Competitors have doubts,
Competitors have fears,
Competitor have worries,
But competitors don’t let these feeling stop them.
Conversely,
“Haters/enemies are people who secretly wish to be you”.
War is wonderful, isn’t it?
For its war, that the Americans have been preparing for and are preparing this way step by step(probably to avoid competition) but, it would be hard to defend this senseless creation from all competition that could not stop to arise from all sides.
Antonin Artaud: a French writer, poet, dramatist.
(This quote originally is in French and have been translated).
Hi readers!
Yesterday, I was reading a blog titled, “Competition and enmity, cooperation and friendship”
You can see this article at the link below.
https://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/competition-and-enmity-cooperation-and.html
The blog was written on an early childhood educator, by a international speaker, and education consultant, and is on the education experiences of the author about teaching in China to the Chinese children and was an eye opener. I am therefore, taking the liberty to share the crux of that blog with you in the author’s words (with the underlined words of my own just to make it more clear for non-English speaking people) because I was immensely impressed by the blog. Just read what he has in mind and what are his experiences?
He wrote:
I have just arrived from China where I took part in an Association of Chinese and Mongolian International School’s early childhood education conference hosted by the Nanjing International School.
While there, I gave a keynote address, ran two formal workshops, and one informal one. For the past several years, while illustrating the abject inability (the state of being extremely poor) of our political leadership to understand the true purpose and meaning of education, I’ve been quoting President Obama: “We need to out-educate the Chinese”.
When I came to that point in my presentation, I paused for a moment, suddenly thinking, how that would sound coming from an American speaking in China? I almost didn’t say it, contrary to the North American, Australian and European teachers who usually respond with a scoffing chuckle (ridiculing laughter) and I was relieved that this group of teachers did as well. Although I was aware of my own deep discomfort speaking this aloud to an audience that not only teaches many Chinese children, but also included in their number, many Chinese Nationals (Native residents). I expected that some may also be feeling similar discomfort.
I typically (normally) follow up the Obama quote with something like, “It’s as if they think of education as a competition”
then go on to explain how I don’t see it that way? Indeed, it is cruel to our children to frame education in those terms, but I was aware that this time, it is far more insidious (deceptive). It’s not just that our political leaders seem to only think of education in economic terms e.g., those mythological (fabulous) “jobs of tomorrow”, but that they persist in portraying the citizens of Nations like China as rivals, if not outright enemies.
He further wrote:
On the flight home today, I watched the Stanley Kubrick film “Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” which is more commonly known as Dr. Strangelove: a 1964 black comedy film made with a theme “on the dangers of building nuclear bombs and the inevitable fate that has awaited the human race since their invention”. The nuclear arms race is predicated on the notion of “mutually assured destruction,” which is realized literally in Dr. Strangelove.
I consider this to be one of the greatest movies ever made and as I watched the American generals obsess over those “Commies” (communists) and “Russkies” (Russians): the manufactured enemies that stood in the background of my own childhood.
I compare that to the current American attitude towards education as a kind of World War being fought and as if all wars are by children. However, I presumed that this one, is a war of brains rather than bombs, but, you know, it’s far too easy for one thing to lead to another.
The truth is that you cannot teach children to be competitive and at the same time pretend that you are educating them. An educated mind, a truly educated mind, will always recognize the destructiveness and futility of competition. Competition and war are the products of indoctrination (propaganda) and not education.
An educated citizen is one:
who stands above indoctrination,
who thinks critically,
who thinks for himself,
who asks questions and question authority whenever and wherever it ceases to make sense to him,
who speaks out even when those around him disagree,
who knows that he contributes to the society in ways far beyond the economics, and most importantly,
who understands that a world of peace and prosperity emerges not from competition and enmity, but from cooperation and friendship.
The true enemies of the humanity are not those upon whom our leaders attempt to hang that label (brand), but the ones who persist (continue) in hanging those labels at all.
Dear readers! What do you think of our education system? You think if our education system is producing sensible and cultured human beings or just talking parrots?
Now, let’s read another story
An American politician, ambassador, former Governor and the current Republican Party’s presidential candidate gave a clicking statement on July 24th, 2023, wherein, she advised the American companies to have a Plan B on China so that the companies:
should be prepared to stop treating China as a competitor and start viewing her as an enemy (a manufactured enemy again), and have a plan B if China decides to pull the rug out from under us (i.e., the US).
You can read the story at https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/24/nikki-haley-says-china-is-an-enemy-us-companies-need-plan-b.html
The intelligent politician distinguished herself among the Republican party currently dominated by President Donald Trump.
The American people can be the better judge if the statement is a strategy nearly identical to the one mentioned in the quote of LK Hamilton?
“The truth may not set you free, but used carefully, it can confuse the hell out of your enemies” Laurel Kaye Hamilton: An American fantasy writer.
She further added:
American companies should be ready to stop treating China as an economic competitor and start viewing her as a National Security Threat (OMG).
The Republican presidential candidate think that China is an enemy who should be taken seriously and decide if you care for dollars and cents, or you care for the threat to America?
“Companies and people have said for too long, ‘We’ll deal with China tomorrow, but China is dealing with us today. We have to address this issue” she added.
What do you believe in dear readers: Competition & enmity or Cooperation & Friendship? I believe in later.
That’s all for now. It is up to you to distinguish between reality and fantasy?
See you next week, Take care,
Bye
