Maggie's Farm

Mr. Thompson has a series about American government education. The Battle for the Minds of America's Children. The fifth in a series . . .

 The family is the most exclusive private association known to man, and, as Plato knew, it is the single greatest obstacle to collectivism. Families are inward looking units that resist government-imposed homogenization, and they are an inherently conservative cultural force that seek to preserve the private manners and mores of each and every particular family. Worse: families are the origin of private property, the division of labor, inequality, and gender roles. The family is a naturally occurring social unit that has always stood against the State in its attempt to collectivize the community for either reactionary or progressive ends. Figuratively speaking, every family is protected by a virtual “No Trespassing” sign barring entry.

The success of government schooling and its ultimate goals therefore require the families ties between parent and child be weakened if not broken...