin and Eleventh of Kincardine, was appointed the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. This fulfilled his ambition for status, but would because of his ambition to improve the artistic taste of Britain, lead to his fall.

Elgin’s life in Turkey was not an easy one. Dealing  with the Turks was tedious. Everything done at court took forever. Lavish gifts were involve (Elgin received many), elaborate protocols were followed, and the overall culture was alien. There was also the Levant Company. It was a crown chartered company with enormous business interests in the Empire. Two principals resented Elgin’s presence and tried to get him recalled. While they waited the did all they could  do to thwart his mission.

The Turks were difficult, but Elgin did have some success. But it is the marbles, the marbles of Greece, that  would be the cause of Elgin’s troubles.

The Ottomans controlled Greece. Elgin sought and obtained permission (through official channels and with the help of bribes) of the court to remove the carved marbles and send them to England. The Turks, Muslims, thought the Greeks, Christians, were little better than infidels and the ancient marbles pagan images. The Greeks did not seem to care. The Greeks got paid to do the removal work.

Elgin financed the entire operation out of his own funds. This would sink him. Once the marbles got to England, professional jealousy took over. The Greek carvings were condemned sight unseen as being mere Roman. The artists who saw them were stunned at their beauty, but the critics of Elgin dismissed the statues as second-rate.

Elgin eventually sold the statues to the British government for about half of the nearly 80,000 pounds it cost him to obtain the works.

The book records all the intrigues, machinations, and venality that went into getting the statues. The vicissitudes of the court would be enough to defeat a less determined man.

The marbles were a major success, for a while. The magnificence  of the marbles was constant, eternal even; but their effect was ephemeral. Elgin lived to learn that the two new houses of parliament would be built in the Gothic style, not Greek. All that work of cutting up the Parthenon, what did it accomplish?

The book ends with the demands of the Greek government to return the marbles. The author concludes that the British have a strong title to the works. The real question is What is the right thing to do? The Greeks contend, in addition to their claim that Elgin stole the marbles, that the works can only be fully appreciated in the context of the bright sunlight of Greece. The author leaves us to find our own answer.

When the movement spread from Wall Street to other areas, the movement’s demands became broader. The movement never said how to redress what it considered an unfair imbalance of wealth, but the movement did begin to make issue of what they considered other injustices. Their demands We Want. This theme is not unique to them, but the Occupiers have a list of specific items. The list includes free health care, free tuition, free student-loan debt payoffs, and free mortgages. This is a free lunch.

The Occupiers are so far unsuccessful, but they remain undaunted. The Occupiers seem to have no obvious plan on how to get the free stuff. So far the movement has been a minor nuisance and a petty public health problem. The movement has been mostly peaceful. The lack of violence is to their credit. The Wall Street Occupiers did one time make some employees of some Wall Street firms late for work, but there was no riot.

The problem with the movement is its lack of understanding of how an economy works. Beneath all the demands is the presupposition that everyone is equal in all areas. The communists tried this (in theory) before. Its results were disastrous. Even if we disregard massive killings in Eastern Europe and China, the misery of state enforced equality in those areas was horrible. The Occupiers do not show any understanding of this history.

Occupy is also built on the envy principle. It is a case of “If I can’t have what you have, neither can you.” This does not lead to wealth for the poor. It only leads to poverty for the less politically connected. Making the rich poor has never made the poor rich. Occupy forgets that money is portable, and the rich are willing to travel. What would you do?

The Occupiers forget that America, and the West in general, is middle class. This is the group that will most suffer. There is irony here. The Occupiers are mostly middle class. You can tell by their stuff. The latest high-tech gizmos are very prevalent among the campers. To make their message heard, the movement uses this technology. They fail to see the obvious.

They also fail on the personal responsibility front. The outrage at the bailouts for the bankrupt mortgage bankers is just, but the other part of that is the personal responsibility of those who took out the loans. There were plenty of naïve people, but no one signed under duress. A share of the responsibility goes to those advocacy groups that militated for mortgage loans for those people who were obviously unqualified. Do you get a pass if you were only trying to help?

