Quote of the Day: The Barbarian Invasion

 

“Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.” – Thomas Sowell

The truth of this observation is being made plain by the failure of the United States education system. Instead of being centers to educate and civilize our next generation they have become centers to indoctrinate and foster barbarism.

Janet and I saw the trend starting back in the 1990s and opted to homeschool our children. They are now adults — in every sense of that word, not just physically mature humans — and leading productive and civilized lives.

As for some of our nieces and nephews? I fear it is too late.

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  1. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Seawriter:

    Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late. – Thomas Sowell

    The truth of this observation is being made plain by the failure of the United States education system. Instead of being centers to educate and civilize our next generation they have become centers to indoctrinate and foster barbarism.

    Janet and I saw the trend starting back in the 1990s and opted to homeschool our children. They are now adults – in every sense of that word, not just physically mature humans – and leading productive and civilized lives.

    As for some of our nieces and nephews? I fear it is too late.

    Yes!

    Yes!

    Yes!

    And did you do this same post awhile back?  I think you must have said this before, maybe in a comment.  It sounds so familiar.

    Mrs. Augustine and I are homeschooling our little barbarians.

    • #1
  2. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    I’m glad you’re attributing it to Sowell.  That’s what I thought.

    @JonahGoldberg keeps referencing Hannah Arendt on this quote.  If I err with Seawriter, I’m in good company.

    • #2
  3. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):
    And did you do this same post awhile back? I think you must have said this before, maybe in a comment. It sounds so familiar.

    I have done similar quotes, but this is new. 

    I keep all of the quotes I plan to use and have used in a file in my Ricochet folder. When I use a quote I change the text from black to red. When I add a quote of the day I only take the black text.

    It is possible someone else used it and I missed that quote of the day. That has happened before. (Most recently with a quote of Orwell’s I planned to use. When that happens and I see it, I mark that text brown.)

    • #3
  4. Fred Cole Inactive
    Fred Cole
    @FredCole

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family. 

    • #4
  5. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    OH goody! Another post to make me feel guilty that I don’t have the time or money to homeschool my kids. 

     

    • #5
  6. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    OH goody! Another post to make me feel guilty that I don’t have the time or money to homeschool my kids.

     

    Come on, Bryan. If I recall from past posts, you are doing fine as a parent. Homeschooling can be great, but not necessarily for everyone. No guilt implied here.

    • #6
  7. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    But its nice if the village is not trying so hard to work against the parents. After all we are paying for it.

    • #7
  8. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    So say the advocates of barbarism – whether they realize they are advocates of barbarism or merely useful idiots.

    • #8
  9. Vectorman Inactive
    Vectorman
    @Vectorman

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    OH goody! Another post to make me feel guilty that I don’t have the time or money to homeschool my kids.

    Here in Indiana, you can get vouchers to send you kids to parochial school if you don’t have the money. When donating to the scholarship program, you receive a 50% Indiana Income Tax credit, and you can also deduct your marginal Federal Income Tax rate (now 22% for most people), making it 72% subsidized.


    This entry is part of our Quote of the Day series. We have many openings on the October Schedule. We’ve even include tips for finding great quotes. Join in the fun and sign up today!

    • #9
  10. Unsk Member
    Unsk
    @Unsk

    “Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.”

    Some questions Freddie boy.

    A. What is the constitutional basis for the State to demand that your children be sent to school?

    I believe the State is actually on shaky grounds here . But if there were a good argument it would be  to make our children good citizens in order to preserve our  Constitutional Republic. 

    That said, while the quote is about civilizing barbarians, many children with proper parents have by age 5 been instilled  with proper America loving values only to have our educational system try to overturn those values and instill and indoctrinate instead values that promote the Progressive Fascist State more to your liking. That the State is violating the Equal Protection Clause with impunity all over the place by not respecting the spectrum of values of it’s citizenry and in fact not respecting the values instilled by the Parents seemingly  at all does not seem to give you Progressives any pause.  What a shock. 

