U.S. Students Say Press Freedoms Go Too Far

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What is really sad here is that through the indoctrination of public schools, we have created a generation of children who believe that they are dependant upon the government, rather than the government being dependant upon them. Thus they believe that it is the government's role to tell them what is acceptable, after all, the gov't has been doing so for up to 13 years.

It is funny that in this one small regard it has backfired.

This is the problem with making people believe that the gov't is best mechanism for accomplishing everything. Eventually, after the gov't has taken over all other industries, why shouldn't they take over the media as well? It seems to be to be a natural progression of socialism.

 

Iago, it is strange that most political parties contradict themselves on these two issues. Ie. are liberal when it comes to civil rights, but strictly controlling economics. And the other way around.

 

The gold standard has no actual use anymore, I believe the coupling of valuta to a gold stock ( as prescribed in the bretton woods system) stopped in 1971, so this actual description of liberalism is quite outdated...

And more importantly to all you peeps who claim absolute freedom, always keep in mind that another persons freedom starts, where your freedom ends...

 

Toughluck, that's another problem...

Lord Sven, outdated, yes, as, but it's a movement from the 18th to 19th century... They had to go on after the abolishment of the cornlaws, somehow.

By the way, the gold standart itself is outdated, but the underlying principle of a monetary-stability, now through monetarism balancing delfation/inflation through national banks, is still paramount. So, they just updated, not re-invented themself or simply ceased to exist.

 

[HicksVoice] Yeah... yeah, I think we should do that... [/HicksVoice]

Seriously, I'd be surprised if high school kids understood the implications of this study. I sure wouldn't have when I was at school - I wasn't capable of thinking that well.

@ GrinninIdjut/Carcaroth: Same deal over here in Australia - and I tutor at one of the "highly-esteemed" universities in their Arts faculty. You know, the one which requires abstract thought and critical analysis of issues in order to complete it?

 

The survey's results are frightening, but not surprising. The idea of Liberty, as it was understood in the 18th and 19th centuries, and which is of course the basis of our Constitution, is simply no longer taught in our high schools, apart from rote references to a few iconic phrases. If Chandos were teaching civics it would help. Maybe 10,000 Chandos. (Hope I'm not embarassing you, Chandos.)

 

WOW! I'm not sure what to make of that. When one looks back at the women's movement, the fight over civil rights and government censorship, I'm amazed by that comment. But I would not use the term "value," I would think that liberals believe in freedom and equality as a matter of principle, while conservatives are opposed to freedom and equality BECAUSE of their values. For instance, they would oppose a woman's freedom and equality because it does not mesh with well their notion of "family values." I'll leave it to your ability to think abstractly to further this notion.

Cernak - Thanks for the kind words.

 

The survey isn't surprising to me at all. I also don't think it has anything to do with the fact that the poll was conducted among high schoolers. In an ever more conservative America, I bet you'd get about 1/3 of all adults to say that the government should give approval to what is reported in the press. Obviously, I don't agree with this, but 36% doesn't seem unbelievably high to me at all.

I'll use a George Carlin quote as it seems appropriate here:

"Just think how stupid the average person is, and then consider that half the people are even dumber than that."

 

Which party was generally opposed to the Equal Rights Amendment and Suffrage?
Sorry, couldn’t resist a dig on the Democrats. In reality it was Dixiecrats, some of which are still lingering in the Democratic Party (Robert Byrd). But I have to admit that the new generation of these people are hiding in the Republican Party.

That said, conservative citizens are not opposed to equality. Do not confuse conservative citizens with Republican politicians. Most of the conservatives I know are not in favor of the Gay Marriage Amendment. That said, I voted against it, but it still passed in my state (OK), but it also had broad support from the Democrats in this state. I would say that this issue is more of a regional issue than one of political ideology.

Painting support of freedom and rights with such a broad stroke is not effective. There are many instances where liberals wish to impede the freedoms of individuals, just as there are many where conservatives wish to, we just have different views on what is a freedom and what is a social issue.

The old definitions of liberals and conservatives no longer fit, at least in America today. Even the definitions currently in use in the rest of the world do not fit well, as joacqin has pointed out; an American liberal is a conservative in his country.

 

I'm afraid you lost me. What does government censorship of the press, or at the very least government regulation of the press have to do with equality?

 

It doesn't, I was off topic responding to Chandos, and screwed up a cut-and-paste.

Sorry

 

Darkwolf - I was not comparing politcal parties, but ideology (conservatives vs liberal). And not comparing Republicans vs Democrats. As you point out, these labels don't lend themselves to either really well. I was really responding to the comment which was made that freedom was not a "liberal value". BTW, speaking of Dixiecrats, who are they now? Where are those red states anyway?

A few may be lingering, but where in the US government can one find high concentrations of white, Protestant, middle age, male, conservatives in suits? Just whistle "Dixie." But now we are really getting off the main topic here...

[ February 04, 2005, 07:03: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]