Looking forward to seeing that interview. The Japanese obligatory public schools (particularly the last two years of elementary school and three years of Jr. High) are heading in a centrally controlled digital direction, and of all subjects, English is the experimental canary in the coal mine. The central government has announced its intention for all students in that age range to be relying primarily on school-issued laptops and digital textbooks. As a semi-retired Assistant Language Teacher, I am not optimistic.
Just in the last few months, I've seen 10 and 11 year old students graded on a bell curve for displays of rote memory and mimicry while going through the motions of power point presentations — nothing really communicative involving real problem solving or bridging information gaps. Conversationally, most have a hard enough time getting through 'How are you today?' No wonder there is a drastic drop in interest and motivation in almost all subjects between elementary school and high school.
Other parts of the central government must be aware of the problem with such a plan because they are also pumping a little tax-yen into NPOs addressing the problems of micro-management. I plan on hooking up with one such NPO in the next few months, possibly going full-time next year, but I see big limits in what such a 'left hand minding the right hand' approach can do. Cognitive dissonance at its bureaucratic worst.
...a world that wants hegemony centered elsewhere, and the architects of such a world would see her canceled for "enacting whiteness," which is how we manage to unperson someone of a celebrated melanin profile.
Sep 30, 2022·edited Sep 30, 2022Liked by Mathew Crawford
> One of the things I like most about Magatte is that she promotes and participates in the positive aspects of market capitalism while pushing back against the terrible aspects of corporations and their relationships with corrupt governments.
I agree. There are pros and cons of capitalism. Corrupt crony capitalism is what is poisoning the US has now. They work with legislators to exclude themselves from certain legislation or regulations. And yet more red tape keeps killing jobs in small business. 99% of people work in small business, 99% of businesses are small business in the US. A law that increases regulations, expenses or taxes kills jobs for the small guy. Nepotism leads to corruption and poor corporate performance. Too much pollution can be problematic. Dirty tricks to gain market share is also a problem. But the worst corporations are just a fraction of 0.1% of the corporations out there and they are also generally the largest corporations in their own industry.
What an excellent interview. So glad I watched the video. Love her descriptions and attitude. If more would realize the harm from ‘free’ programs, as she explained with Tom Shoes as an example, we would see that foreign aid and charities only help the dysfunctional or corrupt governments more than the intended people. I’m not against charity, but the big picture needs seen. Helping a community build a resource or a water well is better than throwing money at their government officials.
"What world would not want Magatte building businesses?"...the current tyrannical WEF and it's tentacles who only want wealth for themselves and their ends. And they also don't want education to enlighten people to become critical thinkers. That would definitely not serve them. Makes you realize how important education is, and by education I mean teaching process of thinking more than memorizing.
Hi again Mathew,
Looking forward to seeing that interview. The Japanese obligatory public schools (particularly the last two years of elementary school and three years of Jr. High) are heading in a centrally controlled digital direction, and of all subjects, English is the experimental canary in the coal mine. The central government has announced its intention for all students in that age range to be relying primarily on school-issued laptops and digital textbooks. As a semi-retired Assistant Language Teacher, I am not optimistic.
Just in the last few months, I've seen 10 and 11 year old students graded on a bell curve for displays of rote memory and mimicry while going through the motions of power point presentations — nothing really communicative involving real problem solving or bridging information gaps. Conversationally, most have a hard enough time getting through 'How are you today?' No wonder there is a drastic drop in interest and motivation in almost all subjects between elementary school and high school.
Other parts of the central government must be aware of the problem with such a plan because they are also pumping a little tax-yen into NPOs addressing the problems of micro-management. I plan on hooking up with one such NPO in the next few months, possibly going full-time next year, but I see big limits in what such a 'left hand minding the right hand' approach can do. Cognitive dissonance at its bureaucratic worst.
Cheers,
— steve
...a world that wants hegemony centered elsewhere, and the architects of such a world would see her canceled for "enacting whiteness," which is how we manage to unperson someone of a celebrated melanin profile.
> One of the things I like most about Magatte is that she promotes and participates in the positive aspects of market capitalism while pushing back against the terrible aspects of corporations and their relationships with corrupt governments.
I agree. There are pros and cons of capitalism. Corrupt crony capitalism is what is poisoning the US has now. They work with legislators to exclude themselves from certain legislation or regulations. And yet more red tape keeps killing jobs in small business. 99% of people work in small business, 99% of businesses are small business in the US. A law that increases regulations, expenses or taxes kills jobs for the small guy. Nepotism leads to corruption and poor corporate performance. Too much pollution can be problematic. Dirty tricks to gain market share is also a problem. But the worst corporations are just a fraction of 0.1% of the corporations out there and they are also generally the largest corporations in their own industry.
What an excellent interview. So glad I watched the video. Love her descriptions and attitude. If more would realize the harm from ‘free’ programs, as she explained with Tom Shoes as an example, we would see that foreign aid and charities only help the dysfunctional or corrupt governments more than the intended people. I’m not against charity, but the big picture needs seen. Helping a community build a resource or a water well is better than throwing money at their government officials.
Didn't Hillary chop the head off of an African guy who built up enough wealth to back a new currency?
"What world would not want Magatte building businesses?"...the current tyrannical WEF and it's tentacles who only want wealth for themselves and their ends. And they also don't want education to enlighten people to become critical thinkers. That would definitely not serve them. Makes you realize how important education is, and by education I mean teaching process of thinking more than memorizing.