    B. To give you Freddie the benefit of the doubt, do you have any concerns over the indoctrination system that our schools and Universities have become?

    • #10
  11. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Unsk (View Comment):
    Freddie

    How ’bout you stop calling him “Freddie” unless he has asked you to be called that? Otherwise it looks as though you are trying to be deliberately rude.

    • #11
  12. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    I agree that it is the parents’ ultimate job to educate their offspring, but many believe that the public school system is a benign tool for them to do so, without realizing the failures of the school system let alone its outright wickedness.

    Our civil society is one that is intended for adults with a high degree of civilization. 

     

    • #12
  13. Fred Cole Inactive
    Fred Cole
    @FredCole

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    I agree that it is the parents’ ultimate job to educate their offspring, but many believe that the public school system is a benign tool for them to do so, without realizing the failures of the school system let alone its outright wickedness.

    Our civil society is one that is intended for adults with a high degree of civilization.

     

    It’s ridiculous to expect public schools to teach children to act properly.  That’s not their purpose.  

    • #13
  14. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    I agree that it is the parents’ ultimate job to educate their offspring, but many believe that the public school system is a benign tool for them to do so, without realizing the failures of the school system let alone its outright wickedness.

    Our civil society is one that is intended for adults with a high degree of civilization.

     

    It’s ridiculous to expect public schools to teach children to act properly. That’s not their purpose.

    The school system should be expected to not teach them to act inproperly either. The problem of public schools today, is they can work against what the parents are teaching. 

    Further, it is right and proper to expect the school actually teach real facts about history and politically correct ones. 

    Finally, and I expect you will disagree here, it is reasonable for schools to teach civics, how a republic works, and love of country.  

    • #14
  15. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    I agree that it is the parents’ ultimate job to educate their offspring, but many believe that the public school system is a benign tool for them to do so, without realizing the failures of the school system let alone its outright wickedness.

    Our civil society is one that is intended for adults with a high degree of civilization.

    It’s ridiculous to expect public schools to teach children to act properly. That’s not their purpose.

    You hold it is the parents’ responsibility to civilize their  their children. And if the parents are barbarians? How do they civilize their children? Part of  education is providing civilization. It is the responsibility of the schools to civilize children. The non-sequitur in your argument is the insertion of “public” into it.

    • #15
  16. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    That’s certainly partially true.

    But I’d like my fellow Americans to understand little details like the presumption of innocence, the rule of law and due process, the nature of Constitutional governance, etc. — all stuff typically taught in school. Otherwise they end up like Senator Feinstein.

    • #16
  17. TallCon Inactive
    TallCon
    @TallCon

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):
    Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too la

    https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7344747-every-generation-civilization-is-invaded-by-barbarians—we-call

    I wonder who said it first.

    • #17
  18. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    TallCon (View Comment):

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):
    Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too la

    https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7344747-every-generation-civilization-is-invaded-by-barbarians—we-call

    I wonder who said it first.

    The two quotes while similar in spirit are different.

    “Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.” – Thomas Sowell

     

    “Every generation, civilization is invaded by barbarians – we call them ‘children’.” ― Hannah Arendt

    • #18
  19. DonG Coolidge
    DonG
    @DonG

    If you like the quote in the O.P., check out the most recent Remnent podcast.

    • #19
  20. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    It’s ridiculous to expect public schools to teach children to act properly. That’s not their purpose.

    Tell that to the schools.

    I quote from my school district’s website:

