We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, September 13, 2010

Why We Love to Hate Conspiracy Theories: 911 Truth as Threat to the Intelligentsia

by Denis G. Rancourt from Activist Teacher.

I think there is a bit too much rancor that informs the authors views on academic dissent in North America. Understandably so because he was fired for his political activism at the University of Ottawa. I think that a book like Disciplined Minds by Jeff Schmidt does a much better job of explaining why academic people are reluctant to question conspiracies too deeply.  

The capitalist ruling classes are very aware of the importance of indoctrination as a relatively inexpensive and very effective form of thought control in support of capitalism. Thus, much of the academic experience, both as a student and as a career professor, is carefully supervised by key people in strategic positions who serve the Empire. 

Hence people like Robert Gates serve interchangeable roles in the CIA and academia (President of Texas A&M University) and the War (aka "Defense") Department. Notice also where the recently fired Gen. McChrystal went--he was hired by Yale University to teach a graduate class dealing with globalization and leadership to students on their way to obtaining a master's degree in international relations.