Critical Reform Needed: "The Principles of Democracy" should be a required public school curriculum

[Tom Rinaldo]

Last edited Wed May 12, 2021, 01:21 PM - Edit history (1)

I would propose it as a mandatory course for juniors in High Schools. For too long Americans have taken our revolutionary democratic heritage for granted, and now it has reached a point where it is slipping through our fingers, partially as a result. All American youth should be educated about democracy, comparing its advantages and disadvantages to other forms of government. Various models for democratic forms of government should also be looked at, showing how the American model compares to that used by other world democracies. Even more importantly, the fundamental prerequisites for maintaining a healthy functional democracy should be studied. That would include the infrastructure needed by a well functioning democracy, both human and technical.

The curriculum should cover such basics as the role of checks and balances, the need for governmental transparency, and the need for equitable access to mass media by potential candidates for government so that a democratic government can represent the full spectrum of it's citizens and not end up dominated only by those with exceptional personal means and/or those disproportionately indebted to those with concentrated wealth. The concept of "the market place of ideas" should be explored, with an emphasis on what is required to ensure that malicious falsehoods not drown out the truth. The origin of core premises such as "one man one vote" should be taught, as well as the history of the expansion of the right to vote from our nation's founding to the current day.

That's just scratching the surface, I'm sure others can think of additional essential topics that would fall within "The Principles of Democracy." This is not and need not become a partisan exercise. Democracy is not a partisan issue, it is our shared American heritage, but it does not flourish with neglect. That should be obvious to many by now.

[Quakerfriend]

1. Yes, absolutely!

And, the sooner the better!
I also think there ought to be consequences for politicians who lie.

[Beastly Boy]

2. I would also propose logic and critical thinking as requirements.

[Klaralven]

3. Logic and critical thinking are dangerous to democracy

That is how all those people come to believe in the Qanon fantasy.

"Do your own research", "Don't trust the mainstream media".

Logical arguments are presented, with the fallacies hidden in semantics and the excluded middle.

The problems of modern societies need solutions based on quantitative mathematical and statistical models that can answer questions of to what degree, how much, at what cost and at what risk? Logic is far to limited.

[Beastly Boy]

4. The study of logic necessarily includes the study of fallacies, and critical thinking skills make

recognition of content and context of phrases like "Do your own research" and "Don't trust the mainstream media" as fallacious when used out of context. Logic would inform us that "Do your own research" does not reject any sources for research material, and "Don't trust the mainstream media" places preconceived and artificial boundary on the extent of one's trust and mistrust. Likewise, critical thinking skills would inform us of reliable vs unreliable sources, either in research or in media. These are just a couple of examples you brought up. The point is, no mathematical or statistical models, while useful as a source to cite, will teach us the skills necessary to make informed conclusions.

[Klaralven]

5. Let's take "the mainstream media cannot be trusted regarding Covid therapeutics and vaccines"

The mainstream media are controlled by a handful of companies, e.g. Disney, Comcast, CBS Viacom, etc.

These companies benefit from large revenues derived from pharma advertising.

Therefore they will not publish:
a) the truth about vaccine side effects and endanger pharma revenues from vaccines, and
b) the truth about off-patent, repurposed therapeutics able to cure Covid that would endanger pharma revenues from patented therapeutics.

The above is a pretty standard Qanon formulation.

[Beastly Boy]

6. Qanon makes a glaring omission in this meme.

In claiming MSM is not to be trusted, Qanon doesn't differentiate between MSM and the trusted sources that they report on, like CDC and WHO. Guilt by association. That's a fallacy. Anyone versed in logic would recognize it and exercise the option to "do their own research" by going directly to CDC and WHO for information.

[Klaralven]

8. CDC and WHO are also captured by big pharma and the vaccine industry

They are no more trustworthy than the MSM.

[Beastly Boy]

11. That's just false on its face.

One doesn't need to be versed in logic to see this. Just apply a pinch of critical thinking and let it simmer.

You are proposing that the lessons in critical thinking and logic will be lost on some people. Ok, I can buy it. By the same token, the lessons in geography or math, or any other subject, are lost on some people. But not that many. Overall, all these lessons are invaluable to the well being of a society.

[Klaralven]

13. Why is it false on its face?

CDC researchers have careers that are invested in vaccine technology research and in basic research underlying drug discovery.

Pretty much the same thing with WHO, which gets a major chunk of its funding for vaccine work from GAVI, the Gates Foundation, etc.

I'm proposing that logic and critical thinking of the sort that can be expressed by written natural language are inadequate tools for evaluating complex problems and arriving at sensible solutions.

A cursory introduction to them, such as can be delivered to Tik-Tok absorbed high school students, is dangerous because it sets them up for exploitation by the unscrupulous when they become overly confident that they can determine truth or falsity themselves.

[Beastly Boy]

14. These are not facts, these are speculations

Are CDC researchers motivated exclusively by safeguarding their careers, or do their careers depend on their trustworthiness? Does WHO exist for obtaining the Gates Foundation funds, or does the foundation make grants based on the WHO record of accomplishment? Simple critical thinking analysis would establish the predominant dynamics of this equation.

Yet, you present only a part of it and, while ignoring the rest, make conclusions based on your preferred point of view without as much as considering the likelihood of what you are proposing.

What you are doing to boost your argument is exactly what every conspiracy theory is doing: take a speculation, present it as the only valid view, and pretend you are applying logic to a premise that is not factual.

I think we are done here.

[pecosbob]

7. Can we get a spell check on the thread title?

cur·​ric·​u·​lum | kə-ˈri-kyə-ləm

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. Thanks for doing it.

But only I could edit the title, so I just did

[Hortensis]

9. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,..."

The Declaration's a statement of purpose and principle for our new nation. In just this one paragraph are equality of all men, inalienable rights of the individual, purpose of government to serve the people, power of government from the people. And there's more.

[Caliman73]

12. As long as it is present with all the warts.

Yes, our Democratic Republic was a divergence from all other forms of government at the time. However, it was not for everyone and the Founders knew about that at the very time they were writing the Constitution. That is also something that needs to be addressed in this "Principles of Democracy" curriculum. "How has the US lived up to these ideals? How has it failed? What do we ALL need to do to have the US live up to its ideals?".

[GoodRaisin]

15. I agree with you. I would like to add to that thought that we should look more closely at how

conceptual democracy is being folded into our teaching of American history from early grades on. Are we getting the point across about WHY our forefathers fought and died so that they could enjoy the freedoms from tyrants that a democratic process affords it's people? Why their fight was so important to them and should be valued by us? I don't think so. When we have so many brainwashed people to fall for the authoritarian movement we are now seeing in our country, who seem to have either forgotten, or never were taught, or just don't appreciate the sacrifices that other truly patriotic Americans have made to gain and protect the freedoms these idiots enjoy, yet apparently, are quite ready and willing to give it all away to a liar and his band of feckless, cowardly politicians. Obviously they can't see the parallels between history, democracy, and what they are supporting now. In my community I see Trump banners and Gadsden flags flying in the same yard, which is totally ignorant, considering that Trump's is an authoritarian movement, while Gadsden was fighting the tyranny of the King!

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. I think the answer to your question is clearly no, but it needs to be.

An informed populous is not essential to an autocracy, a monarchy, or a dictatorship. In fact in those cases it is a hindrance to those who wield power, but one is essential for a well functioning democracy. It should surprise no one that ours is starting to fall apart at the seams. We have neglected civics 101 as badly as we have neglected physical infrastructure in this nation. There was nothing that the founders feared more than the unchecked concentration of power in the hands of a future head of state. Trump banners and Gadsden flags indeed