Where is the Occupy the Federal Reserve? The easy money policy of the Federal Reserve made possible all those bad mortgage loans. Here is where the movement could do real good. Focus upon the Federal Reserve. It is the source of much of the monetary problems we have. The Federal Reserve has been given carte blanche since its 1913 creation.

The Occupy movement is naïve. It lacks focus, has unobtainable goals, is wrong-headed. It espouses the tried-and-failed socialism that made many suffer but made a few powerful. Until the movement offers a coherent, obtainable agenda; until it understands the problem and not just the obvious symptoms of the problem, and until abandons its core tenet of free everything for everyone, its only hope is for martyrdom through heavy-handedness by the local authorities. That and a mild winter.

America is rapid becoming a fractured state divided along the lines of ethnic identity. This is Buchanan’s thesis. Identity politics, as it is called, will turn us against each other. He cites many examples of what is dividing us. It is mostly about who gets what from whom. This is not in dispute nor is it new.

The Balkanization of America is a real problem. A lot of very stupid government enforced policies are fueling it. Buchanan criticizes all the usual offenders. The difficulty is the expectation culture that has grown up because of the attempts to make us equal with each other.

The author points out that equality is a new idea, that it is impossible, and that it only leads to bitter divisions. It is also totally unenforceable. This is not going to stop its proponents from averring its merits. Buchanan does us service by showing that there are no merits to artificial equality.

Buchanan has his list of fixes. They are as bad as the problem. “Congress should enact a constitutional amendment…making English the official language of the United States.” (p422) Define English. Who makes whom the judges of English?

Other fixes rely upon statistics for enactment. Whose statistics? We have learned that the government’s numbers are politically derived. Privately generated numbers are always disputed.

Buchanan has good objections to many of the social evils that beset us, but he offers no adequate solutions. He fails entirely to think outside of the Government-can-do-it box. He wants a small government, but doesn’t realize that he is also calling for a larger government. Buchanan is a right of center statist. He wants a free market but protective tariffs. He wants freedom but government to control what he doesn’t like. He wants low-skill manufacturing jobs that pay high wages. These contradictions make the book little more than a complaint. Buchanan comes across as petulant.

I did not spend a lot of time reading this book. I just skimmed it. I recommend you stop with this review. America will survive well beyond 2025 even if this book does not.

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise to the Hawaiian commanders, Admiral Kimmel and General Short, but others in the military knew it was coming. Theobald, a subordinate of Kimmel at the time of the attack, argues that President Roosevelt knew that the Japanese planned to attack the United States. The United States knew this because of United States’ ability to read the coded Japanese communications. This vital information was not shared with the men in Hawaii, but the President and the Secretaries of State, War and Navy knew it.

Why were Hawaiian commanders not told? This is the big question. The author’s answer: FDR wanted the Japanese to attack so the Germans would declare war on the U.S. pursuant to the Tripartite Pact. This would enable the U.S. to come openly to the aid of the British. Before you dismiss this as a paranoid conspiracy, consider what the U.S. had done to Japan.

Extended financial and military aid to China

Stopped Philippine exports to Japan

Froze Japanese assets

Blunt statements to Ambassador Nomura

Termination of the Washington conference

There are other troubling questions. The British were given copies of decoding machines the U.S. developed to read Magic and Purple Japanese codes. Why was Britain given these machines when Britain was not yet at war with Japan? Why was the U.S. forces at the Manila headquarters given the Magic and Purple decoding machines when Pearl Harbor did not get them? Possession of the machines allowed the Manila commanders to have vital intelligence as soon as it was available. Why did the War (Army) Department not correct General Short’s wrong interpretation of the confusing Department directive? Short took action to prevent sabotage and report these efforts to the Army. General Marshall, Army Chief of Staff and Short’s superior, never explained why he did not tell Short he got the directive wrong. Admiral Stark, Chief of Naval Operations, said he did not tell Kimmel because he was following orders. Orders from whom? The only one superior to Stark (and General Marshall) was the President. The department Secretaries were administrative figures without command authority.

