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What Is Sustainability Competence?

1 points by goatsneez ↗ HN
The EU Commission is proposing to mandate member state wide education (read school curricula) in climate-sustainability (see here https://education.ec.europa.eu/focus-topics/green/education-for-environmental-sustainability and here https://education.ec.europa.eu/tr/node/1895

We have a vivid history of pounding ideological dogmas into kid's heads (Hitler Jugend was one such program, and Marxists-Leninist in recent history). Both ended up not only in socio-economic disasters, but brought destruction and untold pains to the masses, and turned (necessarily) into murderous doctrines at the end. I do not see this ending up any different (especially reading these mediocre-bureaucratic documents outlining a policy), and the fact that due to "green actions" at EU level are expected to send 1/4 of populace into poverty (by their own study). Who is behind such evilness? What is the need for this? If there is a need, is this really best strategy? Can this be even implemented in non-harmful way? Why appeal to emotions in any and all such debates, even in official policy documents such as these? How can one fight such proposal of despair, fear, hate and passivity toward humanity? Why is there no outcry when we are about to repeat the shameful history yet again? [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxZfSlkC_wo ]

4 comments

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stumpyfr
Comparing trying to help our little planet to the Hitlerjugend? One of the fastest Godwin points!
goatsneez
Sweeping ideological educational programs such as Hitler Jugend and Marxism (or even today's Klimatism) are always a response to a perceived issue, or a perceived roadmap toward a goal. In that case, unless you can offer counter-argument, dogmatic ideological education tie these concepts together. Second point, once prosperity and wealth are not the future of a nation, things happen quickly in a direction anyone interested in history recognizes. Im interested in discussing principles of things taking into account the context of socio-economic situation. Can you argue how the proposal for ideological dogma for your children is not a dangerous idea?
stumpyfr
Dogma are "bad" if not challenged, correct. Can we adapt/change these programs along the flow, to adapt to the new situations and knowledge? I am confident we can.

Now, what are you proposing to really change the mindset of the world population around climate change and the fact we are running into the wall?

the other option is the current one, we do close to nothing and we wait. Not convinced about this strategy to prepare a better future for the planet and the next generations.

goatsneez
There are many scholars studying bureaucratic processes and if anything can be learned from this is that it is by design and nature of its function that bureaucracy is not able of adaptation to changing conditions (in timely fashion), nay, it will resist the exact thing you deem to be the core of a good educational policy (adaptability). In short, I would conclude that the confidence you posses on this very point is misplaced in my view. And it is precisely that which is inherently dangerous in it.

What am I proposing to change the mindset of masses around climate change, you ask. I do not want to bifurcate the topic here by unpacking the world view encapsulate in this (Its not that it is all wrong or such, but it is hardly so simple). However, I want to pick out from this the concept that "masses are to be manipulated for their own good by the enlightened elites" as a appalling one, and particularly harmful to the way to further advance us in socio-politico-economic phase-space into the future.

What is not the way is to brainwash children with dogma (for dogma drilling necessarily stalls the exact conceptual, systemic thinking we need to better our civilization), no matter how hype or valuable it is perceived to be at a given time. To instill framework of us vs them, or in/out of group dynamics, false sense of understanding, and at the same time extracting populace's allegiance to the "state" to save the day is pathological. What to do next cannot be spelled out in a comment section, and in any case it is input into a debate anyway. However, putting intellectual roadblock to such ill-conceived and inherently rotten ideas such as the one in question here is a must.