Category Archives: Education

Entries focusing on environmental education

The Miseducation of Conservatives

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It was revealed today that 70% of Republicans think that Joseph R. Biden won the US Presidency because of voter fraud. This follows the statement from Chris Krebs, the DHS head of cyber security and election integrity in the US, that the 2020 vote was “the most secure in the history of American elections.” His statement contradicted the President’s “alternative truth” and Donald pulled a “You’re fired!” on Chris the next day.

When Fox News agreed with Chris, frustrated facist Republicans turned to the farther to the right One America News (OAN) and Newsmax Media. Now the former President, failed real estate scammer, and apoplectic Apprentice wants to start his own Trump TV to continue the dumbing down of his acolytes. Howard Stern immediately predicted it would be about as successful as a Trump Casino.

All of this might lead one to conclude that 70% of Republicans are really, really stupid. But consider the source of their education. And consider that it is not just Republicans in the US being fed a curriculum of fudged facts. Just look at the Conservative media messaging in Canada for a more polite but equally frightening perspective.

Doug Ford stands stiffly for his daily “press briefing” and proclaims he has been fully transparent about his coronavirus campaign while failing to reveal the data and detailed reports from his newly appointed “expert panel” whose sole purpose is to Keep Ontario Open. Previously he wouldn’t reveal the input from his “stakeholder groups” of “concerned parents” and businesses. No Doug, that is NOT being transparent. That is exactly the opposite of being transparent.

It’s like Stephen Lecce declaring that his “plan” for the upcoming school holidays was to have an extended holiday. Really Stephen? That is NOT a plan. Not a bad idea though, to allow those holiday reveling families to have two weeks of quarantine after New Years celebrations. Get tested mid-January and then come back to the crowded classrooms.

However, when floated out to the public, as populous governments will often do, this idea received negative feedback from parents who could not bear the thought of having to parent their own children into the middle of January.  The non-plan was cancelled. For now.

The unfortunate thing is that many Ontarians actually believe that Premier Ford was being “transparent” and that Minister Lecce had a “plan” just as 70% of Republicans believe that the US Presidential 2020 election was stolen by millions of dead immigrant children who cast illegal mail-in ballots and hacked voting machines.

The way I see it.

***

Skid Crease, Caledon

Truth Decay

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 When a philandering and failed NY real estate “mogul” began to muse about becoming the President of the United States, all of the storm warning flags should have gone up. When we saw how the arrogant reality TV “star” ran his board, we should have closed the beaches. But when he began to promote conspiracy birther theories about the 44th President of the United States, we should have boarded up the windows and left town. And left him behind.

From his full page attacks on the innocent Central Park Five to the Pizzagate Pedophile Ring, he openly revealed his true character and the depth of his intelligence as if shallowness and stupidity were traits to be admired. And the shallow and the stupid bought it hook, line, and sinker.

The truth decay spread rampantly through social media and complicit corporate media. It spead through conspiracy operatives like Steve Bannon and Roger Stone and infected all who could not see the little man behind the curtain. In Canada, it spread through the Conservative Party of Canada, through the provincial Conservatives, through the Wexiters, through the Yellow Vesters, through the “Freedom Rally” #COVIDIOTS, through the religious wrong and the evangelical illiterate.

There is no easy treatment for this truth decay. Even normal tooth decay treatment by fluoride would get the conspiracy theorists out screaming about a government conspiracy to poison our drinking water. No, this truth decay is going to require intense conversion therapy for the brain to make the transition from stupidity to a modicum of intelligence. Gravity works.

With almost 50% of Americans and 30% of Canadians infected by truth decay, it bodes well for the future of education. Forget the 3R’s of Rage, Rant, and Reject the facts. Let’s move forward in 2021 with the 3E’s:  lessons in Ecology, Economics and Ethics will be a good curriculum for 2021.

The way I see it.

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Skid Crease, Caledon

*image from rand.com

 

The Most Dangerous Game

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A scenario is playing out in the United States right now that could be the most dangerous game in the history of the US. The Game Master is Roger Stone and the game is called “Stop the Steal” and the players are deluded and disillusioned citizens. Stone incorporated what he likes to call a “grassroots movement” several years ago amid a massive fundraising effort. His “Stop the Steal” business is now engaged in deliberately inciting Americans to violence and sedition by denying the legitimate results of a secure 2020 election process.

 By now it should be clear to most of the intelligent world that Joseph R. Biden is the winner of the 2020 election and the legitimate President-Elect of the US. But the Stone crowd, including people like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany continue to use their now illegitimate pulpits to falsely claim that Trump is about to transition to a second term in office.

Mike “smug mug” Pompeo should be tossed out of office right now, but is instead on a contaminating 7 country farewell international tour. Kayleigh “my mouth turns excrement into sugar” McEnany continues to lie through her plasticly perfect smile every time she opens her mouth.