Theobald also reviews the eight Pearl Harbor investigations. These affairs did little to reveal any truth. Investigators badgered witnesses into changing their testimony. Testimony by obfuscation by senior officers was widespread. Evidence was buried in massive volumes of paper. Temporizing was common. It is telling that neither Kimmel nor Short were ever given a court-martial. This would allow them to vigorously cross-examine witness, and more importantly, subpoena documents. This could not be allowed to happen.

The book is easy to read. It provides a concise introduction to the Pearl Harbor fiasco.  My only objection to the book is the title. There is yet more to be revealed about Pearl Harbor. If you want to know more, start here.

The blues produced as potatoes are wont to do. I could not tell any difference in the taste from a regular potato. A few of the blues were left over and forgotten. When spring came I found the left over blues. They had all sprouted long roots out of their eyes. What to do? I did not want to just toss them on the compost pile. They were too shrunken to eat and too small to use as ammunition. I decided to plant them around the house. Decorative tubers: the next big trend.

They all sprouted. I left them alone. They said thanks, I think. I don’t speak any of the spud dialects, but I could see it in their eyes. When fall came I did not dig them up. I want to see what would happen. I did not hear if they said anything. Potatoes, I have learned, are a quiet bunch when you can’t see their eyes.

I am going to let them all grow without control. Think of it as a return to nature. It will be every potato for itself. Unless they form gangs. I am hoping that free range potatoes will soon make it into the expensive section of the produce aisle at the nation’s grocery stores. I have to recover my investment. I will know I have been successful when I see factory produced potato products with “Made with free-range-like potatoes” on the label. When this happens, those blues will be gold.

Are you future oriented or present oriented? This is the crucial issue for modern society. How you regard the future is affecting that future. Goldman’s thesis is that modern societies are very present oriented. This orientation has caused a reduction in the birth rate that is below replacement levels. Western civilizations are dying as a result. Faith in the future became faith in the present. Children lost their value.

It is not just the West that is in decline. Japan is facing catastrophe. Its population’s average age is rapidly increasing, but its birth rate is barely above one child per woman. This means that there will be a small producing generation taking care of a very large elderly generation.

China is worse. Its one child policy has given it a 14% to 17% men to women differential. A large population of men who will never marry and have children will bring revolution. China is doomed.

The Muslim world reflects the same trend (hence the subtitle of the book.). Iran is in such decline that the current Iranian President has publicly call for an increase in the birthrate. The public responded by increasing the use of contraception.

The only bright spot is America. Here the birthrate is just above the 2.1 child per woman necessary for a stable population. This is largely due the evangelical wing of Christianity. The old “Mainline” denominations are shrinking. Most of their members are either moving to evangelical churches or just not going anywhere. But the evangelical churches are growing by evangelism and child birth.

The mainline problem is also a problem for the Roman Catholics. Birthrates and church attendance have collapsed in such former Catholic strongholds a Quebec, Canada and Ireland.

Why is all this happening? Using United Nation’s statistics as well as those of the World Bank and other groups, the author sees women’s education as the primary cause. The more education a woman has the fewer children. Time is school delays marriage and shortens a woman’s effective child-bearing years. Education also changes one’s outlook on life and circumstances. Modern life in the city has replaced traditional life of the village. Modern life is very present oriented. However, education indicates future orientation. Education has costs in time, effort, and money. Education is a sacrifice now to get a later reward. I think the women’s education hypothesis does not explain all the problem.

This dearth of children is not a new phenomenon. Goldman cites ancient Greece and Rome. Both empires collapsed because they ran out of military age men. The were no armies to repel the invaders. Women’s education was not a factor in these ancient cultures. These cultures lost faith in the future. If there is no future, why have kids?

The West has developed a Now philosophy of time. We are the Me Generation. Technological advances have helped foster this Me-Now view. The effect is population decline.

While this is all bad news for many traditional groups, the future is not all gloom. Wars, famines, and plagues have reduced populations. Populations have rebounded. “The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse,” as the author calls the birth dearth, will not destroy the world. Civilizations die. They all have. New civilizations are born to take their place. Those with large families look forward to a future they will rule. Now you know what to do to rule the world ten generations from now.

a

ateliers n. A workshop or studio, especially for an artist or designer.

