Marx and Education
This is part 3 in a series exploring how so many Americans came to be indoctrinated and who got us to the point we are at today. Today we explore a professor, who beginning in the 1970's sat right at the center of corrupting what came to be known as "the official curriculum." Her name was Jean Anyon and she wrote the book which is the title of this expose. I'm less concerned with the book than with the more serious damage that Anyon did in the classroom.
Anyon promoted a form of dumbed-down brand of Marxist ideology in her classroom rather than a traditional approach to attainining knowledge. One of her main principles: "capitalism's private ownership of production is distinct from a socialist/communist system as imagined by Marx, in which everyone contrivutes to the production of economic goods according to their ability and is provided profits and goods according to what each person needs." In her 2011 book Marx and education, she wrote "An important insight of Marx was that Capitalism is an economic system that cannot function without fundamental inequality - meaning that inequality is built into the way the system works." Any rational person can see the contradiction there. The free enterprise system has allowed so many to overcome inequalities, as is proven by all those who want to immigrate (legally & illegally) to the US.
her most egregious act and the one most relevant to what we witnessed in 2020 was her call to action. She wrote: "In order to develop a sense of themselves as change agents, as active political players, youth also need opportunities to engage in such activity. Engagement itself, then, is a necessary part of taking up further engagements. Like riding a bike, one has to do it to learn it. There is an additional, very important reason that people become active, and that is that they are part of organizations or networks that are already active."
Think of all the students not in class during the pandemic shutdown of 2020. Think of the prominent organizations - antifa and BLM. Remember all that rioting and widespread violence. Think of the Blue city officials who were aiding the mob.
I don't mind having a Marxist teach history. There should also be a Capitalist teaching history. There should be real diversity of thought at our universities. Unfortunately there is none.
How many young minds did Anyon poison with this evil ideology?
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We shall continue to examine how the radical left came to power in America.
If you think Biden is radical left you're delusional.
We on the left know Biden is The Establishment.
Real radicals in America today are headed to DC.
And, they definitely aren't lefties. Are you going?
Those "real radicals" don't have the numbers to be a strong force.
The radical left is the real threat to our freedoms
If you don't think he's ruled like Sanders, It's you that are in denial.
Dear Mr. Vic Eldred:
I would suggest that for the future, you link previous seeded articles when doing a series. While I came late to this discussion, I did refer to your profile page and searched both for 'Marx' and 'Education.' I went back 10 pages in each and found nothing. For what it's worth.
Certainly, political economies will differ whether based on private or social ownership. As the resident Marxist, I'd say that without disagreeing, no Marxist I know postulates an axiom as a statement of Marxian political economy.
I don't see that this authoress has a grasp on Marx' political economy. Nor do I see where the radical left holds power in the US. I certainly don't hold it. Do you know anyone more radically left than yours truly? That's what I thought.
Take care.
It's not part 3 on that book. It's part 3 on leftist professors who have indoctinated so many of America's students. (and how we arrived at CRT). I began it with Herbert Marcuse. (Part 1)
I don't see that this authoress has a grasp on Marx' political economy.
You may be right, but she played a large part in mobilizing the indoctrinated
Nor do I see where the radical left holds power in the US.
You may need glasses
Do you know anyone more radically left than yours truly?
That's a tough call.
Take care.
You too. Avoid Mexico City it you can. (They are waiting for you there!)
"In order to develop a sense of themselves as change agents, as active political players, youth also need opportunities to engage in such activity. Engagement itself, then, is a necessary part of taking up further engagements. Like riding a bike, one has to do it to learn it. There is an additional, very important reason that people become active, and that is that they are part of organizations or networks that are already active."
Like becoming an evangelical and joining some group with Patriot as part of its name and best of all echo the election lies.
Sure Vic, she was the horror. /S
The very one that Colonel Walter Kurtz kept talking about....the horror......the horror!
You do not think that most history teachers in the USA are capitalists (by culture)? The Marxist teachings in the USA are minuscule; most 'information' about Marxism is horribly contrived and confused — not being based on the serious analysis of his collective works but rather on the superficial. Kind of like reading only the titles but not the articles.
Let me help you out here Vic. The success of the USA has lifted the standard of living of all US citizens. You attribute that to Capitalism because that has been our economic system. I attribute it mostly to a market-based economy in a resource-rich nation populated by immigrants (and their descendants) who escaped authoritarian societies. (Motivation + opportunity.) What Anyon likely is referring to is the demonstrable fact that those who own the productive resources of the economy can leverage same whereas those who do not can only leverage their personal labor. I just stated fundamental Marx for you. And clearly that is true. Here is a modern day example. Those who have enough capital to purchase stock are leveraging said capital to make more capital which then can be leveraged again. Contrast that with individuals who do not have the means to invest. Further, to make clear the power of leveraging, contrast those who can invest hundreds of dollars with those who can invest hundreds of millions of dollars.
