"...Libraries...but the real white whale for the GOP is the destruction of public education."

[CousinIT]

https://www.salon.com/2023/04/13/defunding-public-libraries-republicans-on-reading-goes-nuclear/

. . .

Republicans behind the book-banning typically deny that they have a larger agenda against education or literacy, instead claiming their goals are limited to keeping a small number of books out of people's hands. But there's good reason to think there's a much larger goal afoot, of stigmatizing the very idea of reading and education. In Florida, the restrictions on books are so severe that many teachers were forced to deny kids access to any books, lest they run afoul of the censorship law.

. . .

The war on libraries is part of a larger GOP assault on the very concept of public provision of education in any form. Part of the reason is a larger right-wing skepticism of the concept of a "common good." In 2019 for the New York Times, journalist Monica Potts wrote about how her small community of Van Buren County, Arkansas had gone to war over the existence of the library. This was before the current book-banning craze, and so the anti-library forces in her community were more upfront about why they wanted the library gone: Because Republicans believed that it was a "waste of taxpayers' money" to provide that resource. In her interviews with residents, Potts discovered a deep hostility among conservatives to the very idea of learning and education, and a desire "to keep people with educations out."

"Call me narrow-minded but I've never understood why a librarian needs a four-year degree," one resident told her.

. . .

One can immediately understand, in the age of Donald Trump, how turning people away from books and towards the internet benefits the anti-democratic desires of the GOP. Books range in quality, of course — they let Ann Coulter write them, after all — but overall, there's a stronger chance of someone developing qualities of thoughtfulness and empathy if they actually read books. The internet has a lot of great stuff on it — you are reading this article there! — but it's also notoriously good at turning people's minds to mush. You're unlikely to join up with QAnon or become radicalized by incels at the library. The internet, however, is very good at turning otherwise normal people into blithering idiots who love Trump and hate democracy.

The end goal of "school choice" politics is crushing the concept of critical thinking, which tends to undermine the authoritarian grip on power.

As I've written about before, the philosopher Umberto Eco was writing in the 90s about how fascists have always cultivated a "distrust of the intellectual world. To the fascist, "thinking is a form of emasculation." Rationality and science, in this worldview, lead to "depravity." The paper-thin "porn" pretext has always been about this larger hostility to the very concept of thinking, studying, and reading.

[mucifer]

1. Their dream is we can be like China and Cuba with

Bookstores that have only a dozen state sanctioned books

[FakeNoose]

2. Funny how their ideals are communist systems, run by dictators

[IronLionZion]

15. Communism and fascism connect in a sort of circle rather than linear opposites

they want to restrict our freedoms to read books for some reason. Keep people uninformed and easy to control.

[yardwork]

22. It's authoritarianism.

Fascism is authoritarian by definition. Communism doesn't have to be, but in practice it always is because most people don't want it, fundamentally.

[NullTuples]

25. I wonder if "most people don't want it" because 400 years of capitalism has convinced them so.

In reality, we have fair amounts of socialistic & communistic policies & social or governmental structures that people appreciate. Less than before the neocons began privatizing everything that wasn't nailed down, but still...

[IronLionZion]

26. Many of us like the Nordic model, which is social democracy

rather than what China or the old Soviet Union had.

[NullTuples]

33. Social Democracy that includes strong regulatory agencies that work for the people? Count me in.

[yardwork]

29. Socialism is quite different from collective communism, I think.

Most people don't want to give up private ownership, which is how communism is interpreted.

[lindysalsagal]

3. That's what most "home schooling" really is.

[Timeflyer]

4. Reference librarians were/are trained to verify info and trace sources back to origin.

Before the internet (there was such a time), before google, libraries were the local, free, public places people could rely on to access information, usually with help, if needed, from a trained professional. "Collection management" meant there was careful oversight and control of sources of info in the reference collection.

Privatization of education, hospitals, etc. is money-making dream/grift of conservative investors.

[2naSalit]

5. A tragedy of the commons...

At every level.

[yardwork]

30. It really is.

[MLAA]

6. You are right.

Keeping people uneducated is their strategy. Who else but the uninformed, misinformed or just plain racist/misogynists would vote for them?

[ripcord]

36. Is that the strategy in California also?

California defunded public libraries years ago, they are all funded at the local level now, I should have known they were trying to keep people ignorant. Why would democrats support people like that?

[obamanut2012]

39. What does California have to do with anything?

[modrepub]

7. Anyone Who's Gone Through The Public School System

should be familiar with the stigmatization associated with "being smart". Geek, nerd, spaz, were just some of the names that were tacked onto the learned folks working their way through my public schools.

A professor I had in college noted there were a lot of negative connotations associated with being a scientist. Think along the lines of "mad scientists" who used their cognitive abilities to fight good. I see this as an extension of the ostracizing of people with any serious thinking ability.