Anglepoise n. a lamp held in place by a flexible jointed mechanism that uses springs to maintain position

an·o·mie or an·o·my  (n-m) n. 1. Social instability caused by erosion of standards and values. 2. Alienation and purposelessness experienced by a person or a class as a result of a lack of standards, values, or ideals: ”We must now brace ourselves for disquisitions on peer pressure, adolescent anomie and rage” (Charles Krauthammer).

anon 1. adv. At another time; later. 2. In a short time; soon. 3. Archaic At once; forthwith.

apport (Spirituality, New Age, Astrology & Self-help / Alternative Belief Systems) a.  the production of objects by apparently supernatural means at a spiritualists’ seance b.  the objects produced

anacoluthon n. the abrupt change in a sentence. often used for rhetorical effect. eg. I told him if he didn’t stop drinking, what would happen to him.

adjuvant n. an agent added to a drug to increase its effect

agon n. 1. A conflict, especially between the protagonist and antagonist in a work of literature. 2. The part of an ancient Greek drama, especially a comedy, in which two characters engage in verbal dispute. 3. A test of will; a conflict: ”Freud’s originality stemmed from his aggression and ambition in his agon with biology” (Harold Bloom). 4. A contest in ancient Greece, as in athletics or music, in which prizes were awarded.

Arawak 1. A member of a South American Indian people formerly inhabiting much of the Greater Antilles and now living chiefly in certain regions of Guiana. 2. The Arawakan language of the Arawak.

atrabilious adj.  Inclined to melancholy.  Having a peevish disposition; surly.

attar n. A fragrant essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers: attar of roses.

bally adj & adv (intensifier) Brit slang a euphemistic word for bloody

banlieue n. a suburb of a city

bourn n. a small stream, a brook

boustrophedon a style of writing in which the lines alternate direction

brisance n. The shattering effect of the sudden release of energy in an explosion bri·sant (-zänt, -zät) adj

c

cambric n. a finely woven white linen or cotton fabric.

campanile n. camp a nee lee  a bell tower; usually stands alone unattached to a building

caparison 1. An ornamental covering for a horse or for its saddle or harness; trappings.2. Richly ornamented clothing; finery.tr.v. ca·par·i·soned, ca·par·i·son·ing, ca·par·i·sons1. To outfit (a horse) with an ornamental covering. 2. To dress (another) in rich clothing.

carceral adj. Belonging to a prison

caryatid n. a supporting column sculptured in the form of a draped female figure

Catherine wheel n. a type of firework that spins around and emits flames

cerecloth n. Cloth coated with wax, formerly used for wrapping the dead

chiaroscuro n. 1. The technique of using light and shade in pictorial representation. 2. The arrangement of light and dark elements in a pictorial work of art.

chrism n. Ecclesiastical 1. A consecrated mixture of oil and balsam, used for anointing in church sacraments such as baptism and confirmation. Also called holy oil. 2. A sacramental anointing, especially upon confirmation into the Eastern Orthodox Church.

chunter (v intr; often foll by on) Brit informal to mutter or grumble incessantly in a meaningless fashion

cisvestitism the dressing in clothes appropriate for one’s own sex

corbel n. A bracket of stone, wood, brick, or other building material, projecting from the face of a wall and generally used to support a cornice or arch. tr.v. cor·beled also cor·belled, cor·bel·ing also cor·bel·ling, cor·bels also cor·belsTo provide with or support by a corbel or corbels.

crapulence n. 1. Sickness caused by excessive eating or drinking. 2. Excessive indulgence; intemperance.

cri de coeur n. n. pl. cris de coeur (kr) An impassioned outcry, as of entreaty or protest.

d

debridement  n. Surgical excision of dead, devitalized, or contaminated tissue and removal of foreign matter from a wound

dacoit  n. a member of a robber band or gang in India or Myanmar (Burma).

defalcation intr.v. de·fal·cat·ed, de·fal·cat·ing, de·fal·cates To misuse funds; embezzle.

dido n. pl. di·dos or di·does A mischievous prank or antic; a caper.

dingus n. 1. An article whose name is unknown or forgotten. 2. A person regarded as stupid.

