As threatened, the Republican-dominated Geral Assembly of North Carolina passed legislation to diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic Governor.
The outgoing Governor, Pat McCrory, who lost the election to Attorney General Roy Cooper, promptly signed the controversial bills, undermining his successor.
The Tea Party Republicans who control the legislature are punishing Cooper for winning. They are a disgrace to a great state. They have betrayed democracy and abandoned any sense of fairness.
This is the work of North Carolina zillionaire Art Pope, who spent years defeating moderate Republicans and replacing them with extremists. Jane Mayer wrote about Pope in the New Yorker in 2011. Her article was entitled “State for Sale.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It will be interesting to see what the state constitution says about the powers of the three branches.
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You did not post my NYTquote from yesterday, which puts current events in NC in an understandable historic perspective.
Was that because it referenced democrats having done the same thing to republicans for decades??
Surely you were as ardent in your protestations as you are now, right?
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Best government money can buy.
Over and over and over again.
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I am definitely staying away from NC.
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Remember the good old days when we could be judgmental about Central American banana republics, South American and African dictatorships, Iron Curtain tyrants, and Asian proxy states? Now we, as Pogo might have said, is them. Why would any country look to the U.S. as an example of governance ever again?
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The natural inclination and tendency for any right wing, anywhere, is towards the accumulation of more power and, inevitably, fascism-oligopoly-oligarchy.
This is predictable. The entire purpose of a left wing is to check that tendency. Progressivism exists, fundamentally, to inoculate against fascism and fascism’s flirtation with eliminationist and genocidal thinking.
Much like how our side in the education wars has for the most part accommodated and worked to negotiate with reformers and privatizers, the broader left has consistently refused to properly organize and blunt the hard right trajectory of American politics. I would argue that this unfortunate circumstance was brought to us by 3-4 decades of Democrats who forgot and ignored the fundamental duty of a left wing–to resist and check the rights’ tendency towards fascism. Neoliberal and centrist democrats have tried to somehow manufacture a left simply focused on individual rights without a philosophical grounding in a broader anti-fascism.
We would all do well to read the good histories of the 1930s at this moment.
The truth lies within.
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RUN don’t walk out of North Carolina…and I mean business too!
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Please don’t leave us when the going gets tough! Rvd. Barber and the Forward Together movement (for example) has some real voice and bold power behind it, so that is one place I have been looking to for guidance.
We need level-headed, compassionate people to stay, stand up and learn/teach together. I’m trying to muster up the strength to send my first child into a broken and functionally segregated NC public school system… and then return to teaching in the same system. If all of the mobile/privileged progressives flee the state, what are we leaving behind for the families and children who have less options?
We have to be in this together. I’m not blindly optimistic at all. This current political climate has left me in shock and despair. But I know that many of us reject these ugly political actions to dismantle education and other civil rights. I also know that it is possible for people to change their hearts and minds, and plan to invite our “opponents” to do just that.
Young people are paying attention to how we respond to these events and I want my children to see that the adults in the lives will not roll over or run away when things get ugly. We will protect them and any others who may be discriminated against, disenfranchised or otherwise mistreated.
So, I hope people will run towards NC to join us and support us, not run away from us or abandon us in this time of crisis.
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Kelly,
You can count on me. I will not forget NC and the brave fight that you and Rev. Barber and Yevonne Brannon and Patty Williams and other parents and educators and caring citizens are waging. We stand with you.
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I remember when you said we could count on you, Diane. You said you would not forget us and that you would stand with us. I believed you then and I still do… I truly appreciate your advocacy efforts for public school. We DO need you now! (see below)
Many thanks,
Kelly
========================
Hi Diane,
!!!! S.O.S. !!!!
I’ve been trying to reach you via email but PLEASE look into what is happening in North Carolina right now with the “Innovative School District,” which is modeled on a similar program from Tennessee.
They want to take over two of our Durham Public Schools (Lakewood Elementary and Glenn Elementary) and many parents, educators, community members, the school board, etc. are trying to fight back but things are happening VERY quickly. They will make a decision about which 5 North Carolina schools will be “selected” by October 15th. They are holding sham “community” meetings but locking people out and not notifying parents.
Defend Durham Schools lots of info/background here, also a petition
http://defenddurhamschools.org/
https://www.facebook.com/DefendDurhamSchools/
Video of Glenn Elementary parents discussing the “focus group” meeting 9/29/17
“Parents were given three days notice with little info to attend a ‘focus group’ conducted by the NC Department of Public Instruction at their children’s school, Glenn Elementary in Durham NC. The meeting lasted for less than 45 minutes and was conducted in the early morning during normal business hours, making it very difficult for parents to leave work.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho_d5ojaVpQ
‘It could have easily been us.’ Durham teachers respond to possible state takeover
http://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article175970886.html
Durham Association of Educators
Durham school board prepared to ‘fight,’ won’t let state ‘take away our schools’
http://www.wral.com/durham-school-board-prepared-to-fight-won-t-let-state-take-away-our-schools-/16981246/
Durham and the rest of North Carolina would very much appreciate it if you would please help us draw attention to what is happening.