In modern times people who fall into this category tend to be called "elites" with the criticism that these "smart and privileged" people look down on everyone because they think the rest of us are "dummies".

I can't help this is just an extension of the prejudices I saw against those more learned folks who were just trying to work their way through the public school system. To me it's funny how folks have been told what to think by folks who accuse others of telling folks what to think; I don't think a lot of people realize how manipulated they are. And I always think the best way to get someone to read and consider provocative ideas is to tell them they can't have access to them. Book bans often have the opposite effect of those who want to prevent ideas from spreading; they just draw more attention to said issue and ridicule to those who attempt to impose them.

[FailureToCommunicate]

20. My older brother (nuclear and electronics engineering PHD) and his smart friends were taunted...

at their school, particularly by the more popular "jocks".

My brother **claimed** that he and his friends would return a taunt (probably under their breath): "THAT'S ALRIGHT. THAT'S OKAY...YOU'LL ALL WORK FOR US ONE DAY!"

[NullTuples]

34. Problem is, there's still a chain of "them" above him in the corporate hierarchy

[Hekate]

8. In this context, ask yourself why they will not stop the slaughter of children in schools

[bronxiteforever]

13. +1

[Freethinker65]

9. These same conservative politicians will ensure their kids get a real education.

They desire a two tiered education/power/wealth system. Keeping the masses un, or undereducated, further consolidates power and wealth to the upper class with an ample supply of underclass to exploit and exhaust.

[tanyev]

10. And yet, the people who hate intellectuals want to use the inventions of scientists and engineers

to increase their power and wealth. And they definitely want the best medical care available for their own benefit.

[lark]

11. Yep, education and healthcare and forced birthing are needed for the fascist state to reign free.

They are trying to put in the parts of a fascist society while still calling us a democracy (lie). Once those are in place, boom, away goes the democracy or republic and in comes the will of the rich - who were behind all this to begin with. A society of ignorant sick people who have no option but to work for pennies and who die when they get sick enough with no care to help them. Barons and serfs is the model they want with fascism as the direction they'll take.

[bronxiteforever]

12. K&R. Great article.

[Duppers]

14. Indeed! 👍

"hostility to the very concept of thinking."

All we need is the buy-bull.

[Captain Zero]

16. Also ban books in schools; then close libraries

So when they can't read the book at school they sure won't go find it at the library, if the library has been closed down. Something like that may be their interim strategy.

There may be an opening though for large city libraries to expand their reach online.

[calimary]

17. Yep.

[KPN]

18. Yup. They want to return to the 17th century.

Education should be reserved for those who can afford it.

[yardwork]

19. Right on target. We ignore this at our peril.

The anti-intellectual crowd has always been a big presence (remember W got elected partly because he was a "relatable" C student, compared to that "snob" Al Gore) but now they're being used by a more intentional force. Force people away from reading books that might spark thought and illumination, and into the internet, hate radio and TV, where propaganda is unimpeded.

[getagrip_already]

21. they have been calling them "government schools" for a loooong time.

It is not a new goal. They are just moving it to the top of their list now that they have legislatures willing to help.

You get what you elect......

[TeamProg]

23. " The end goal of "school choice" politics is crushing the concept of critical thinking"

That is the goal, but I'm not sure it's fully attainable. Students and those who struggle are always going to ask questions and wonder "why".

It's the wealthy entitled kids who ask no questions often due to a foreclosed personal development.

15% of the population still believe in TFG.

[ShazzieB]

24. I'm sure libraries scare the hell out of those people.

Republicans desperately want to control what information people have access to. They're anti-education, because the poorly educated are easier to keep in line.

And libraries are the worst. They are all about making ALL the information available to ALL the people. That's the GOP's worst nightmare.

[Quiet man]

27. Public education

I have watched our governor Kim Jong reynolds destroying public schools in Iowa and have came to the conclusion that what we are seeing is a resurrection of the John Birch Society. The goal is to completely eliminate public everything bit by bit.

[Delphinus]

31. Welcome to DU!

[gopiscrap]

40. welcome to DU

[Gaugamela]

28. They want to force the masses into right-wing Christian madrasas that will

indoctrinate children into their systems of control: patriarchy, racism, and the divine right of wealth.

[CaptainTruth]

32. "No Child Left Behind" made it clear to me.

When it was introduced I thought it through & realized that when it reached its final, full implementation, it would eliminate federal funding for the majority of public schools, especially larger ones.

[TygrBright]

35. Well, sure. They've been working on it since the 1970s. n/t

[ripcord]

37. I wish everyone here would have condemned California for defunding public libraries

Thankfully local governments have stepped up to save people from the uncaring state government.

[Cha]

38. Kick.. TY!