disseizin n. law wrongful dispossession of one in possession of real property

doughty adj. stouthearted, brave

drumfire n. heavy, continuous gunfire

drusy (Min.) Covered with a large number of minute crystals

e

eclat  brilliancy of success or effort; splendor; brilliant show; striking effect; glory; renown 2 demonstration of admiration and approbation; applause

fenfilading 1. Gunfire directed along the length of a target, such as a column of troops. 2. A target vulnerable to sweeping gunfire. 3. Architecture A linear arrangement of a series of interior doors, as to a suite of rooms, so as to provide a vista when the doors are open.

epicanthus n pl -thi [-θaɪ] (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) a fold of skin extending vertically over the inner angle of the eye: characteristic of Mongolian peoples and a congenital anomaly among other races Also called epicanthic fold [New Latin, from epi- + Latin canthus corner of the eye, from Greek kanthos]entrepot  n. A warehouse; a magazine for depositing goods, stores, etc.a port where merchandise can be imported and re-exported with paying import duties; a mart or place where merchandise is deposited; as, an entrepôt for shipping goods in transit

fellah n. A peasant or agricultural laborer in an Arab country, such as Syria or Egypt.

fetterlock n. another name for a fetlock A projection on the lower part of the leg of a horse or related animal, above and behind the hoof. b. A tuft of hair on such a projection.

feuterer someone who keeps a dog

fin de siecle adj. Of or characteristic of the last part of the 19th century, especially with reference to its artistic climate of effete sophistication

flensing tr.v. flensed, flens·ing, flens·es To strip the blubber or skin from (a whale, for example)

flinders n pl  Bits, fragments, or splinters

fons et origo n.the source and origin

forfend vt. To keep or ward off; avert

g

grue a shiver or shudder; a creeping of the flesh vb (intr) 1. to shiver or shudder 2. to feel strong aversion

gutta-percha n. A rubbery substance derived from the latex of any of several tropical trees of the genera Palaquium and Payena, used as an electrical insulator, as a waterproofing compound, and in golf balls

gharry n. A horse-drawn carriage, used primarily in Egypt and India, often as a cab.

gloaming n. twilight, dusk

gymkhana n. 1. Any of various meets at which contests are held to test the skill of the competitors, as in equestrian-ship, gymnastics, or sports car racing.

h

hartal n. the merchants strike where all shops are closed as a form of protest

haver Brit. to talk nonsense, to dither

hierophany the revelation of the sacred

hummock 1. A low mound or ridge of earth; a knoll. 2. also ham·mock (hmk) A tract of forested land that rises above an adjacent marsh in the southern United States. 3. A ridge or hill of ice in an ice field.

i

illeism the referring of one’s self in the third person

idyll 1.a. A short poem or prose piece depicting a rural or pastoral scene, usually in idealized terms.b. A narrative poem treating an epic or romantic theme.2. A scene or event of a simple and tranquil nature.

infando

in media res  adj In or into the middle of a sequence of events, as in a literary narrative

inosculate v.tr. 1. To unite (blood vessels, nerve fibers, or ducts) by small openings. 2. To make continuous; blend. v.intr.1. To open into one another.

interne n. (Medicine) a variant spelling of intern us adj. too odious to mention

immure tr.v. im·mured, im·mur·ing, im·mures 1. To confine within or as if within walls; imprison. 2. To build into a wall: immure a shrine. 3. To entomb in a wall.

in vivo adj adv Within a living organism

j

jamais vu the opposite of déjà vu

jodhpurs n. riding pants

jointure 1. Lawa. An arrangement by which a man sets aside property to be used for the support of his wife after his death.b. The property so designated.2. The act of joining or the state of being joined.

k

karst n. An area of irregular limestone in which erosion has produced fissures, sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns

kohl n. A cosmetic preparation, such as powdered antimony sulfide, used especially in the Middle East to darken the rims of the eyelids

kraal n. South African 1. A rural village, typically consisting of huts surrounded by a stockade

l

lambent 1. Flickering lightly over or on a surface: lambent moonlight. 2. Effortlessly light or brilliant: lambent wit. 3. Having a gentle glow; luminous.

liminal n. the threshold of a psychological or physical response

lissa jous Lissajous curve (or Lissajous figure), a mathematical figure showing a type of harmonic motion. Lissajous orbit, an orbital trajectory resembling a Lissajous curve.

louche adj. of questionable taste or morally decadent

laicization n. lacize vt. to free from ecclesiastical control, give over to the laity

leechcraft n. The art of healing; skill of a physician

logrolling n. The exchanging of political favors, especially the trading of influence or votes among legislators to achieve passage of projects that are of interest to one another. 2. The exchanging of favors or praise, as among artists, critics, or academics.

