Let’s start by looking briefly at the history of the Education Industry…
Human beings started out learning from their parents. In hunter-gatherer societies – small groups of seven or so – knowing how to hunt, or knowing which berries to pick – meant the difference between LIFE and an EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATH. That helped improve the evolution of our species in no small measure, as the dumb-ass Cro-Magnons generally got themselves wiped out even before they found a steady girlfriend.
When agriculture became THE NEXT BIG THING for the human species – it became important for folks to tell the time. Seasons changed and farming had to be done at the RIGHT time. This required rather specialized knowledge – that not EVERY ONE in the village could quite grasp.
Enter the Druids. (i.e. religion)
Or, in more general terms – the “Priest Class.”
These people looked at the stars, sun and moon – and could some how accurately (give or take a week) PREDICT the changing of the seasons. They built devices which could help them tell the time (i.e. Stonehenge ) – which only they could decipher. Ergo, it took a specialized form of LEARNING to become part of their clan.
Fast-forward several thousand years – and you had the Library of Alexandria – where only the elite few – could get borrower’s cards. Knowledge – wasn’t for EVERYONE.
Knowledge was dangerous. And there was no telling WHAT slaves would do – if they ever learned to READ a papyrus scroll!
Well, we all know how that worked out.
The Ancient Priestly Class – were all but exterminated – along with their religion. But their position in society was soon taken up by another: The Roman Catholic Church.
A religion – which borrowed heavily from a Middle Eastern clan in the Fertile Crescent seemed to work very well to replace the Roman gods which the rebelling slave classes had come to revile. But it had to first be ADAPTED to suit a more Militaristic Civilization. You couldn’t have people running around preaching here and there – saying this and that. You needed ORDER. You needed Hierarchy. You need a Pope.
You also needed propaganda.
And so, the Council of Nicaea – was formed to create the Official Story – and its litany was spread throughout the Empire. Suddenly, there was a solid Belief-System, which MADE YOU SPECIAL. It made you HOLY! It made you PART of the UPPER ECHELONS of the Roman Empire…
Most people thought that was cool.
The Complexity of this Belief System however – required YEARS of ARDUOUS STUDY – to master. Nevermind that it had little or nothing to do with your surrounding reality. The Priest Class – were now, effectively – useless from an agricultural point of view. But they were still held in high regard – for PURELY Political Reasons. They were the Guardians of Official Propaganda!
And you couldn’t contradict them… unless you had the urge to know what your own flesh smelt like when barbecued.
Enter the Renaissance.
Suddenly, the common folk began to learn how to READ – in no small part, due to the availability of books – due again, in no small part – to the invention (by a certain goldsmith) – of the printing press.
People soon found out – that what they heard in Church – wasn’t QUITE what was in there in the “Holiest” of all books (at least in the Western hemisphere) – the Bible. And the church-sold propaganda – was, for the first time – QUESTIONED!
Now, it is important to note – that in the Middle East – at least TWO versions of a certain Belief System emerged along side that of the Holy Roman Empire. But we won’t go there – for now.
Anyway, cutting to the chase – the Age of Reason – was born.
And REASON is always an enemy – to ANY type of Belief System.
To quote Carl Sagan – the rules of Science (Reason) are twofold:
1. There are NO SACRED TRUTHS
2. All assumptions must be put to the test – and that those assumptions, inconsistent with the result – MUST be discarded.
MUST. Not “may.” Or, “should.”
In short, reason – must be based on what you can show. Or, at least – cannot prove false.
Now, we’ve arrived at a rather sticky situation. You see, the Keeper of MOST Ancient Manuscripts was the Church – who for centuries – were also the Keepers of Official Propaganda. And these new “scientists” – were trying to put them – out of a job.
Enter the University.
Sure, it was an idea stolen from the ancient Islamic world. But it really took off in Europe simply because NOW you had a method to amalgamate REASON to PROPAGANDA. Christian Universities – those which TEACH SCIENCE AS A RELIGION. You aren’t allowed to QUESTION ANYTHING – until you reached the very apex of the Academic Pyramid – by which time, you’d hopefully be corrupt enough to know “how the system worked” – and not risk loosing tenure.
A marvelous addition to this “Education System” – was the invention of centralized schools. Now, you could indoctrinate an entire population of people who would otherwise NOT have the chance – to be brainwashed into servitude. Nevermind that they were not taught things which were actually USEFUL to THEM – to their own survival. Say, about the money system – or, fractional reserve banking.
They simply filled the gap left by the ancient slave rebellion – back in Alexandria.
It’s no accident that Rockefeller had a big hand in the developement of the American School System – soon mimicked all over the world.
The BIGGEST loot, however – was to be made in PRIVATIZING University Education.
Now, students had to PAY – for their own ENSLAVEMENT by taking out massive loans for an education which virtually GUARANTEES no return.
Ka-Ching!
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