    The Core Intelligence [Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles, and Traditions]:In any organization there is a purpose and reason for its existence and for thesubsequent activities.. . . .These shared understandings and common values are the “main element” of a school. The collective commitment to guiding principles that articulate what the people in the school believe and what they seek to create is what separates a transformational school from an ordinary school.These guiding principles are not just articulated by those in positions ofleadership; they are embedded in the hearts and minds of people throughout the school. Mission, vision, and principles are so integral to an effectiveschool that they are considered the “core intelligence” of the organization, describing who we are, what we do, and how we do it. . . . .. . . .It is an integral part of all of our plans, discussions, and deliberations.The core intelligence of the New Paltz Central School District makes clearthat the school’s purpose is for the children of the community and all involved have a commitment to measured excellence and continuous growth and development for all.This is why we do what we do. (Mission)The vision is a statement of Who we are rather than what we hope to be someday. Vision statements directed toward the future are simply dreams, and are seldom achieved. Vision statements that are directed toward the potential and strength of the organization today empower the members to work diligently toward achieving the goals and aspirations of the district. They have an understanding of what the school is, its abilities, strengths and potential.The New Paltz School District–students, staff, families and community members–are citizens of the world, passionate about learning, and empowered to achieve our dreams. As Citizens of the World: We are responsible, ethical, contributing, participating members of local, national and global communities. Who value all peoples and care about each other.We respect the environment.Work to improve the society in which we live, and to understand our role in it.We are Passionate about Learning:We are confident and reflective, curious, nimble thinkers, whose knowledge of the past make us capable of questioning, analyzing, and assimilating new information.We are technologically creative and able to imagine alternatives to what is and what is yet to be. We also dare to be risk takers in crafting our futures.We are Empowered:  16

    We are well prepared to be self-directed and expressive, to develop and use our  personal skills and abilities, to be comfortable with change, achieve deep understanding, make informed and wise decisions, and to cooperate, collaborate,and compete.We live a healthy life style, are creative, and are empowered to achieve our dreams.

    Blech, retch, gag.No wonder the kids can’t read. 

     

    • #20
  21. CarolJoy Coolidge
    CarolJoy
    @CarolJoy

    I regret that I didn’t realize where the public school system was going in their efforts to educate our children until the moment in 1991 when  my then sophomore in HS son told me that it had been exciting in history class that day.

    Then he went on to recount how the Native Americans had won the battle against Gen Custer, but for me not to worry. After all, everything the Indians  did to Custer and his troops was done in a humane way.

    Since I happened to be reading the autobiography “Black Elk Speaks” at the same time, I was rather horrified at this rearrangement of the truth.

    • #21
  22. CarolJoy Coolidge
    CarolJoy
    @CarolJoy

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    I agree that it is the parents’ ultimate job to educate their offspring, but many believe that the public school system is a benign tool for them to do so, without realizing the failures of the school system let alone its outright wickedness.

    Our civil society is one that is intended for adults with a high degree of civilization.

     

    It’s ridiculous to expect public schools to teach children to act properly. That’s not their purpose.

    The school system should be expected to not teach them to act inproperly either. The problem of public schools today, is they can work against what the parents are teaching.

    Further, it is right and proper to expect the school actually teach real facts about history and politically correct ones.

    Finally, and I expect you will disagree here, it is reasonable for schools to teach civics, how a republic works, and love of country.

    Bryan did you mean to say, “and not politically correct ones.” ??

    • #22
  23. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    CarolJoy (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    I agree that it is the parents’ ultimate job to educate their offspring, but many believe that the public school system is a benign tool for them to do so, without realizing the failures of the school system let alone its outright wickedness.

    Our civil society is one that is intended for adults with a high degree of civilization.

     

    It’s ridiculous to expect public schools to teach children to act properly. That’s not their purpose.

    The school system should be expected to not teach them to act inproperly either. The problem of public schools today, is they can work against what the parents are teaching.

    Further, it is right and proper to expect the school actually teach real facts about history and politically correct ones.

    Finally, and I expect you will disagree here, it is reasonable for schools to teach civics, how a republic works, and love of country.

    Bryan did you mean to say, “and not politically correct ones.” ??

    yes

    • #23
  24. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Teachers haven’t the time, backbone, moral authority, nor mother wit to teach children to be civilized. The best they can do is oppose bad behavior in their sight and hearing. 

    But they can teach about civilization – indeed, that is their entire purpose (other than warehousing). 

    • #24
  25. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    TBA (View Comment):

    But they can teach about civilization – indeed, that is their entire purpose . . . .

    Yes. That’s a big part of my job as a philosophy teacher.

