The Quotidian Spur

Monday, January 12, 2015

Keep Us in the Dark

Indoctrination is long been the modus operandi for organized religion, oppressive governments, ideological fundamentalists, and the rich & powerful. Why?

Indoctrination is the process of inculcating ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or a professional methodology... [as distinguished] from education, claiming that the indoctrinated person is expected not to question or critically examine the doctrine they have learned.--Wikipedia

By suppressing information and education accessible to the common people an elite charter is kept in place. To put it another way, it is easier to spread disinformation, fear and violence among an uneducated populace who are too afraid and too ill-informed to effectively disrupt the delicate imbalance that girds the status quo.

Malala Yousafzai has become the personification of the extreme measures to suppress education. She survived being shot in the head by local Taliban who had banned girls from attending school. She is now an activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. Her advocacy has since grown into an international movement.

"Charlie Hebdo Cover Features Muhammad Holding 'Je Suis Charlie' Sign"

And now, we have the massive march in Paris, where over a million protesters have decided to act in opposition to the tactics of the Islamist fundamentalists. (see my Jan 8th blog -- I Am Charlie) And, in concert, The Huffington Post just released the cover for next issue of Charlie Hebdo. Millions have taken action to say they are not afraid.

These events are a warning to all of us to be alert to anyone who shuns science, suppresses education, stifles progress or discourages change -- all to keep us in the dark.

Change this.