From: New York
Date sent: Sun, 23 Feb 1997 17:59:35 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Conspiracy, Agendas and Collusion

We have had a number of posts forwarded on the loop over time in which "conspiracy" has been either mentioned or been a main theme in regards to globalism and/or education. It is a term that is easy to voice, and I think too often it is used without much forethought.

Recently [Del.] and I had discussion in regards to these posts and his question follows:

"What is your opinion of the allegations we have seen voiced on the loop in the past concerning the association of the educational reform movement with a general and global political conspiracy?"

_______________________________

The following is my response and it is forwarded as a thought piece for debate or discussion should any feel so moved.

I am not a conspiracy theorist. On the other hand I don't fully reject the possibility that there is conspiracy involved at least to some extent. I have had many discussions with those who support conspiracy theories in, and out of, education. Likewise I have had similar discussions with those who strongly oppose any conspiracy theory. It is quite easy to make a case both ways quite frankly. Part of the problem is that there needs to be a clear definition of conspiracy in any attempt to apply it. When do interlocking agendas become conspiracy? When does collusion become conspiracy? If one looks at the current educational situation and its history, it becomes clear that there are clear agendas, and there are interlocking agendas both with education and between education and other previously disparate programs such as health care, business and social concerns. There can be little doubt of collusion at a local up through federal level in achieving their agendas. Where do these things stop and conspiracy begin? Is there any doubt in either of your minds that what we see going on in education is actually the seeking of money and power? 40 years of increasingly poor performance hardly supports the theory that this is about educating children. Nor is there any magic about the "communications revolution" or the 21st century that supports the total restructuring of education and society.

There is strong evidence that many things we are experiencing today in education and society correlate closely to stated positions and goals of the UN, particularly UNESCO. Is this because there is a conspiracy perpetrated by the UN, or is it the UN following the programs and concepts being introduced in western nations over the past 40 years, or is there simply agreement between the UN and national leaders that this is the way to go? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Again I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I am a realist when it comes to interlocking agendas and collusion between men of power. Secrecy is not necessarily a difference between agendas and conspiracy. Both may be secretive. Both have clearly defined goals. Either can have elements of the other in their practice and purpose. Conspiracy addresses the web of collusion between men. Agenda the intent. Define conspiracy, then see if the criteria of what you are seeing meets that definition. The UN might only have one agenda or many interlocking agendas. It is how they go about enacting those agendas in conjunction with the nations and leaders of the world that might support the charge of conspiracy.

Probably one of the most flagrant examples of agendas is in the current STW effort. Rather than addressing the poor state of reading, writing and math/science ability in America's schools, it will most likely further hamper any improvement. The larger, and some mid-size corporations, embrace it and actually helped foster the concept. They have everything to gain, a source of oriented labor which, while it won't have depth of academic understanding to progress significantly, will satisfy the need for a blue collar workforce. American business has serious problems competing with third-world business primarily because of labor costs. They have also found that setting up factories in other countries such as Mexico, even though it's close, brings on many, many other problems. Dealing with other governments, their regulations, the ongoing corruption and need to "pay", and so forth, make these efforts very troublesome. Too, with the movement of companies into foreign countries come labor problems because while there might not be an organized labor union as we know it, labor quickly realizes the advantages of concerted effort in dealing with the company. What better way to address these problems than to develop an oriented workforce in our own country that becomes rather locked in because their education is oriented to your particular needs. It doesn't insure that they will remain oriented, but the nature of most people is to seek stability even though it means less progression. Do I think that business is conspiring to "dumb-down" our workforce and have slave labor? Of course not. But they know a good thing when they see it, and an oriented labor pool, backed up by government subsidies and favors, is certainly a good thing in terms of their business and return to the stockholders.

Under Hillary's guiding eye, universal health care is being quietly, but rapidly, instituted in the nation's school system. Simultaneously, it is reaching out to encompass the local residents in the form of community clinics located within the school. In many locales the media is talking of the school being the heart of the community and the community center. Are all of these things happenstance or a carefully orchestrated agenda?

Nearly every school throughout the country teaches and embraces UN concepts on the environment, population control, societal needs, global government, etc. Happenstance or carefully orchestrated agenda?

I am not trying to prove a position of conspiracy in the above, but warn of quickly discarding the notion merely because it is uncomfortable to consider it. Perhaps we are seeing nothing but the flow of societal progress, and the "jumping on the bandwagon" of the players and as we grow older we tend to not have the perspective of the modern world. On the other hand, as we grow older we hopefully grow wiser, particularly in the motivations and ways of man.