"Poli-Rad" at Thomas Worthington
I had a great time yesterday spending time with two "Political Radicalism" classes at Thomas Worthington. They were all much better looking than I, but since they were not of age, I didn't take any pictures. You're stuck with me.
I tell the kids to listen to everything but believe nothing because nobody knows any more about anything than they do. Everybody's just trying to con them; I ask, "IF experts know so much, why don't they ever agree?" And answer, "Because they aren't trying to solve a problem; they're really just interested in getting you into their group."
I suggest, as Mark Twain, might have suggested, that they watch for "dicrepancies." Below are some examples I shared with them.
- Uke Man
If experts know so much, why don’t they ever agree?
Why do some religious groups feel they are oppressed if not allowed to oppress others ?
If Cuba is our enemy because it is run by a “Communist dictator,” why do we like China?
If our government “supports the troops,” why do they screw the vets?
If dictators are bad, why have we supported so many of them?
If our nation’s foreign policy really is aimed at “American interests,” which Americans’ interests
are they, and why aren’t more Americans interested?
Why is it that almost everyone needs more money, but schools don’t ?
When Saddam killed thousands of his people, he was bad. When we killed thousands of his
people were we good?
Why do people believe they will get to heaven but most of their friends and neighbors won’t?
If this nation was founded on Christian principles, how could it accept and maintain slavery so
long?
If we should “choose life” because our mothers did, should we have sex with our mothers
because our fathers did?
If a number of religions each claim to be the one and only true religion, don’t all except one have
to be wrong?
If it is wrong to collect a welfare check for doing nothing, why is it OK to inherit WAL-Mart for
doing nothing ?
If the Federal Reserve sometimes raises interest rates to keep wages down and sometimes
lowers rates to increase profits, who sometimes does what to increase wages and sometimes
lower profits?
If health care really is a privilege not a right, doesn’t that mean that for poor sick people liberty
and the pursuit of happiness are rights, but life is just a privilege?
If bankruptcy laws had to be tightened to catch middle and lower class folks who couldn’t pay
their credit card bills, why can millionaires in Texas and Florida still keep their multi-million
dollar homes when they go bust?
If winning athletes thank God, why don’t losers cuss him?
If God saves the survivors of a disaster, who kills the victims?
If wealthy Libertarians resent spending their tax money to help the poor, why do they favor
everyone spending their tax dollars to imprison the poor?
If God made man in his own image, how does that affect God’s reputation?
If we have separation of church and state, why can’t we buy liquor on Sunday?
If God rested on the seventh day, why is Sunday the first day?
If this is a democracy, why do so many people hate the government?
If the state can track down and imprison “deadbeat dads” who, to make it easy on themselves
by running off from their family responsibilities, why can’t the state track down and imprison
businesses which, to make it easy on themselves, run off from their community and national
responsibilities?
Were women denied the vote for so long because all men are created equal?
When Dr. King worked for social justice, he was jailed; when he worked for economic justice, he
was killed.
In the 60’s conservative businessmen urged, “America ! Love it or leave it !” Now they are
taking their own advice.
If this is “a nation of laws – not men,” why are the same laws applied differently to different
men?
In the 60’s they said that if we didn’t defeat the communist in Viet Nam, they’d be invading us
through Mexico. We lost. Where are they?
If taking from the rich to help the poor is called “income redistribution,” what do you call taking
from the poor to give to the rich?
If resisting the economic and political domination of the masses at the hands of the wealthy few
is called “class warfare,” what do you call accepting it?
What's the difference between the Chamber and a Chamber Pot?
Which one of these did NOT get angry, bomb a building, and kill innocent people: Ronald Regan,
George Bush 41, Bill Clinton, Timothy McVeigh, George Bush 43, Pee Wee Herman?
Which two got arrested?
I tell the kids to listen to everything but believe nothing because nobody knows any more about anything than they do. Everybody's just trying to con them; I ask, "IF experts know so much, why don't they ever agree?" And answer, "Because they aren't trying to solve a problem; they're really just interested in getting you into their group."
I suggest, as Mark Twain, might have suggested, that they watch for "dicrepancies." Below are some examples I shared with them.
- Uke Man
If experts know so much, why don’t they ever agree?
Why do some religious groups feel they are oppressed if not allowed to oppress others ?
If Cuba is our enemy because it is run by a “Communist dictator,” why do we like China?
If our government “supports the troops,” why do they screw the vets?
If dictators are bad, why have we supported so many of them?
If our nation’s foreign policy really is aimed at “American interests,” which Americans’ interests
are they, and why aren’t more Americans interested?
Why is it that almost everyone needs more money, but schools don’t ?
When Saddam killed thousands of his people, he was bad. When we killed thousands of his
people were we good?
Why do people believe they will get to heaven but most of their friends and neighbors won’t?
If this nation was founded on Christian principles, how could it accept and maintain slavery so
long?
If we should “choose life” because our mothers did, should we have sex with our mothers
because our fathers did?
If a number of religions each claim to be the one and only true religion, don’t all except one have
to be wrong?
If it is wrong to collect a welfare check for doing nothing, why is it OK to inherit WAL-Mart for
doing nothing ?
If the Federal Reserve sometimes raises interest rates to keep wages down and sometimes
lowers rates to increase profits, who sometimes does what to increase wages and sometimes
lower profits?
If health care really is a privilege not a right, doesn’t that mean that for poor sick people liberty
and the pursuit of happiness are rights, but life is just a privilege?
If bankruptcy laws had to be tightened to catch middle and lower class folks who couldn’t pay
their credit card bills, why can millionaires in Texas and Florida still keep their multi-million
dollar homes when they go bust?
If winning athletes thank God, why don’t losers cuss him?
If God saves the survivors of a disaster, who kills the victims?
If wealthy Libertarians resent spending their tax money to help the poor, why do they favor
everyone spending their tax dollars to imprison the poor?
If God made man in his own image, how does that affect God’s reputation?
If we have separation of church and state, why can’t we buy liquor on Sunday?
If God rested on the seventh day, why is Sunday the first day?
If this is a democracy, why do so many people hate the government?
If the state can track down and imprison “deadbeat dads” who, to make it easy on themselves
by running off from their family responsibilities, why can’t the state track down and imprison
businesses which, to make it easy on themselves, run off from their community and national
responsibilities?
Were women denied the vote for so long because all men are created equal?
When Dr. King worked for social justice, he was jailed; when he worked for economic justice, he
was killed.
In the 60’s conservative businessmen urged, “America ! Love it or leave it !” Now they are
taking their own advice.
If this is “a nation of laws – not men,” why are the same laws applied differently to different
men?
In the 60’s they said that if we didn’t defeat the communist in Viet Nam, they’d be invading us
through Mexico. We lost. Where are they?
If taking from the rich to help the poor is called “income redistribution,” what do you call taking
from the poor to give to the rich?
If resisting the economic and political domination of the masses at the hands of the wealthy few
is called “class warfare,” what do you call accepting it?
What's the difference between the Chamber and a Chamber Pot?
Which one of these did NOT get angry, bomb a building, and kill innocent people: Ronald Regan,
George Bush 41, Bill Clinton, Timothy McVeigh, George Bush 43, Pee Wee Herman?
Which two got arrested?
3 Comments:
Sigh. Where were you when I was going to high school in Peckerwood, Texas?
Great post Ukeman--pearls before students.
Hey Uke Man, I would just like to say thank you. I'm a senior at Thomas Worthington right now, and saw your presentation last semester. You were easily one of my favorite speakers. Thank you!
- Steve '05
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