George Carlin: There's No Such Thing as Education

By Garrett Edward Godwin

Charlotte Iserbyt stated that behavioral psychologist professor Benjamin Bloom "really implement the system of education". To him, she said, the purpose of education is not reading, writing, and arithmetic (3 Rs) but to change the thoughts, actions, and feelings of students. Good teaching is defined as challenging students and their fixed beliefs.

But what does comedian George Carlin think of education? "Education sucks" responds the creator of the Seven Dirty Words. "[So,] Be Happy with what you got."

In one of his HBO specials, Carlin said that politicians know the truth called the American Dream, and "you have to be asleep to believe it". "The game is rigged; nobody seems to notice, and nobody seems to care" he stated. Carlin also went on to say that politicians are "the owners" of education, and they want us to believe that a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

"They want more for themselves, and less for everybody else" he continues. "They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. [They don't want] Well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. [They want] Obedient workers - willing to do paperwork, [and] accept jobs with low pays and overtime. [They] Want your Social Security Card and retirement money, [and] give it to their 'criminal friends' on Wall Street. It's a big club and you ain't in it. You and I are not in the big club."

Carlin believed that like Dr. Gregory House, everybody lies - including politicians. "Forget the politicians; they give you the idea of freedom of choice; [the truth is,] you don't" he said. "You have owners; they own you."

Warning: coarse language.