Lucullan adj. lavish, luxurious

m

marguerite n. any of several similar or related plants having daisylike flowers

maceration vt. to make soft by soaking in a liquid

menticide n. the systematic undermining of someone’s beliefs

meprobamate n. A bitter white powder, C₉H₁₈N₂O₄, used as a tranquilizer, muscle relaxant, and anticonvulsant.

midinette n. a Parisian seamstress or salesgirl in a clothes shop

mirabile dictu interj. Wonderful to relate.

moue n. A small grimace; a pout

n

nocebo n. an inert substance given as a medicine that cause an adverse reaction in the recipient, the opposite of a placebo

nosology n. the classification of diseases

numinous adj. 1. Of or relating to a numen; supernatural. 2. Filled with or characterized by a sense of a supernatural presence: a numinous place. 3. Spiritually elevated; sublime.

o

omphaloskepsis n. a form of religious meditation practiced by Eastern mystics who stare fixedly at their own navels to induce a mystical trance. Also called omphalism.

orotund adj. Pompous and bombastic: orotund talk. 2. Full in sound; sonorous: orotund tone

oubliette n. A dungeon with a trapdoor in the ceiling as its only means of entrance or exit

odalisques n, A woman slave in a harem

ogive n. 1. Statistics a. A distribution curve in which the frequencies are cumulative. b. A frequency distribution. 2. Architecture a. A diagonal rib of a Gothic vault. b. A pointed arch.

p

palfrey n. (pawl’ free) A saddle horse, especially one for a woman to ride

pandit n. Brahman scholar or learned man

perfervid adj. intense, impassioned

phreatic adj, Of or relating to ground water

polje n. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) Geography a large elliptical depression in karst regions, sometimes containing a marsh or small lake

pseudopodia n. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) a temporary projection from the cell of an amoeboid protozoan, leucocyte, etc., used for feeding and locomotion

puissance n. power, might

purulent adj. Containing, discharging, or causing the production of pus

q

r

Rapallo (Placename) a port and resort in NW Italy, in Liguria on the Gulf of Rapallo (an inlet of the Ligurian Sea): scene of the signing of two treaties after World War I. Pop.: 30 000 (1990 est.)

readeption  n. the regaining of something lost

recusant n. 1. One of the Roman Catholics in England who incurred legal and social penalties in the 16th century and afterward for refusing to attend services of the Church of England.  2. A dissenter; a nonconformist.

s

salafism n.  a militant group of extremist Sunnis who believe themselves the only correct interpreters of the Koran and consider moderate Muslims to be infidels; seek to convert all Muslims and to insure that its own fundamentalist version of Islam will dominate the world

schadenfreude n. delight in another’s misfortune

sodality n. 1. A society or an association, especially a devotional or charitable society for the laity in the Roman Catholic Church. 2. Fellowship.

solfeggo 1. Use of the sol-fa syllables to note the tones of the scale; solmization. 2. A singing exercise in which the sol-fa syllables are used instead of text

Sublime Porte n.  the Ottoman court in Constantinople

sudorific adj.  Causing or increasing sweat
sumpter n. A pack animal, such as a horse or mule.

shire n. A former administrative division of Great Britain, equivalent to a county. 2. often Shire A Shire horse.

t

tatterdemalion n. a person wearing tattered clothes

Telamon n. Greek Mythology One of the Argonauts and the father of Ajax.

