Europe’s Philosophy of Failure
In France and Germany, students are being forced to undergo a dangerous indoctrination. Taught that economic principles such as capitalism, free markets, and entrepreneurship are savage, unhealthy, and immoral, these children are raised on a diet of prejudice and bias. Rooting it out may determine whether Europe’s economies prosper or continue to be left behind.
This rather depressing article in Foreign Policy is a “must read” for any business person or public policy maker. The unhealthy attitudes towards capitalism being taught to European children will certainly cause economic hardship, and that will make it expedient for their leaders to blame the evil capitalist Americans for all their woes.
The article illustrates how pretending not to care for money is an idealistic affectation of those who, without reason, believe that they have less than they deserve while in the presence of those who have more. This hogwash seems to appeal to a wide cross-section of the left in Europe. It’s unfortunate that they don’t have the sense to look east of the Elbe to see the poverty this type of thinking produced.
Today this type of thinking represents a threat to stability and prosperity. Change in these attitudes will represent an enormous opportunity for growth.
er … and you don’t call that indoctrination, what you would like to teach ?
Jeff, capitalism is not a credo. Capitalism is the economic system that works better than the alternatives. Freedom and equal opportunity will disappear if the attitudes espoused by most educators in Europe persist.
The fact that this tripe is given credence in Germany and France proves that capitalism’s agenda for economic progress is exhausted from fighting communism and requires a fresh set of commitments.
If these commitments are not forthcoming from society at large, then only a small globalized elite will benefit. The result will be a powerful rich political and commercial elite and a powerless undifferentiated populace. That has been tried before as communism and other forms of tyranny, all of which failed with tragic results.
Richard, The European economy is a free market and there is nothing to fear for the evolution of communism again. Germany has seen a lot and the world today is well educated to prevent this from happening.