December 20^th, 2009

Dear Fellow Educators,

       We write you as concerned citizens, students of history and fellow

educators. Indeed my friends much effort is being put forth towards

getting education right. Although there has been significant progress

through out the last few decades, a few very important aspects about

our world have been overlooked and not included in mainstream

education.

What is Money?

      To be sure, the concepts and meanings we have about money are

more important than any other aspect of economic life - and infinitely

simpler to understand - yet most people lack the psychological will

and or the historical perspective to grasp such simplicity.

Consequently, when our dear young people graduate from their

wonderful high schools, how many of them can logically and soundly

answer this very important question (“What is Money”)? Considering

how much influence this thing, idea and concept called money has

over our lives, perhaps it would be wise to have our young people

investigate this very important topic, extensively deeper than that of

previous generations.

Critical Thinking

     Critical thinking teaches us that we are not here to teach our youth

what to think, but how to think. Unfortunately though, education is

too often the former, and not often enough the latter. This critical

thinking crisis emerges most apparently when it comes to under-

standing the nature of money. Why is the question of “What is

Money” so important? From preschool to the highest levels of

academia, why has such an obvious question been so vigorously

avoided? Why is this fundamental question so glaringly absent from

all mainstream political and  economic discourse? Considering that

people live or die on the basis of having or not having access to this

unit of measure, perhaps we should have our students contemplate

more deeply our relationship to this very fickle medium of exchange.

Lessons from History

        As we begin to address our assumptions and preconceived

notions around this issue of money, we invariably come to discover

the basis for most of the social ills  that have plagued human

civilization since the beginning of modern day centralized banking. In

fact in can be argued that our own nation (The United States of

America) was founded by people who desired to liberate themselves

from the financial tyranny being imposed upon them by the Bank of

England.

Financial Meltdown 2007-2009

       The concept of money – originally conceived as a tool to promote

unity and utility and to facilitate the exchange of life-sustaining goods

and services within a community – has become a life-destroying

divisive force. And yes, the world is currently suffering through an

“economic crisis” of global proportions. The foundation of this crisis is

not simply about a lack of money – a symptom and not the cause.

Rather, this crisis is mostly based on our collective ignorance of what

money actually is. Money is not just a thing – it is a concept and an

idea – a creature of the mind. Simply put, money is an agreement

within a community to use something as a medium of exchange. Once

this most fundamental and basic concept is understood, critical

thinking around the issue of money can take place. 

Self-Confidence & Self-Esteem

       The phoniness of our modern financial interactions has not only

cost many people undue heart ache and tears, but for many

generations now, the misappropriate uses of our energy has cost

countless amounts of young people their self-confidence and

self-esteem. These maladies of greed, deceit and ignorance are of

course institutionalized horizontally and vertically through out every

nook and cranny of our great nation. No doubt the beautiful idea of

public education also gets corrupted by people who think money in

itself has inherent value. With critical thinking lacking and gullibility

pervasive, misconceptions about “What is Money” percolate through

generation after generation. A now once again, another generation of

young people are hurting each other for something that is totally

worthless.

The Lesson Plan

        In essence this letter is not just an idea for another lesson plan –

for that would be stupid, but in fact what is being pleaded for here, is

a new commitment to courage and the restoration of human dignity,

thus making human values and dignity supreme to the forces of

financial capital and other imaginary instruments of the human mind.

        Over many years now educators have deeply engaged in many

discussions regarding our youth, the culture of education and the

importance of raising awareness around issues that concern the very

safety and security of our young people. What does it really mean to

empower the creativity of the youth? What if you taught them how to

intellectually challenge every preconceived notion that adults try to

force down their throat? Especially the preconceived notions and all

the baggage our civilization carries when it comes to the way we give

away our power to so called money.

        So how about it, lets introduce a lesson plan into mainstream

high school curriculum that critically examines the nature of money?

Indeed our youth are in the best position to affect the most

substantive change around this muddled issue of money. As with so

many other things, when given a positive and creative environment

that allows them to think freely and use their imagination, their ability

to critically address a taboo subject can be quite impressive. What

have we got to lose? Thank you for your attention!

 

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizens

Monetary Manifesto - Evolutionary2012.com