Education

Principle                        Fact                         Solution

Side A  

Education is the business of parents, churches, state and local government not the federal government.

 

92% of funding for primary and elementary education comes from non-federal sources.

 

Keep the federal government out of education.

 

Promote vouchers to improve quality and lower costs.

 

Side B  

Education is a fundamental right that must be guaranteed by the federal government.

Equal protection of the laws requires equal quality of schools across the nation.

 

 

Without federal intervention, Southern schools would still be segregated by law.

 

Huge disparities exist in the quality of schools nationwide.

 

 

Education should be nationalized to guarantee equal protection of the laws.

 

Increase federal spending on schools.

 

Abolish charter schools.

 

Side C

 

 

 

Identify best practices and model their application.

 

Address the links between family structure and neighborhood safety and school performance.

 

Focus on joys not skills or fun.

 

 

High standards and high expectations are the keys to a successful school.

 

Schools need the families and communities to reinforce the message.

 

Successful models exist in the US

And elsewhere.

 

Roll out the Harlem Children’s Zone model across the country.

 

Roll out the Education First Party’s 8 point program.

 

Learn from Iceland, Rafe Esquith. Amy Chua.

Justice

Principle                           Fact                             Solution

Side A  

 

Economic Inequality is the issue or our time.

 

Not fair that some are very poor and some are very rich.

 

 

Top 1% of income make 20%. Top 1% of wealth own, 80%.

 

Tax the Rich more.

 

Raise the minimum wage.

Side B  

 

 

Government is the issue our time.

 

Socialism leads to poverty, scarcity, and tyranny.

 

The top 1% of income pay 40% of federal taxes.

 

The higher the minimum wage, the higher the unemployment of the neediest workers.

 

50% of Americans pay zero net taxes.

 

Slash regulations which are a tax on economic growth.

 

Abolish minimum wage which is apartheid for the unskilled.

 

 

 

 

 

Side C

 

 

 

Economic opportunity is the issue of our time.

 

Economic opportunity is a three front war.

 

20 million children are living a daily Katrina of unsafe streets, second rate schools, and unstable homes.

 

Politicians don’t care because the kids have neither money nor votes.

 

 

Universal basic income, a starter kit, and an end of life package –focusing on quality of life..

 

 

 

  

Climate Change

Principle                     Fact                              Solution

 

 

Side A

 

 

 

We are in an existential crisis.

The planet is at risk.

 

 

The earth is getting warmer. Carbon dioxide is a green house gas. Burning of fossil fuels is increasing carbon concentrations.

 

 

Shut down the coal industry.

 

Divestment of all fossil fuels.

Side B  

Global warming is a hoax.

 

Warming has been slower than forecast.

 

It is not true that all scientists agree.

 

The human contribution to warming is not precisely known.

 

 

No need to do anything.

 

 

Side C

 

 

 

Prudence dictates taking action now even if the probability is relatively low.

 

 

Scientific consensus should not be ignored even if consensus is not necessarily correct or is exaggerated for partisan reasons.

 

 

Massive investment in nuclear power.

 

Carbon tax or carbon dividend.

 

Massive investment in alternative energy.

 

Foreign Policy

     Principles           Facts                               Solution

 

 

Side A

 

 

 

If you have the power to stop bad things, you have a duty to do so.

 

 

The defeat of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan would not have happened without US intervention.

 

 

Intervene with decisive first at an early stage to prevent horrific consequences down the line.

 

Side B

 

 

War is hell and must be avoided at all costs.

 

 

Vietnam was a terrible mistake and the 2003 Iraqi intervention a total disaster.

 

 

Stick to multi-lateral, diplomatic solutions to world crises.

 

 

Side C

 

 

 

The right thing to do at any time and place depends on getting the details right.

 

 

The lessons of Munich and of Vietnam are both true.

 

No one size fits all solution.

 

 

Israel-Palestine

           PRINCIPLE                                 FACT                                         SOLUTION

 

Imperialism is bad and Palestine belongs to Palestinians.

 

 

 

Israel is the creation of imperialist powers –

Britain and the United States after World War II. Secretary of State Marshall was right and President Truman was wrong.

 

 

The annihilation of Israel.

 

 

The clear message of Ali Khamenei.

 

 

 

Israel is the homeland of the Jews who have a right to self-defense.

 

 

If any people on the earth have the documented right to any specific land, it is the Jews to Israel. Jerusalem is to the Jews as Mecca is to Muslims.

 

 

Give full support to Israel who should not give an inch because are surrounded by tyrannical enemies who seek its annihilation.

 

Both sides are equally

right.

 

 

Both sides have committed atrocities.  

Split the difference.

Two state solution

One state solution.

Business as usual.

Status quo.

 

 

 

Political Process

Principle                        Fact                               Solution

Side A  

 

No real democracy without proportional representation.

 

 

First past the post disenfranchises even large minorities and facilitates gerrymandering.

 

Adopt proportional representation’
Side B  

Money is corrupting politics.

 

 

 

 

The more money you have the more political influence you have.

 

 

Over turn citizens United.

 

 

 

 

Side C

 

 

 

Non-elected officials from the judiciary to the Fed have too much power.

 

If Congressmen don’t read bills, who writes them?

 

 

 

 

The Fed Chairman is the most powerful economic actor in America.

 

One swing voter on the supreme court has the power to overturn legislation backed by the vast majority of the American people.

