Wossamotta U was the alma mater of Bullwinkle, an early teacher of the social innuendo. This episode examines the university as the self-perpetuating goal of education. We review the NY Times article “Placing the Blame as Students Are Mired in Debt,” the Washington Examiner article, “Higher Education’s Bubble is About to Burst,” and the eye-opening new book by Anya Kamenetz, DIY U. From her book, we cite statistics on drop-out rates, question the cost/benefit ratio, and take a jaundiced look at college from “The Economics of Education and the Education of an Economist.”
But from the last episode, we reconsider our conclusions from a Pew Center survey showing Republicans are happier than Democrats. And we ask, who funds the Pew Center anyway? We hypothesize that it’s the same group that’s grooming Presidential candidates, as John Perkins reveals they do for economic hit men. We end with a new educational paradigm, that compares apples to apples to measure the success of schooling.
Poems:
- “When the Shoe Fits” by Chuang Tsu
- “Straight Talk from Fox” by Mary Oliver
Songs and/or Music Videos
- “A Day Without Rain” and “Tempus Vernum” by Enya
- “Same Old, Same Old” by Chumbawumba
- “Someday” by Brett Dennen
Excerpt
- Question related to California’s Budget Crisis and Cabrillo College
To listen or view the multimedia transcript, click here!
Tags: Anya Kamenetz, Brett Dennen, Chuang Tsu, Chumbawumba, DIY U, Education, Enya, John Perkins, Mary Oliver, Obama, schooling, student loans, universities
Posted in Debt, Economics, Education, Obama | Comments Off
Climate Debt: Relates statistics about per capita carbon emissions to national debt burdens. Suggests that instead of charging “rich” countries a climate debt, we absolve all national debts – saving the global South 200 billion a year. Proposes a US plan for counties to keep 2% of their own income tax for every 2% the county lowers its carbon emissions. This would promote local sovereignty, defund the military, and lower emissions 20% by 2020, 40% by 2030, or even 80% by 2050.
Recommends that Evo Morales, Naomi Klein, Vendana Shiva, and Desmond Tutu read Barabara Ehrenreich, to understand why Americans aren’t rolling in the dough. Uses the case study of Firestone and Mittal Steel in Liberia to explain odious debt, vulture funds, and liability sheltering. From Clinton Callahan’s article, “Beware the Psychopath, My Son,” extrapolates that corporations are, by definition, psychopaths as persons without conscience or culpability.
Poems:
- Mary Oliver, ”Almost a Conversation”
- Marge Piercy, ”The Seven of Pentacles”
Songs and/or Music Videos:
- Alpha Yaya Diallo, “Bambara Blues,”
- Seize the Day, “The Price of Petrol”
Embedded PDF Files:
- Global Witness, “Heavy Mittal”
- UK Guardian Datablog, “Carbon Emissions Per Person, By Country”
- Dr. Kevin Barrett, “Twilight of the Psychopaths”
- Silvia Cattori, “Trick of the Psychopath’s Trade”
Audio Bonus:
- Fun and lively interview with Barbara Ehrenreich. They discuss magical thinking in religion and business, ‘tit for tat’ in cancer fundraising, how the office has been outsourced to the home, and the danger of shooting the messenger. Tereza relates two stories of being fired for not being a “can-do girl,” and asks whether all middle-managers have become “can-do girls” in this musical chairs jobless market.
Tags: Alpha Yaya Diallo, Barbara Ehrenreich, Bright-Sided, Climate Debt, Clinton Callahan, Debt, Desmond Tutu, Dr. Kevin Barrett, Evo Morales, Firestone, Liberia, Marge Piercy, Mary Oliver, Mittal Steel, Naomi Klein, Seize the Day, Silvia Cattori, Vendana Shiva
Posted in Debt, Economics, Environmental | No Comments »
CHIMPS: Proposes a partnership between Cabrillo College and the Santa Cruz community to start a new radio station focusing on independent news and analysis. Celebrates independent publishers like Anarchist Press and the well-disguised anarchist bookshop Capitola BookCafe. Sets the goal of enabling a self-educated generation, without debt, who know how to work with their hands.Discusses the movie, “The End of Poverty?” by Philippe Diaz and cites research by Susan George on the global South financing the North. Introduces David Rovic’s new feature, “This Month in History and Song.” Shows how Cabrillo’s Student Senate is out to break the spine of the textbook cartel. Relates Dennis Kucinich’s State sovereignty solution to healthcare and Jane Hamsher’s admonishment to play hardball. Speculates on a community college exchange for sustainability.
Poems:
- Stan Rice, “Monkey Hill”
- Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese”
- AmazingSuperPowers.com, “How to Be a Monkey”
Songs and/or Music Videos
- John Zorn, “End Titles”
- Howie Day, “Collide”
- David Bowie,”Space Oddity”
Informational Videos:
- Democracy Now, “Philippe Diaz on The End of Poverty?”
- Movie trailer, “The End of Poverty?”
Tags: amazingsuperpowers.com, Anarchist Press, Cabrillo College, Capitola BookCafe, David Bowie, David Rovic, Democracy Now, Dennis Kucinich, Howie Day, Jane Hamsher, John Zorn, Mary Oliver, Philippe Diaz, radio, Stan Rice, Susan George, The End of Poverty?
Posted in Economics, Education, Media, Sovereignty | No Comments »
