Students make huge portrait of Dear Leader

Politics International Politics
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If that’s what your teachers told you I would object to the same.

But, it sounds different. It seems like the photos were handed out by the White House. That’s not the same as the school having you make an enormous likeness of the president.

Not necessarily. But, I would prefer to show respect to the system.

I have to disagree. Most sitting presidents have been roundly and soundly criticized while they sat in office, even if they also had their supporters.

Actually, I haven’t been paying much attention to politics for a while.

Well, I’m not accusing him of cultivation the COP, but I do think there is a COP cultivated by many who like him.

I think its important to educate kids about our system of government… I think its a bit dangerous to convey to mush-brained kids that any one of our sitting presidents/politicians is wonderful.

Look at these nice North Korean student’s showing a bit of respect to their previous Leader with the giant flip-card image of their previous Leader:

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Maybe because Obama’s not going to try to dismantle public education. The teachers want to give him some love.

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The program is not, however. And it’s optional.

Do you think kids have a choice in most things they do at school? Learning reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic, science, history, etc.?

I’m sure if a parent objected to his kid’s participation in this project, he would be easily exempted.

“Worshipping”?

So, if a kid works on this project, this is an act of “worship”? How so?

If a kid is forced by big government :runaway: to learn the multiplication tables or memorize the alphabet, is he “worshipping” numbers and letters? :loco:

By the way, I remember big portraits of Reagan in some high school classrooms. And this was in Berkeley.

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[quote]Elegua wrote:
The pictures were to show us all what a wonderful president we have.

if that’s what your teachers told you I would object to the same.[/quote]

Then in priciple we agree. The point was that this behavior is not unique to this administration and has lots of precedent, unfortunately.

[quote]Elegua wrote:
Nothing wrong with showing some respect for the president, is there?

Not necessarily. But, I would prefer to show respect to the system. [/quote]

I would argue you need some of the former and a lot of the latter. I never did agree with how Bush was portrayed, though I vehemently disagree with many of his policies.

[quote]Elegua wrote:
…there has always been a bit of popularizing the current sitting president.

I have to disagree. Most sitting presidents have been roundly and soundly criticized while they sat in office, even if thy also had their supporters.[/quote]

It depends upon who you are talking about. Some presidents could do little wrong while they were in power like Kenedy, though history has shown they were very poor presidents overall.

[quote]Elegua wrote:
Me thinks you’ve been reading too many blogs about The One and Obamamessiah, (sp?).

Actually, I haven’t been paying much attention to politics for a while.[/quote]

You’re better for it. Some of the bile coming out from the right is almost obscene. Communist, Mulsim, Traitor, non-citizen? Goes a bit beyond the pale.

[quote]Well, I’m not accusing him of cultivation the COP, but I do think there is a COP cultivated by many who like him.

I think its important to educate kids about our system of government… I think its a bit dangerous to convey to mush-brained kids that any one of our sitting presidents/politicians is wonderful.[/quote]

I agree fully. I am concerned, (on both sides), over the tone and nature of the discourse.

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Why are the schools doing this? What is the educational goal of creating an enormous image of Obama?

Are you serious? Those subjects are the core of an education. Again, What is the educational goal of creating an enormous image of Obama?

Yeah, like the kids who are exempted from certain activities for religious reasons… What kids get exempted from participation in reading, writing, arithmetic, science or history classes?

[quote=“Chris”]“Worshipping”?

So, if a kid works on this project, this is an act of “worship”? How so?[/quote]

Worship: [color=#4000BF]To regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion[/color].

I think creating giant images of a current Leader can reasonably be deemed to be demonstrating ardent or adoring esteem or devotion. Or, do you think the teachers are going to have the kids defile the image once its completed?

Don’t be ridiculous. Do I really need to explain the difference between learning core subjects and creating giant images of our Leader?

Did the school force you to make these giant portraits?

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So he gives them money and they make the kids waste time making giant portraits of him instead of learning something useful. Great.

Yeah, I think I would. Deifying leaders when they are in office is creepy I think. Actually I think even if they’d done this with Lee Teng Hui, who really was a godlike leader of the stature of George Washington (unlike McCain, Obama and Bush who are mere journeymen) I would have objected if he was still in office.

