Patty Williams, an activist for public education in North Carolina, read the post yesterday about “The Nazi Metaphor Question,” and she pointed out that I had neglected to include Charlie Chaplin’s classic “The Great Dictator,” released in 1940.
Patty sent me this amazing speech from the film. How appropriate for our times and for all times. Please watch it. It is only about 1 minute.
(There is a 3-minute, uncut version of this speech, which is even more powerful, but for some reason I can’t get the link to it–it returns me to the 1-minute version. This is the full speech, not reflected in the 1-minute video.)
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Chaplin faced a few obstacles making that great film in prewar America. Some people may not have wanted to see a caricature of a very powerful man at that time. I do not mean to overstate it, but I feel a metaphor coming on… Fortunately, Chaplin’s wisdom, eloquence, and humanism overcame his struggles and The Great Dictator was a huge success in the US, England, and France.
And while on the subject of the truly great Little Tramp, his silent film Modern Times is also germane to this blog, methinks.
I often recall the scene where the ‘Hitlerian’ Chaplin bounces the globe, actually an oversized ball, for his own source of giggling entertainment. Just watched Fareed Zakaria and his assessment of ISIS….. and all of Chaplin’s antics were prescient to our Modern Times.
Try this one: Full version with subtitles
howardat58 and FLERP! & Ed Johnson just below:
Words cannot adequately convey my heartfelt thanks.
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P.S. FLERP!: I especially loved Donald Duck’s virtual vacation!
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I think the “Numbers Sanctify” speech at the end of Monsieur Verdoux is more relevant these days:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039631/quotes
The Donald is also always relevant.
Relevant, still, is this by Carl Sagan…
Eloquence. Thank You.
“Pale Blue Dot”
A pale blue dot
In blackest void
They want the lot
The greedy boys
To properly thank the owner of this blog for the wonderful posting and thread, I googled Charlie Chaplin quotes and came up with two that I think fit this website well:
“Life is a play that does not allow testing. So, sing, cry, dance, laugh and live intensely, before the curtain closes and the piece ends with no Applause.”
Charlie Chaplin will NOT be found in CCSS-aligned standardized hazing rituals!
“I don’t want perfection of detail in the acting. I’d hate a picture that was perfect, it would seem machine made. I want the human touch, so that you love the picture for its imperfections.”
Put a number on THAT, all you bean-counting rheephormsters that mandate soulless homogenized mediocrity!
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And as a final sign of my gratitude, a quote from William Arthur Ward:
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
Thank you, Diane, for your inspiration.
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Both videos were wise BEYOND… thanks for sharing the Chaplin and Sagan videos! Now if all those leaders who are in love with power and money would view and do some critical thinking beyond the nose on their faces!
It was the first thing I thought of when I read your post. Thank you for posting it!
Here’s the link to the whole clip
http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/films/7-the-great-dictator/videos/1466-Great-Dictator-Speech