Thanks so much, as always, for what you do.
Kelly C.
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Thank you Dr. Ravitch for this thread.
The conclusive paragraph has the link that is very informative from Jane Mayer
[start paragraph]
This is the work of North Carolina zillionaire Art Pope, who spent years defeating moderate Republicans and replacing them with extremists. Jane Mayer wrote about Pope in the New Yorker in 2011. Her article was entitled “State for Sale.”
[end paragraph]
There are some important facts that voters and educators should pay attention to, for instances:
1) Zillionaire Art Pope graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1978, with a degree in political science, and who has a law degree from Duke University. = rich and intelligent = Capitalism WITHOUT humanity and civility = FASCISM
(whereas it is poor and SELF-educated, but GREEDY and lust for power = capitalism with cruelty and dictatorial = COMMUNISM)
2) Zillionaire Art Pope will say that he cares about the poor, but there’s a puerile Ayn Randism to him. In the end, his views are pretty cardboard. Deep down, he’s an ideologue, a zealot.” (= sectarian, partisan, maniac, ultra, nut)
3) Pope also described himself as a big admirer of John Rawls’s “A Theory of Justice,” which argues for equality of opportunity, but he had one major caveat: he doesn’t like Rawls’s belief in “redistributive justice,” which allows for the transfer of wealth to the worst-off members of society.
Note that: between #2 and #3, Pope did not agree to and believe in “redistributive justice,” but he’ll say that he cares about the poor with choices in STAYING part time job with minimum wage without benefits, without rights to a free PUBLIC education.
4) Pope believes that wealth is the just reward for talent and hard work, and that all Americans have a fair chance at success, BUT “There weren’t a lot of Republicans willing to cross Art after that.” because “He has a whole network that can reward or punish Republicans. . . . That’s the strength of the Pope network.
5) Pope creates three “think tank institutes” or the Pope network.
In short, regardless of being rich or poor, educated or illiterate, political and cultural background, races, genders, ideology, leaders or followers, elite or commoner, there is ONE SOLID PRINCIPLE THAT WORDS and ACTIONS must be in sync to show humanity, civility, patience, caring and mutual-supporting/respect from all levels of people in community and society. May
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“In short, regardless of being rich or poor, educated or illiterate, political and cultural background, races, genders, ideology, leaders or followers, elite or commoner, there is ONE SOLID PRINCIPLE THAT WORDS and ACTIONS must be in sync to show humanity, civility, patience, caring and mutual-supporting/respect from all levels of people in community and society.”
Simple question: “why?”
IF humans are the product of evolution, than its just a matter of the survival of the fittest, right?
IF humans are the product of evolution, these values don’t serve us in being the fittest one to survive.
At least, that’s what Dawkins tells us. His book “The Selfish Gene” spends a lot of time on that concept.
I know why I believe in those values being part of our interaction with others – but then, I don’t believe in evolution.
The moment you accept evolution as a fact, there really is no reason to accept any kind of mutually binding set of ethics.
Sure, you could, as a group, decide to agree on certain principles, but the moment one of the group decides those principles no longer fit his/her principles – on to the next group.
So in your post you describe the world as the have/have nots. The haves decided the ground rules of the have nots no longer work for them, and have created the haves.
As Dawkins would say, evolution in motion.
I disagree. But I know why I disagree.
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Rudy,
So you don’t believe in evolution or climate change, and you oppose abortion. This blog must make you unhappy every day.
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No, I do not believe in evolution. Yes, I do believe that the climate is changing – but that there really is not enough DATA available to make totally solid statements, that there indeed is room for questions yet to be answered.
No, this blog does not make me “unhappy.” It’s informative, thought provoking, sometimes humorous, sometimes frustrating, often lacking balance, at times lacking facts – but overall, helpful in understanding the economic push in education.
In my job I see the push to ever-increasing technology (Again, often by the teachers!!) without the opportunity to learn HOW to use it.
This blog does make me wonder about certain things, for example, IF evolution is true, where would you get the grounds for complaining? Again, according to Dawkins, it is just the “natural” way of evolution. Some come out on top, others get buried.
And yes, I am against abortion as a birth control method. As mentioned before, less than 3% of abortions in the country are for reasons other than convenience…
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Suggested correction: one doesn’t believe in evolution or climate change. One chooses to accept or reject the validity of the scientific methods used to draw the conclusions the each is a valid theory. Denying the logical results of studies based on the scientific method fall into the category of belief. I choose to accept the scientific method over a determinism based on beliefs.