 

Adopt a rule-based monetary policy.

 

Abolish Life tenure for judges.

 

Make unanimity a requirement for Supreme Court decisions.

 

Gun Control

Principle                Fact                         Solutions

Side A Public Safety is the first job of government.

Greater the availability of guns,

the easier to kill.

The Second Amendment had to do with militias.

Thousands of deaths by guns per year.

More than half are suicides.

Many mass murders committed

by children

Ban all hand guns.

Police too.

 

Side B Self defense is the most basic of human rights.

An armed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.

 

States and countries with high crime rates have strict gun control.

Gun ownership deters criminal aggression.

Gun ownership levels field with criminals and that between men and women.

Universal gun

ownership and training.

Side C Gun control is a distraction from real issues:

Mental illness,

Family structure,

Poor schools, gangs, zip code safety gap.

The evidence is mixed. Focus on more important issues.

 

There are so many issues. Which matter most to you? Why?

Three Liberal Arts Goals

Critical Thinking Responsible Citizenship Closing the “Joy Gap”
Critical thinking must be sustained, analytical,

collaborative, research-driven, synoptic, collaborative, skeptical, decision focused, accountable, and quantitative if possible.

The first challenge of responsible citizenship is to see the big picture. If you can’t how can you

rationally prioritize your civic time? The second is to align your life with your vision.

Every student should experience the joy of math, science, words, music, art, dance, drama, and sports before graduation. Making fully informed life decisions depends on it.
To achieve these qualities the integrated application of a set of seven tools can be game-changing: the thematic journal,  checklist,  matrix, conversation,  before and after test,  thematic calendar, and capstone To see the big picture means applying the tools of critical thinking to at least seven issues of paramount importance: foreign policy, economic policy, justice, climate change, education, health care, identity. Let’s call it the “joy gap”

component of the liberal arts program. A few very fortunate students already have reached joy in all areas and can be exempted. A full life comes from experiencing a full range of joys.

These tools until now have been used singly or in combination in haphazard ways across many fields. To understand the big picture requires mastering the fundamentals of

seven disciplines.

Joy comes from doing.

These should all be practice courses culminating in a capstone performance.

The key to maximizing human potential for

critical thinking is to use them all in a systematic way.

The big seven are: ethics, rhetoric, economics, politics, history, statistics, and science Examples: compose and perform a 12 bar blues. Demonstrate a balanced life long fitness program.

Draw a self portrait.

The three most urgent and important areas of application of critical thinking are:  first, how to live the fullest possible life day to day, second, major life choices (career, parenthood), third,  allocating scarce civic time and making decisions with respect to party affiliation,

voting,  community

service.

A serious citizenship training program would address each of the core issues from each of these eight disciplinary perspectives culminating in a capstone presentation by each student which would lay the foundation for the life long habit of sustained, multi-disciplinary analysis. Model courses exist for each field – the Betty Edwards 3 day Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain program, Scott Houston, The Piano Guy’s program, Tim Galwey’s

The Inner Game of Teniis, Golf, etc. Colleges will have to hire more practicing artists and coaches to do this well.

Ten Attributes of Critical Thinking

Elements of Thinking Principle Practical Tool
Sustained Continuity is the key to depth of thought     Thematic Journal

Thematic Calendar

Thematic Capstone

 

Analytical

To understand x

Must break it down into parts

 

Thematic Matrix

Thematic Matrix

Exchange

Synoptic:

Prioritized, sequenced

If you don’t see the big picture, it’s impossible to prioritize and make an informed decision.  

Thematic Matrix

Matrix Exchange

Thematic Capstone

 

Research-based

 

Facts matter.

Half of what you think is wrong. Only research will help you shrink the percentage.

 

Thematic Journal

Matrix Exchange

 

Collaborative

 

 

Solo thinking can be creative but runs risk of sterility as well as retreat into a private universe

and private  language.

 

 

Thematic Matrix

Exchange

 

Skeptical

 

All premises must be identified and turned into hypotheses If truth is to be found. Thematic Checklist:

How can I be wrong?

What am I missing?

What questions should I be asking?

 

Decision-focused:

(prioritized, precise)

 

Life is a tissue of decisions with respect to what matters in daily life and civic life. Thematic Journal

Thematic Matrix

Thematic Capstone

 

Accountable

 

 

No test, no accountability

Before and After Test

Capstone

 

Multi-disciplinary

 

 

Most important issues cross disciplinary lines.

 

 

Seven literacies

Of world citizenship

 

Quantitative if possible

 

If something can be quantified, it should be.  

Thematic Data Packet

Fitness

Level  1 Level 2 Level 3
Strength  Planks 10 -20 push ups

5 chin ups fully

extended

50 plus push ups

20 fully extended chin ups

Aerobics  5 minutes running at 10 minute pace,

swim one lap

30 minutes running at 10 minute pace

 

Swim 10 minutes

One hour running ten minute pace
Flexibility

 

Angle of x on leg extendsion
 

Coordination

Jumping rope

Bike riding

Tennis shots over net

 

 

Cooperation

 

 

Game play —

Passing

 

 

Game play —

observation

 

Game Play ==

Executing a plan

 

Character

 

 

Self-knowledge

 

Self-control

 

resilience

 

Science

 

 

Physics: posture

 

Chemistry: diet

 

Biology: brain

And performance