Philistine Planet Fatuous, shallow and pompous, oh can it be these are the hallmarks of Philistine planet? Ideas and literature, philistines say, in teaching a language have no part to play, so separate language from culture and history, strip out its wonder, its life and its mystery. It’s a tool for accountants and corporate men to increase their sales, rack up dollar and yen. It’s grammar we need, to write business letters, what sells is what’s real and there’s nothing else matters. Ideas and art are things we can forego while students can read a brochure and a logo, and who could pronounce education is chronic as long as our graduates can master a comic? Fatuous, shallow and pompous, oh can it be these are the hallmarks of Philistine planet? For each teacher who dreams and attempts to inspire, some philistine’s throwing his books on the fire. Churn out students for industry, “Human Resources,” consumerist fodder on marketing courses, give them brand name heaven, and soap opera hell; on Philistine Planet only comic books tell of a time long ago when poetry and art helped dignify learning, set language apart as a jewel of life and the mirror of thought. But Philistine Planet just asks what they bought, for consumption’s the goal and the ad-man is king; as Wilde said, a philistine can price everything…. while knowing the value of nothing. And am I alone in finding it shocking That our students, when asked, say their hobby is shopping? Encourage free thought and an unfettered mind? The philistines simply say kiss their behind! Then these pigmies attack with their poisonous darts to vent all their envious rage on art. They don’t understand it so they burn it or ban it, they’d burn Galileo on Philistine Planet! Censoring books and ideas, it’s all of a piece, and the arch-philistines run the secret police. Today, it’s sad midgets just strutting about, tomorrow they’re pulling your fingernails out. So if you ignore when they censor or ban, elevate the banal, override a good man, stand quietly by while they trash what you prize you’ll find yourself shrinking to philistine size, and before you can say metamorphosis, damn it! You’re just one more pigmy, on Philistine planet! John Gartland
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 15:11:10 +0000