Powell has no experience in education other than hammering a bunch of recruits into "Army" shape. He knows nothing about building a thinking, independent human being.
Feb 27 2013: He does not need to reach the world. The world is not the problem. The problem is a nation founded on the destruction of another people and culture. All the while that Edry was drawing his little posters and blowing kisses over Facebook, the nation of Israel was seizing more land from the Palestinians, continuing the apartheid and preparing for yet another war.
Does it not seem odd to you that Israel has hundreds of undeclared, uninspected nuclear weapons and launch vehicles and yet the Israelis present the problem in the middle east as Iran.
Feb 27 2013: The lie is that Israel wants peace. You could have a billion "likes" and unless they changes what they are actually doing it won't make a bit of difference. Right now, they are preparing for war. They just voted for the most right wing, Zionist government in decades.
Feb 27 2013: It is not about bringing the Israel and Iran together. It is about creating the impression that Israel is doing something. In reality, they are continuing to arm, continuing to drive toward war and continuing to ethnically cleans the Palestinians.
Feb 19 2013: Don, saying that you are playing does not excuse the behavior. None of these kids had a choice to do something different. A kid coming into a room with a big strong general with military bearing is intimidated. Don't kid yourself. Powell knows how to do this and how to sell a position. Couching his intimidation as a game is naught but another lie.
Feb 19 2013: Don, It is very obvious that you are an enthusiastic supporter of Powell and it is likely that nothing I can say will change your mind. However, you ask a number of questions which I will answer.
Why the conflict? Powell is a very polarizing figure. He presided over the run-up to the Iraq war. In doing this he presented false information both to the decision makers in this and several other governments and to the American people. Had he presented the truth, it is likely that there would not have been an Iraq war. Had there not been an Iraq war, something like a million more people would still be alive and the US would not have spent several trillion dollars.
Christianity has nothing to do with the war, or Powell or his views on education. The only religion injected into this is the false linkage of Islam to terrorism.
It seems to me that it is you that are confusing the situation and discussion.
Feb 18 2013: No. He is a politician and a soldier. In the first case he used is position to create a war on false information. In the second case he persecuted that same war by targeting civilians.
Colin Powell did not talk about any of these things. What he did say was that he likes to intimidate kids by making them stand at attention in front of him and that he use this tactic with seven year olds.
Feb 12 2013: And perhaps you should consider that they do not. Perhaps the people who live in Israel should look over the fences and ask themselves whether or not they would want to be on the other side.
The moral dilemma is not whether to speak up. The moral dilemma is whether to remain silent.
Feb 11 2013: Colleen, of course the career of General Powell is important. This is the foundation on which his credibility is based. TED is not YouTube. TED does not permit just anybody to walk in off the street and post whatever video they like. No, TED selects talks based on the credibility of the speakers, the novelty of the ideas, the correctness of their thinking and how well the speakers ideas fit in with TED's larger philosophy and agenda. For example, TED would never post a discussion saying that global warming was a myth. TED has rightly determined that global warming is a topic that only has a single correct view.
So the fact that Colin Powell is a national hero for having stopped the WMD menace that defined Iraq and simultaneously bringing hope and freedom and prosperity to Iraq is vitally important for the credibility and weight of the ideas he presented. Can we not agree that having Powell make this presentation himself is different from some Joe Blow talking as a parent in front of a local school board? Would anyone take Joe Blow as seriously as General Powell even if their words were exactly the same? Of course not. His credibility comes from his history.
Powell is talking about bringing the wonderful structure the military uses to achieve the goal of a singleness of purpose and obedience. Powell remarked at "how much you could do with them" once soldiers came to obey their orders without thought or question. Powell also talked about kids standing at attention with military bearing when he spoke with them. He talked about his success using the military command "at ease" with 7 year olds. He talked about putting teenagers into ranks, cutting their hair and having them all look alike and how beneficial this was for order and obedience. He talked about "yes sir, no sir and no excuse sir" and how wrong thinking is removed by structure.
This is exactly what we need for our children: stand up, sit straight, walk tall, obey and think right.
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A reply on Talk: Colin Powell: Kids need structure
Powell has no experience in education other than hammering a bunch of recruits into "Army" shape. He knows nothing about building a thinking, independent human being.
A reply on Talk: Israel and Iran: A love story?
Does it not seem odd to you that Israel has hundreds of undeclared, uninspected nuclear weapons and launch vehicles and yet the Israelis present the problem in the middle east as Iran.
Israel is the aggressor.
A reply on Talk: Israel and Iran: A love story?
A reply on Talk: Israel and Iran: A love story?
Words are just words. Actions show the heart.
A reply on Talk: Colin Powell: Kids need structure
A reply on Talk: Colin Powell: Kids need structure
Why the conflict? Powell is a very polarizing figure. He presided over the run-up to the Iraq war. In doing this he presented false information both to the decision makers in this and several other governments and to the American people. Had he presented the truth, it is likely that there would not have been an Iraq war. Had there not been an Iraq war, something like a million more people would still be alive and the US would not have spent several trillion dollars.
Christianity has nothing to do with the war, or Powell or his views on education. The only religion injected into this is the false linkage of Islam to terrorism.
It seems to me that it is you that are confusing the situation and discussion.
A reply on Talk: Colin Powell: Kids need structure
A reply on Talk: Colin Powell: Kids need structure
Colin Powell did not talk about any of these things. What he did say was that he likes to intimidate kids by making them stand at attention in front of him and that he use this tactic with seven year olds.
You are way over thinking this talk.
A reply on Talk: Israel and Iran: A love story?
The moral dilemma is not whether to speak up. The moral dilemma is whether to remain silent.
A reply on Conversation: Colin Powell
So the fact that Colin Powell is a national hero for having stopped the WMD menace that defined Iraq and simultaneously bringing hope and freedom and prosperity to Iraq is vitally important for the credibility and weight of the ideas he presented. Can we not agree that having Powell make this presentation himself is different from some Joe Blow talking as a parent in front of a local school board? Would anyone take Joe Blow as seriously as General Powell even if their words were exactly the same? Of course not. His credibility comes from his history.
Powell is talking about bringing the wonderful structure the military uses to achieve the goal of a singleness of purpose and obedience. Powell remarked at "how much you could do with them" once soldiers came to obey their orders without thought or question. Powell also talked about kids standing at attention with military bearing when he spoke with them. He talked about his success using the military command "at ease" with 7 year olds. He talked about putting teenagers into ranks, cutting their hair and having them all look alike and how beneficial this was for order and obedience. He talked about "yes sir, no sir and no excuse sir" and how wrong thinking is removed by structure.
This is exactly what we need for our children: stand up, sit straight, walk tall, obey and think right.