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I just love this! There are no scientific evidences (repeatable test with equal outcomes) for evolution. According to some of the supposedly greatest minds there is an unrelated series of accidents which caused our existence. Even they admit that there is no scientific “proof.”
There are however, lots of questions unanswerable by science, which are happily ignored.
But that is neither here nor there.
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Hi Rudy Schellekens:
There is a ground rule in any debate. In order to empathize, people need to go through experience in the same situation.
I could say that I have been in your shoes, and I understand your argument. However, you did not go through all of my hardships in order to understand what I express in my conclusion.
Yes, you could say whatever in your own “dog eats dog world” without experience in the world of being sage and compassionate. There is an example of my tiny experience in order to show you what I have practiced and earned rewards from being kindness.
After learning and promising to my Zen master that I will not kill insects like ants, flies and mosquitoes during three months in his temple, I was surprised that flies and mosquitoes were not afraid of me. I felt amazing. Now, mosquitoes and flies have not bothered me for 15 years.
Most importantly, if you really want to challenge your own fate, then you should try to vow to your own conscience that you will accept all of consequences if you begin to inflict pain on innocent people. The consequence would be in your own choice so that you acknowledge your vow.
I have done my vow during shipwreck, not once but twice. I also take my mild stroke as my choice in order to understand how all synapses transmit. I realize how intelligent and active in my mind, but my speech and movements were paralyzed. Also, I have learned to laugh off my frustration which can cause me another unexpected stroke.
I would agree with your argument if I were still savage. There are heaven and hell or contentment and agitation. It is up to people who choose to live with love or hatred; to be with kindness or cruelty; to work with logical and scientific mind or with a blind faith. Most of all, we all should live up to our own potential and talent with detachment of an envious emotion of success or failure, but with improvement to our own contentment.
In short, patience and forgiveness are always the best virtues in elevating people to become better versions of themselves. Back2basic
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Several thoughts on the above comments.
If Art Pope graduated from Duke, that is no evidence of being rich and conservative. I knew many 1978 Duke graduates when I lived in NC, and they were as varied in opinion as any other group.
There has never been a time I can recall when one of the political parties has attempted to so blatantly solidify power like the NC group has. If courts uphold this, it will demonstrate very obviously that the NC courts are not “strict constructionists” as the tea party claims to be, but instead are power hungry manipulators who try to show a regard for the constitution. In the last election, evangelicals stripped away any pretense of being “moral” or a “majority” (if anyone ever accepted that idea) by going Trump. Pope and John Locke think tank folks claim their opponents bend the constitution. Now we see that their regard for the document that guides NC law is meant to be rubber in the hands of those who want to maintain power.
It takes both left and right to avoid governance by they few. Those opposed to tyranny are solidly in the middle. I recall a JFK quote to the effect that the hottest place in hell is for the neutrals. Not sure where that came from, but it is completely off. Being in the middle means seeing the wisdom in those with whom you disagree. Tyranny exists at each extreme of politics. Compromise prevents extremism. But compromise cannot always defeat extremism. Eventually conflict is needed to push away tyranny.
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Let me know when the left shows up in America. Certainly let me know when the the tyrannical left shows up. The last time there was a viable left in this country might have been when Joe Hill and Mother Jones were organizing workers and socialists were running for offices and winning in many American Cities, a century ago. We have been governed by far right and center right administrations since Nixon. A breath of fresh air would be the center.
After an orgy of unparalleled greed and out right fraud by the banking industry. Was one bank nationalized ,that is what bankruptcy is supervision by the federal court system. Was one criminally fraudulent banker jailed. No instead we had a board member Michael Froman, of the worst offending Bank CitiBank, (350 billion dollar bailout ) choose the entire Obama cabinet in 2008. If that is the left. I am going to go throw up again.
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Joel, since we live the land of both-siderism, be sure to have a lot of barf bags handy.
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Joel:
I would agree with your historical assessment. The New Deal was about as left as the USA ever got in the mainstream. Distant leftist would look like the old left characters you mentioned, perhaps with the addition of an Emma Goldman or Alexander Berkman, who went after Henry Clay Frick with a knife. More recently, the weather underground was planting some bombs before that generation went from gimme shelter to gimme a tax shelter.
The right has had much more activity recently. The federal building, the Waco confrontation, the recent Malhuer NWR occupation, all suggest that the country is way right of center if the distant right is any indication.
Any suggestion that Obama practiced politics from the left should be filtered by the understanding that the center has become the new left in American political discourse. That discourse seems to be driven by a media that is willing to allow talk radio and Fox News to define right and left. I am sure that none of the modern democrats would have sat on the left of King Louis in the French Revolution.
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