Sunday, July 17, 2005

Callidus

The following paragraphs are excerpts from C.S. Lewis’ “Screwtape proposes a toast”, a fictitious speech by the demon Screwtape to younger demons. These specific paragraphs refer to the destruction of democracy.

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The basic principle of the new education is to be that dunces and idlers must not be made to feel inferior to intelligent and industrious pupils. That would be “undemocratic”. These differences between the pupils—for they are obviously and nakedly individual differences—must be disguised. This can be done on various levels. At universities, examinations must be framed so that nearly all the students get good marks. Entrance examinations must be framed so that all, or nearly all, citizens go to universities, whether they have any power (or wish) to profit by higher education or not. At schools, the children who are too stupid or lazy to learn languages and mathematics and elementary science can be set to doing the things that children used to do in their spare time. Let them, for example, make mud-pies and call it modeling. But all the time there must be no faintest hint that they are inferior to the children who are at work. Whatever nonsense they are engaged in must have—I believe the English already use the phrase—‘parity of esteem’. An even more drastic scheme is not impossible. Children who are fit to proceed to a higher class may be artificially kept back, because the others would get a trauma—Beelzebub, what a useful word!—by being left behind. The bright pupil thus remains democratically fettered to his own age-group throughout his school career, and a boy who would be capable of tackling Aeschylus or Dante sits listening to his coaeval’s attempts to spell out A CAT SAT ON THE MAT.

In a word, we may reasonably hope for the virtual abolition of education when I’m as good as you has fully had its way. All incentives to learn and all penalties for not learning will vanish. The few who might want to learn will be prevented; who are they to overtop their fellow? And anyway the teachers—or should I say, nurses?—will be far too busy reassuring the dunces and patting them on the back to waste any time on real teaching. We shall no longer have to plan and toil to spread imperturbable conceit and incurable ignorance among men. The little vermin themselves will do it for us.

Of course this would not follow unless all education became state education. But it will. That is part of the same movement. Penal taxes, designed for that purpose, are liquidating the Middle Class, the class who were prepared to save and spend and make sacrifices in order to have their children privately educated. The removal of this class, besides linking up with the abolition of education, is, fortunately, an inevitable effect of the spirit that says I’m as good as you. This was, after all, the social group which gave to the humans the overwhelming majority of their scientists, physicians, philosophers, theologians, poets, artists, composers, architects, jurists, and administrators. If ever there was a bunch of tall stalks that needed their tops knocked off, it was surely they. As an English politician remarked not long ago, ‘A democracy does not want great men’.

I’m as good as you is a useful means for the destruction of democratic societies. But it has far deeper value as an end in itself, as a state of mind, which necessarily excluding humility, charity, contentment, and all the pleasures of gratitude or admiration, turns a human being away from almost every road which might finally lead him to Heaven.

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Cursores

As most of you probably know, the IOC just decided to hold the 2012 Olympics in London—it was close between London and Paris. Here are some comments from the French Officials about the IOC’s not selecting Paris:

“I think what made us lose was that we played fair.” Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe

“It’s simply an injustice today on the part of the IOC members not to choose Paris. It’s an affront to France.” Francis Luyne, French Swimming Federation

“I don’t know exactly why the IOC members don’t understand us.” Jean-Francois Lamour, French Sports Minister.

The mayor also hinted that he had seen “people” leaving Blair’s hotel room. He wouldn’t identify them, but said: “I didn’t have conversations with the people of the IOC…It’s forbidden.”

How can grown men be so…whiney? The mayor could easily win a passive/aggressive competition.

One thing really good about the French though, are their military’s guns, which are now in extremely high demand in the civilian market worldwide. Where else can you get a military gun that’s never been used, and only dropped once?;)