“By the beginning of the 20th century, those who organized our current government schooling system on the European model were well on their way to perfecting a system in which, in their view, ‘effective early indoctrination of all children would lead to an orderly scientific society, one controlled by the best people, now freed from the obsolete straitjacket of democratic traditions and historic American libertarian attitudes,’ Mr. Gatto reports in his masterwork. ‘Forced schooling was the medicine to bring the whole continental population into conformity with these plans so that it might be regarded as a ‘human resource’ and managed as a ‘work force.’ No more Ben Franklins or Tom Edisons could be allowed; they set a bad example. One way to manage this was to see to it that individuals were prevented from taking up their working lives until an advanced age when the ardor of youth and its insufferable self-confidence had cooled.’” (05/18/08)