The most dangerous game they are playing is that they are feeding oxygen and fuel into the fire of a dangerously deluded and angry mob of Trumpists, Instead of acknowledging that Biden won “by a landslide” – to quote former president 45 when he received the same 306 Electoral College votes in 2016 – the Trump fanatics insist on the exact opposite.

With armed Proud Boys and Boogaloo Boys and Riot Girls threatening violence in the streets, Trump could be forcing America into a state of total anarchy, where military intervention and nationwide curfews could become the order of the day. He deliberately did not do what he should have done – concede – because he can never admit that he lost. And aided by Roger Stone and Steve Bannon and the GOP and his loyal staff he will continue to play this most dangerous game until he is removed from office.

In the short story of the same name, the protagonist wins in the end. Enjoy that first night’s sleep in the big bed, President Biden.

The way I see it.

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Skid Crease, Caledon

*image from nytimes

Democracy Works

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I don’t want to gloat, but remember that the American 2020 election was first called here at 5:00 a.m. on November 7. 2020.  I did send it to my Editor, but she was waiting for “official” verification. DARN – missed the scoop!

I will go one further and predict that the final Electoral College tally will show that Joseph Biden took a commanding 306 votes, well over the 270 required to attain the Presidency, while DJT garnered a losing 232, well short.

Granted, the popular vote was split, with Biden holding the majority by a meagre 4%. Enough to verify my prediction, and enough to indicate that the United States of America is anything but united. The best part of today was hearing President Obama chastize Republicans for their assault on voting integrity in America, He was shooting three pointers from half court while they were dribbling and drooling, unmasked, on the sidelines.

Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Lindsay Graham et al will go down in the anus of history as both dangerously stupid and #COVIDIOTS. While Trump golfs, coronavirus cases soar. Now that the election has been verified as legitimate in every way, don’t we all feel just rather silly for encouraging the Mango Mussolini to spew and contaminate democracy and public health with every TwitterTrashTirade? He Who Cannot be Named, use your final days in office to either lead or get out of the way.

You’re fired, Donald, and the next very dark chapter of your life is about to begin.

The way I see it

***

Skid Crease, Caledon

*image from uk.com

Don’t be a Larry

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Recently the Mayors of the Region of Peel – Patrick Brown of Brampton, Bonnie Crombie of Mississauga, and Allan Thompson of Caledon – pulled a Larry. Many of us will remember Larry Vaughan, the obdurate mayor of the fictional oceanside town of Amity, the setting for the Steven Spielberg movie Jaws.

To refresh: Larry wanted to keep the beaches open for the money that tourist season would bring to the local businesses, even in the face of well-bitten body parts piling up on the beach and scientific experts letting him know that death was swimming in the waters offshore.

But Larry ignored that evidence and expertise, and more death followed, and the beaches closed completely.

So when business owners came complaining to our Region of Peel Mayors, they naturally turned to the Province. Unfortunately, the Ford government had just appointed an “Expert Panel” of economic advisors who were all too ready to relax the restrictions recommended by the Chief Medical Officers of Canada, Ontario, Toronto, and Peel.

The new system is known as the COVID-19 response framework: keeping Ontario safe and open. More correctly it should be titled “Keeping Ontario Open and Safe” since it tends to be more economic than medical in intent. The levels go from Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red, and finally to LOCKDOWN,

Under the guise of “defending local business”, the government permitted the Region of Peel to move Peel Region to Red–Control level, a more business friendly level than the current modified Stage 2. The next day, The Region of Peel Public Health nixed that idea and imposed the more restrictive measures, specifically:

REGION OF PEEL ENHANCED PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES 
 
Peel Public Health is strongly urging all residents to: 
Restrict close contact to your household and essential supports
Cease all indoor social gatherings and visits (with exceptions for emergencies, renovations or one-on-teaching / tutoring) 
Limit outside trips to essential activities only, and 
Cancel, postpone or hold virtually any in-person activities.
 

Now, dear Mayors in the Region of Peel, when we are in the middle of a global pandemic with COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths climbing to new records each day, don’t be a Larry. Close the beaches. And business owners, yes, businesses will suffer during a pandemic of this scale. The Bubonic Plague was a real downer on local economics unless you were a casket maker or gravedigger.

I live in Caledon, home to 85,000 souls, only a small percentage of whom are local business owners and their employees. In fact, the five biggest employers in Caledon are Delegant Construction, Mars Foods, Canadian Tire Distribution Centre, Verdi Construction, and Husky Injection Mouldings.

In Caledon, blessed with abundant walking and hiking trails and bubbling springs, surely we don’t need any fitness clubs and bars open as indoor venues to disperse virus laden droplets and aerosols, when we can exercise in the fresh air and drink spring water.

We are in the middle of the health crisis of the decade, perhaps the century. Listen to the medical and scientific expertise intended to protect the health and safety of the entire community. The coronavirus is saying, “You can pay me now or you can pay me later.” Remember that you are the Mayors of all of the citizens of the Region of Peel, not just the business owners. When it comes time to pay the bill, the tab is on you.

The way I see it.

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Skid Crease, Caledon

*image from Twitter.com