This is not Anyon claiming that Capitalism is 'evil' but rather pointing out the obvious fact that ownership of productive (leverageable) property/capital creates and perpetuates a class system. And one can be a fan of Capitalism while simultaneously recognizing its imperfections.
Note: 'market-based economy' is not a synonym for Capitalism.
No.
The Marxist teachings in the USA are minuscule; most 'information' about Marxism is horribly contrived and confused — not being based on the serious analysis of his collective works but rather on the superficial.
Um-hum...Kind of like Socialism never really being tried correctly.
What Anyon likely is referring to is the demonstrable fact that those who own the productive resources of the economy can leverage same whereas those who do not can only leverage their personal labor.
I concede that you may have a point on that.
Those who have enough capital to purchase stock are leveraging said capital to make more capital which then can be leveraged again. Contrast that with individuals who do not have the means to invest.
Most people are in the Market today. Even I am involved in it.
So you think that our history teachers are mostly Marxists? Really Vic? Where did you get such an idea?
That does not even make sense. You have nothing to offer other than put out a tired cliche that does not even apply?
It does not take much looking to see this.
You missed the point entirely. I even gave you an example but I will make it sharper. Compare the leveraging power of a typical 401k vs. that of an individual who has invested millions. Both are invested in the Market and both are a single individual. Yet the millions investor is generating hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and those profits can be reinvested (at capital gain tax rates even) to leverage even more.
Leverage is the fundamental means by which the 'rich get richer'. And that in itself is not necessarily a horrible thing, but the disparity has been crazy and is simply getting worse. Hard to deny this given it is obvious.
There was a book written in 2020 entitled The Breakdown of Higher Education. It was written by John M Ellis, distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California (Santa Cruz). In that book, Ellis cites a 2006 survey conducted by Neil Gross and Solomon Simmons, of a very large sample of faculty from 927 different institutions, in which Ellis studied the survey's data and concluded that the faculty in their sample were 9 percent Conservative (though only mildly so on average), while 80 percent were solidly left, with well over half of those being extreme left. They found that one in five professors in the social sciences self-identified as Marxist. (In the field of sociology, the ratio was more than one in four.) "Astonishing as this statistic is" wrote Ellis, "it almost certainly understates the matter." Ellis reasons that the word Marxist does not play well with the general public, and many whose ideas have been formed by Marx prefer to describe themselves as "Socialist" and "progressive" or simply as "activists."
Left ≠ Marxists. Left ≠ not Capitalist.
One in five is not 'the majority'.
Finally, Marxist ≠ 'socialist' as the term is commonly used in the USA political discussions today
Your facts show your prior statement was wrong (that most history teachers are NOT capitalist). Do you recognize that?
No. There is a wide spectrum between Marxism and Capitalism. Twenty five % were self-proclaimed Marxists. We don't know the ideologies of the remainder.
Vic, you have offered nothing to support your claim that the majority of USA history teachers are not capitalists.
I guess we'll just have to disagree on that.
LOL
A: 1 +3 = 3
B: Support that claim
A: 1 + 3 ≥ 3
B: That does not support your claim that 1 + 3 = 3
A: I guess we'll just have to disagree on that.
Lol
Marxist and Socialists are not the same thing.
Sorry, it was you who posted a false equation.
How do you figure?:
Do you know what the symbol '≠' means?
Which is the only reason that such screeds get an hearing.
In the late 60's and early 70's "Marketing" was a major at University. Business Law was considered the study of US Capitalism.
Communism and Marx were discussed in History, Philosophy and Economics.
She is exactly right. Capitalism creates economic inequality. And capitalism can never fix it. In capitalism , the owner (the capitalist) is required to pay workers the lowest wage possible. (Or not be a good capitalist). Maximizing profit for the few by paying the lowest wage possible guarantees poverty and economic inequality.
In the US (and other places) we mitigate this situation by having the state augment the financial situation of low wage workers through food stamps, EITC, and assistance with medical care.
This is the best "compromise" we have come up with so far.
What are you on about, Vic? Is there supposed to be a book attached to this screed or did you just feel like typing some incoherent nonsense? What, exactly, do you find disturbing about her observations? They seem to exist more on the level of truisms than fact challenging statements. And then your non-sequitur to the BLM and antifa movements looked like you just ran out of time on an essay test so you scribbled something, anything down.
Once again with your tired conflation of the protest themselves and the rioting that occurred.I am sure that it was only because of her teaching that these happened. S/
Neither you nor anyone else may know it, but I think you may have stumbled upon something.