despotism or democracy?
by John at 7/19/2006 06:50:00 AM
Yesterday on my local public radio station, Marty Moss-Coane (WHYY's Radio Times) interviewed John Dean, former White House counsel to President Nixon, on authoritarianism and the modern conservative movement (mp3). He has just written a book called Conservatives Without Conscience, and was also the author of Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush. The interview is very interesting, if you have the time.
When you've finished with that, you might want to watch Encyclopedia Brittanica's 1946 classroom film "Despotism" (or Google video) and the companion piece "Democracy".
An exercise for the class: How does your community or nation rate on the Goal Variables Respect (shared to restricted) and Power (shared to concentrated)? How does it rate on the Instrumental Variables Economic Distribution (balance to slanted) and Information (uncontrolled with critical evaluation to controlled with automatic acceptance)? What does this tell you about the tendency of your community or nation toward despotism or democracy?
Update: In "Despotism", be sure to listen carefully to the Pledge of Allegiance. A blast from the past!
Update 2: There's also this editorial by John Dean from the Boston Globe. Read it if you don't have time for the 52 minute radio interview. But do check out the "Despotism" film if you can!
When you've finished with that, you might want to watch Encyclopedia Brittanica's 1946 classroom film "Despotism" (or Google video) and the companion piece "Democracy".
An exercise for the class: How does your community or nation rate on the Goal Variables Respect (shared to restricted) and Power (shared to concentrated)? How does it rate on the Instrumental Variables Economic Distribution (balance to slanted) and Information (uncontrolled with critical evaluation to controlled with automatic acceptance)? What does this tell you about the tendency of your community or nation toward despotism or democracy?
Update: In "Despotism", be sure to listen carefully to the Pledge of Allegiance. A blast from the past!
Update 2: There's also this editorial by John Dean from the Boston Globe. Read it if you don't have time for the 52 minute radio interview. But do check out the "Despotism" film if you can!
