Deliberate Dumbing Down of America Public Education

390 bring balanced benefits to both the European Community and the United States. Transatlantic cooperative activities eligible for support are: • Development of organisational frameworks for transatlantic student mobility, in cluding work placements, which will provide adequate language preparation and full academic recognition; • Joint development of innovative curricula, teaching materials, methods and modules including those exploiting the new education technologies; • Other innovative projects, including the use of new technologies and distance learning, which aim to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of transatlantic cooperation in higher education and vocational education and training. E CUMENICAL N EWS I NTERNATIONAL ’ S N EWS H IGHLIGHTS (L ONDON -ENI) OF F EBRUARY 19, 1998 reported that the World Bank and the world’s faiths promise to work together: “The World Bank and the world’s major religions [agreed] to establish joint working groups on development issues, it was announced at the end of a high-level, two-day dialogue at Lambeth Palace.” T HE N EW Y ORK T IMES O P E D PAGE CARRIED AN EDITORIAL IN ITS M AY 5, 1998 EDITION entitled “The New World Order” by A.M. Rosenthal. Mr. Rosenthal put into perspective the values dilemma facing those who benefit from trade with nations not committed to the traditional definition of human rights. Excerpts follow: A PRIL 30 —U.S. approves another $1 billion in aid to Indonesia as part of the international $40 billion economic bailout. President Suharto refuses to break up the multibillion-dollar monopolies controlled by himself, his family and friends. He says no political reforms until 2003, at earliest. Police break up student protests. • May 1—Washington Times and A.P. say C.I.A. reports China has nuclear missiles targeted at U.S. • May 3—President Clinton’s June visit to China will include welcome ceremonies at Tiananmen Square. Washington preparing to allow U.S. companies to sell nuclear reactors to China. • May 4—Human rights workers report continued oppression in China and Indonesia; more executions in China than in all the rest of the world. The U.S., its democratic allies and major dictatorships are rapidly building a new world order—not quite finished yet, but already a central part of international life and values. Its ideology, powers, rewards and punishments are supplanting those that prevailed internationally until 1994, when President Clinton joined the new order. If it continues, it will be the most important new international concept since the end of World War II. The order was created without formal parliamentary approval by its sponsors, or any treaty. But every week, sometimes every day, the underlying tenets are revealed, in action. See above. The following description of objectives and goals of the new order is so different from principles recently assumed in the West, though not always followed, that it may read as satire. It is not. The fundamental change, demanded by the dictatorships and agreed to in practice by