315 - Slaphappiness Machines (Engineering America's Faux Democracy - Part 1)

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Episode #315 - Slaphappiness Machines (Engineering America's Faux Democracy - Part 1)

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⌚ Sun 16 July 2006  ☻Adam Curtis, John Taylor Gatto (reading)

Download Hour1 Download Hour2We start this week's show by reviewing the research findings which correlate terrorist attacks (or threats thereof) with increased US presidential approval ratings. Can people be that easily manipulated? To understand why, we hear part 1 of The Century of Self by Adam Curtis, continuing into our second hour. Then we start our reading of John Taylor Gatto's epic, The Underground History of American Education.

A CBS/New York Times poll conducted in 2004 found that "59% of the American people trust the federal government to do what is right only some of the time", even as 64% responded that "government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves. If 64% - almost 2/3, of the people believe that "government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves" why haven't they, we, made things change? A simple question without a simple answer, but we looking this week with part 1 of The Century of Self by Adam Curtis, which continues 10 minutes into out second hour. Then we start by reading the prologue our series of readings from John Taylor Gatto's classic, The Underground History of American Education.
Music: David Rovics
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