    • #25
  26. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    TallCon (View Comment):

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):
    Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too la

    https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7344747-every-generation-civilization-is-invaded-by-barbarians—we-call

    I wonder who said it first.

    The two quotes while similar in spirit are different.

    “Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.” – Thomas Sowell

    “Every generation, civilization is invaded by barbarians – we call them ‘children’.” ― Hannah Arendt

    Oooooohhh!

    I should have caught on ages ago. Right on! Two quotes.

    • #26
  27. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    JoelB (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

    Yeah but it’s not the job of the educational system to civilize barbarians. That’s up to their family.

    But its nice if the village is not trying so hard to work against the parents. After all we are paying for it.

    Indeed.

    Literally, though, it does take a village.  What it doesn’t take is a bigger federal government.  (My old post on that.)

    • #27
  28. Quietpi Member
    Quietpi
    @Quietpi

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Fred Cole (View Comment):

     

    Tell that to the schools.

    I quote from my school district’s website:

    The Core Intelligence [Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles, and Traditions]:In any organization there is a purpose and reason for its existence and for thesubsequent activities.. . . .These shared understandings and common values are the “main element” of a school. The collective commitment to guiding principles that articulate what the people in the school believe and what they seek to create is what separates a transformational school from an ordinary school.These guiding principles are not just articulated by those in positions ofleadership; they are embedded in the hearts and minds of people throughout the school. Mission, vision, and principles are so integral to an effectiveschool that they are considered the “core intelligence” of the organization, describing who we are, what we do, and how we do it. . . . .. . . .It is an integral part of all of our plans, discussions, and deliberations.The core intelligence of the New Paltz Central School District makes clearthat the school’s purpose is for the children of the community and all involved have a commitment to measured excellence and continuous growth and development for all.This is why we do what we do. (Mission)The vision is a statement of Who we are rather than what we hope to be someday. Vision statements directed toward the future are simply dreams, and are seldom achieved. Vision statements that are directed toward the potential and strength of the organization today empower the members to work diligently toward achieving the goals and aspirations of the district. They have an understanding of what the school is, its abilities, strengths and potential.The New Paltz School District–students, staff, families and community members–are citizens of the world, passionate about learning, and empowered to achieve our dreams. As Citizens of the World: We are responsible, ethical, contributing, participating members of local, national and global communities. Who value all peoples and care about each other.We respect the environment.Work to improve the society in which we live, and to understand our role in it.We are Passionate about Learning:We are confident and reflective, curious, nimble thinkers, whose knowledge of the past make us capable of questioning, analyzing, and assimilating new information.We are technologically creative and able to imagine alternatives to what is and what is yet to be. We also dare to be risk takers in crafting our futures.We are Empowered: 16

    We are well prepared to be self-directed and expressive, to develop and use our personal skills and abilities, to be comfortable with change, achieve deep understanding, make informed and wise decisions, and to cooperate, collaborate,and compete.We live a healthy life style, are creative, and are empowered to achieve our dreams.

    Blech, retch, gag.No wonder the kids can’t read.

     

    GET YOUR CHILDREN OUT OF THAT SCHOOL NOW!

    • #28
  29. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Quietpi (View Comment):

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Tell that to the schools.

    I quote from my school district’s website:

    . . . As Citizens of the World: We are responsible, ethical, contributing, participating members of local, national and global communities. . . .

    We live a healthy life style, are creative, and are empowered to achieve our dreams.

    Blech, retch, gag.No wonder the kids can’t read.

    GET YOUR CHILDREN OUT OF THAT SCHOOL NOW!

    And yet if they really meant it and knew what they were talking about, think what this would mean.

    –healthy lifestyle: sexual restraint.

    –empowerment: liberty for the individual.

    –participation in local, national, and global communities: buyers and sellers in free markets (as Von Mises explains).

    • #29
  30. Bryan Van Blaricom Member
    Bryan Van Blaricom
    @BryanVanBlaricom

    As far as schools acting to civilize little (or even not so little) barbarians: To Sir, With Love.

    • #30
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