Comédie Humaine!

Some interesting items on Mrs Merkel in Greece, Socialism in Europe, and Education in Spain

A brief evaluation of Mrs Merkel’s Athens visit – rather more earnest than the scandalous little piece I posted yesterday – may be found herein an editorial of the New York Times (that famously vicious, red commie newspaper with an irrational burning hatred of our Saints and Saviours in Brussels)

Then: I was always convinced that to be a Socialist AND a Europhile was pretty much the same as turning yourself into a Square Circle. But nobody explains this better than this most intelligent and eloquent Conservative, in all of 67 seconds.

Finally, for those of you who read Spanish, here is a nice one on education. As all residents in Spain know: every four years or so, Spanish politicians set out to improve the educational system. The improvement always consists of two quintessential matters: first of all the question whether children should be indoctrinated in a Catholic-Conservative manner, or in a Secular-Progressive one; secondly the question in what (sub)language they ought to be taught about either Imperialist Castilian history, or their Separatist Catalan/Basque/Gallego/Canary/Asturian/Valencian heritage. Strangely, after 30 year of such intense drives for improvement, the Spanish educational system still ranks 35^th or so in the PISA 2009 report, i.e. at the very bottom of the score of all European nations. All this invariably accompanied by crocodile tears and endless lamentations about the Importance of Improving Education.

Until now, it never seems to have occurred to anyone to send some representative to the places – mainly in South-East Asia and Northern Europe – where education does seem to work, so as to learn how Good Education is done. But Lo and Behold: here we finally have someone who did a study and dared todraw some conclusions. It is my guess he’ll be fired from his job before the month is out. For none of this is welcome advice to politicians, teachers and pedagogues. Before you know it, parents might want them to work, and be rational! God forbid!

Enjoy, dear readers!