What made LTH and Washinton godlike after all is that they could easily have been King or close to it and decided to leave office for the the good of the country. And I don’t agree with making school kids do this sort of thing because it sends them the wrong sort of signals about being skeptical of politicians 99.9% of whom are anything but godlike. A personality cult after all is a form of religion and that is not something you want to allow teachers to indoctrinate kids with.

Look at Thailand. When I went there 10 years ago we all had to stand up in the cinema while some hagiographic video was shown of the King. Now to some extent back then I could tolerate this, partly out of politeness but partly because of his role in preventing a bloodbath the the '92 coup. Still it did not sit quite right with me, precisely because of the obvious North Korea comparison. And now they are locking people up for allegedly doodling his posters and removing elected Prime Ministers for allegedly being anti royal in some vague way. Or look at Japan in WWII - respect for the Emperor was gradually turned into respect for the rabid policies of a government that ruled in his name but in practice he had no say in.

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I’m just so happy to have a president I can have some respect for. If you don’t like Obama, if you think he’s tearing down everything that you hold dear and all the best ideals of the USA, believe me, I know how you feel.

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The only people deifying Obama are those on the right. They’re the ones who call him “messiah”, not us.

We on the left generally like him and respect him–we find him far more competent than Bush, that’s for certain–but we’re not afraid to criticize him when he says or does things we disagree with.

But we wouldn’t dream of deifying him or worshipping him. :raspberry: That’s just not the liberal way.

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Actually I don’t really dislike Obama but this reminds me of a T shirt slogan “I’ve nothing against Jesus. It’s His fan club I can’t stand”.

Or, on a more sinister note, “Give me a child for for his first seven years and I’ll give you the man”

Right, because the left has never worshipped questionable or downright murderous leaders in the past. Only the right has ever done that. How comforting it must be to believe that supporters of your preferred political party are absolutely immune from this very human mistake. I bet you wonder why it’s even necessary to have elections at all, given that your party represents absolute good and the rival party represents absolute evil.

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No it isn’t. Not remotely. In North Korea children are taught to worship their leaders. The leaders’ images become sacred. I don’t see that happening here.

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Actually I don’t really dislike Obama but this reminds me of a T shirt slogan “I’ve nothing against Jesus. It’s His fan club I can’t stand”.
[/quote]
Or that other quote, “He’s someone who loves America, but can’t stand Americans.”

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That’s your opinion. And that’s all it is.

I see it differently.

Now, would anyone care to explain what lesson is being taught to the children as they create the giant image of Obama?

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It was something like this I think.
김정일, 정치사상교양, 교육과정안, 변화ㆍ개방, 교과서, 통일교육, 통일 교육과정, 통일 한국, 교수ㆍ학습,

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I finally got around to looking at the link. It’s a Swedish company that wants to promote their product. There’s one school in each state that is participating. It’s not like they are building the great pyramids of Egypt or something. They will give it to Obama as a birthday present.

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Yeah. Sweden has been virtually a one party state for ages and indoctrinating children with liberal bullshit is regarded as public spirited there, so I can understand them failing to see why this is a bad idea.

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I can’t wait until Palin hears about this. She’ll tell those damn Swedes to fuck off in no uncertain terms.

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Who? :laughing:

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Yeah, those poor oppressed Swedes, suffering under the yoke of Stalinism… :unamused:

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Of course Bush never got birthday presents from the people. He got stuff like this.
shakesville.wordpress.com/2007/0 … -birthday/

[quote]July 6, 2007…12:14 pm
3,584 dead U.S. Troops forget President George W. Bush’s birthday
Jump to Comments

The President of the U.S. turned 61 today. That’s 61 utterly miserable, overly spoiled, hateful and stupid years of life for a man who never succeeded at anything, and who has helped make the U.S. a cartoonish and dangerous laughingstock to the rest of the world.

And that’s not even counting the 100,000 or more dead civilians strewn over the Middle East. Or the 3,584 dead U.S. troops who don’t get anymore birthdays, every last one of them more honorable and brave than this faux leader who never met a fear he wouldn’t exploit, and who will wait things out in Iraq as long as it takes to get those oil deals secured.

Happy Birthday President Bush. Now quit.

–WKW[/quote]

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Who? :laughing:[/quote]

Can she see Sweden from Alaska? Otherwise she may not be able to locate it, unlike Russia