tegument n. A natural outer covering; an integument

u

ultimogeniture n law  (Law) a principle of inheritance whereby the youngest son succeeds to the estate of his ancestor Compare primogeniture

v

valetudinarian n. a weak or sickly person, especially one very concerned about his illness

verdigris n. 1. A blue or green powder consisting of basic cupric acetate used as a paint pigment and fungicide. 2. A green patina or crust of copper sulfate or copper chloride formed on copper, brass, and bronze exposed to air or seawater for long periods of time.

virtu n. 1 A knowledge or love of or taste for fine objects of art. 2. Objects of art, especially fine antique objets d’art, considered as a group

viscera n. abdominal organs

w

wherry n.  sailing barge used especially in East Anglia

whitsun adj. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) of or relating to Whit Sunday or Whitsuntide

x

y

z

Not much has changed in the thirty-two years since the author wrote this book. Public education is still a political mess. By reading this book you will know some of the history of the mess.

The author’s focus is on the school textbooks. Political pressures and educational fads have forced the textbook remake itself to satisfy them. Ethnic groups, reform groups, reactionary groups, and single issue groups have all had influence in textbook writing. Textbook publishers have not been able to keep up.

The losers in all this are the school children. Fitzgerald concentrates on the American history textbooks. Nothing is very good. The only constant is dull writing. When this prose combines with the gimmick-of-the-day the result is some mis-educated kids.

People are usually supportive of their local school. They think that the problems are somewhere else. What they do not think about is that all the schools use the same textbooks and all the teachers use the same teaching methods. The problem is universal. This is what makes the book more than a complaint about poor writing.

The author also points out that actually intellectual training is a minor part of schooling. The emphasis is now on character molding. All that has happened is that students are now illiterate and ill-behaved.

The author is optimistic, but really the book tells us that the future is more of the same, only more expensive.

Me: Actually, he probably will always be in low-level jobs.

He: Why? Surely anyone smart enough to graduate with a degree from a prestige school will advance.

Me: These days companies are doing credit report checks on applicants. This person’s credit report will be a disaster. Do the math. To pay the loan off in 30 years he will need $333 a month in just principle. There is probably an on-line site where you can calculate this with interest. If not, your bank’s mortgage department can. This debt is like a mortgage without the house or tax deduction. He cannot make this large a payment on his pay. He will go into default. This will sink his credit score. It’s low-level jobs forever.

He: Wait a minute while I work the IBerryPadReaderFirestarter. There, I found one. http://www.interest.com/mortgage/calculators/mortgage-calculator/

Me: How did you do that? I am writing this blog.

He: So am I. It is internet magic. The same person can be two people. I can’t explain it.

Me: Neither can I. They did not teach it in school. That is what I get for going to school before the Algore invented the internet.

He: How will this affect his future? What can he do?

Me: The Algore’s? Not at all. He is cleaning up with the global warming scam. The guy sure knows how to work a con. The debtor? Work two jobs, live at home, eat rice. Maybe he will lose weight. Dandelions are edible. He could munch a few while he does that yard work on the side for cash.

He: You make this sound hopeless.

Me: It is. He is a fly trapped in the spider’s web of debt. He is at the banks’ mercy. They are not in the mercy business. There is no profit there. They are               about profits. He has only one out.

He: What is that?

Me: Marry someone who is as smart as he is but rich.

He: That is silly.

Me: True. Most people who are as smart as he is are not rich.

He: Could he declare bankruptcy? Surely that would erase the debt.

Me: Yes, he could; but that won’t erase the debt. The banks had the law written so that student loan debt is not affected by bankruptcy. That is why the banks like student loans. I don’t know what they think of the students. They are smart enough not to say publicly. It’s bad for business.

He: It seems so unfair.

Me: Life’s …

He: I know, I know. Is there a better way to get an education than to go into such debt.

