According to "progressive" theory, a "proper" education is one of the universal rights of all mankind. (Oops—To my more progressive readers, make that "personkind.") One wonders, then, whether those who adhere to such theory have any problems with teaching children "proper" stuff like this:
Children dance in front of a giant image of a boy helping North Korean leader Kim Jong Il with his overcoat during a dance performance titled 'We Are Faithful Only to General Kim Jong Il' at the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
For a background on what North Korea's particular brand of humanistic socialism looks like, I highly recommend watching this classic. [Ed.:—Click on the pic to start it. That was written way back before I figured this new-fangled "blogging" thing out!] It's not exactly unique, either:—Cuba does it, Iran does it. In fact, I challenge any of you to identify a secular socialist government that does not infuse its children with a strong sense of quasi-religious propaganda.
How's that old proverb go? "Those who don't believe in God, will believe in anything."
As true today as ever, apparently.
As an aside, if you've ever had a serious case of déjà vu while reading any wire reports from North Korea, there's a very strong reason for it. Every single outsider that has ever visited Pyongyang has been taken on the exact same tour. Spend an hour or so reading here if you don't want to take my word for it.
Creepy.