Me: There is. First, it’s schooling that is expensive; education is cheap, even free. This guy is getting a real education now. Second, when you think school, think cheap. Why shop at Hiprice when Walmart will sell you the same stuff for a lot less. You can even beat Walmart by shopping on-line. A lot of people who manage Walmart have degrees from Prestige. They did not see the internet as a threat. This tells you a lot about a lot. Do a cost of value study. This is a college level assignment without the credit hours. Do not fail this coarse. Is Prestige U really a better value, is it that much better, than Southwest East Central State? If it is, does it justify the cost? Third, you do not have to spend four years at Prestige to graduate from there. Do the local community college for two years. You save on tuition and living costs. Transfer your credits to Prestige and get your degree for half the price. The same agency certifies both schools. This means that accreditation-wise Harvard’s degree is just as good as one from U Mass. Inthewoods. Is that one word difference on the diploma worth what you paid? Fourthly, and lastly because I am beginning to run out of numbers, get a job in your field of study and learn from the inside. This way your boss pays you to learn. Some companies will even pay your tuition. This guy followed the herd. Too bad they were all lemmings.

He: Mass Inthewoods is two words. Shouldn’t that be course? I have heard that lemmings do not….

Me: Yes, You are an educated person, degreed even. I put that in there so you could get some value. If the lemmings don’t like it, have them sue me. They lost the last time.

He: Can’t this guy get a lawyer and have the lawyer do something.

Me: I am sure he could find a lawyer. Remember, the banks have lawyers too. When this guy goes into default he will find out about this. The banks did not have the laws written in their favor for no reason. The banks will pursue legal action against any debtor who is in default. I imagine it will resemble a pack of wolves ….

He: What can the banks do those who default?

Me: I don’t know. I am not a lupine lawyer.

He: His future is bleak.

Me: Especially bleak when you consider the non-financial effects. He is unlikely to marry. He will never be able to borrow money. (This is not a bad thing. But he will be paying cash for the clunker he drives.) He is going to get to take close care of his parents so he can save on the rent. He will be creative about hiding money from the collectors. He will configure his taxes so he always has to pay. This will deprive the government(s) of the free loan many people give them. (Tax refunds go to the loan holders. The banks got their money’s worth from their campaign contributions.) He will return his empties. Actually, he will return others people’s. He probably won’t have too many of his own. Water is cheaper and more healthful. It will help get the rice down. I can already imagine the decrease in litter. I don’t want to think about his health.

He: What is his hope?

Me: Hyperinflation of the currency. It will help all debtors but destroy the lenders.

He: He wins, the banks die. Is that so bad?

Me: You die, I die too. That is bad.

He: How likely is hyperinflation?

Me: The answer is in the bottom of you tea-cup. I drink coffee. That is my excuse, and I am sticking to it.

He: That line is tired.

Me: So am I. Good night.

Clean. Clean things are good. This means dirty things are bad. We have clean-burning natural gas. We also have coal. Coal is not clean.

Family. We hear of “family farms.” A local politician sent around a survey that used “family liquor stores.” That was a new one. “Family values” is trite.

Fight terrorism. Phrase used to justify repressive measures. It is now the case the those fighting terrorism are becoming the real terrorists.

Protect the children. You can’t keep the little one too safe.

Strong schools. An euphemism for more money.

Reform. Usually just talk but sometimes there are superficial changes.

Transparency. A repainting in a new color.

Accountability. The matter caused great bad publicity, so some small fry got fired. Reform usually follows along with promises of transparency.

Fight/get tough on crime. Small-time crooks go to jail. The politically connected thief who stole billions keeps most of the money.

Clean up corruption. My guys get the graft, not yours.

Will/man of the people. He is in someone’s pocket.

Terrorist. Any one the government wants to kill.

Supporter of terrorism. Usually a head of state that has fallen out of favor with our government.

Rogue state. They won’t do what we want.

Regime change. What happens to a rogue state that does not have nukes.

Nukes. Things rogue states use to prevent regime change.

Allies. Countries that go along with us because they will get a share of the loot.

Standards. Important things that are not important.

Good government. Ordinary government with transparency.

Social justice. When government, good or otherwise, takes from those who own and give most of it those who don’t.

Fair share. Class envy; you pay for what I want.

Soak the rich. Tilting at windmills.

Switzerland. A small, land-locked, anomalous country in Europe that is neither ally nor a rogue state.

Good education. Paper certification.

Israel. Majority shareholder of the United States Congress.

TSA. Successor to the Keystone Cops but not as funny.

There are many more. I will leave it to you to add your favorites in the comments.