JD Rucker
Politics • Spirituality/Belief • News
Lew Rockwell: The Menace of “Public” Education
Article by Llewellyn H. Rockwell
April 21, 2025
post photo preview

(Lew Rockwell)—Parents are rightly concerned about what is happening in our “public” schools. Crazed “educators” are encouraging impressionable children to “transition” to another sex, as if such a thing was possible. Students are taught that sexual promiscuity is a good thing. They are brainwashed to accept socialist attacks on our free enterprise system.

What can we do about this disaster? The Trump Administration and anti-woke Governors like Ron deSantis have tried to solve the problem by issuing directives to the schools to eliminate the noxious programs and give parents more say-so about what their children are taught. But teachers who have been indoctrinating our children are well-entrenched, and it will be extremely difficult to curb their baleful influence.

No matter how much good these efforts accomplish, they fail to deal with the real problem, and that is the existence of “public” education itself. Schools run by the state are inherently institutions that propagandize what the state wants schoolchildren to learn.

As the great Murray Rothbard explains: “The key issue in the entire discussion is simply this: shall the parent or the State be the overseer of the child? An essential feature of human life is that, for many years, the child is relatively helpless, that his powers of providing for himself mature late. Until these powers are fully developed he cannot act completely for himself as a responsible individual. He must be under tutelage. This tutelage is a complex and difficult task. From an infancy of complete dependence and subjection to adults, the child must grow up gradually to the status of an independent adult. The question is under whose guidance, and virtual ‘ownership’ the child should be: his parents’ or the State’s? There is no third, or middle, ground in this issue. Some party must control, and no one suggests that some individual third party have authority to seize the child and rear it.”

For Rothbard the choice between these options is a “no-brainer.”

“It is obvious that the natural state of affairs is for the parents to have charge of the child. The parents are the literal producers of the child, and the child is in the most intimate relationship to them that any people can be to one another. The parents have ties of family affection to the child. The parents are interested in the child as an individual and are the most likely to be interested and familiar with his requirements and personality. Finally, if one believes at all in a free society, where each one owns himself and his own products, it is obvious that his own child, one of his most precious products, also comes under his charge.”

Rothbard’s point is a clear application of the basic principles of libertarianism.

If the state takes over schooling, this is a clear violation of the parents’ rights.

“The only logical alternative to parental ‘ownership’ of the child is for the State to seize the infant from the parents and to rear it completely itself. To any believer in freedom this must seem a monstrous step indeed. The rights of the parents are completely violated, their own loving product seized from them to be subjected to the will of strangers.”

But there is, if anything, an even more fundamental issue at stake. Children need freedom in order to develop their powers to live their lives, but the State is inherently a violent institution that suppresses individuality.

“The rights of the child are violated, for he grows up in subjection to the unloving hands of the State, with little regard for his individual personality. For each person to be ‘educated,’ to develop his faculties to the fullest, he needs freedom for this development. But the State! The State’s very being rests on violence, on compulsion. As a matter of fact, the very feature that distinguishes the State from other individuals and groups is that the State has the only (legal) power to use violence. In contrast to all other individuals and organizations, the State issues decrees which must be obeyed at the risk of suffering prison or the electric chair. The child would have to grow up under the wings of an institution resting on violence and restriction. What sort of peaceful development could take place under such auspices?”

What will the State teach? You might think that this would depend on the kind of state it is, and to some extent this is true. Schools under Trump will differ from those under brain-dead Joe Biden. But there is nevertheless an underlying pressure that leads the State to impose uniformity and to teach obedience to the government.

“Furthermore, it is inevitable that the State would impose uniformity on the teaching of charges. Not only is uniformity more congenial to the bureaucratic temper and easier to enforce; this would be almost inevitable where collectivism has supplanted individualism. With collective State ownership of the children replacing individual ownership and rights, it is clear that the collective principle would be enforced in teaching as well. Above all, what would be taught is the doctrine of obedience to the State itself. For tyranny is not really congenial to the spirit of man, who requires freedom for his full development Therefore, techniques of inculcating reverence for despotism and other types of ‘thought control’ are bound to emerge. Instead of spontaneity, diversity, and independent men, there would emerge a race of passive, sheep-like followers of the State. Since they would be only incompletely developed, they would be only half-alive. This is the logical goal of the Statists in education. The issue which has been joined in the past and in the present is: shall there be a free society with parental control, or a despotism with State control? We shall see the logical development of the idea of State encroachment and control.”

You might object that Rothbard is being dogmatic. Is he trying to deduce what must happen, rather than be sensitive to the actual course of events? Of course not! Rothbard was a great historian, and his theoretical account aligns with what actually happened: “America began, for the most part, with a system of either completely private or with philanthropic schools. Then, in the nineteenth century, the concept of public education changed subtly, until everybody was urged to go to the public school, and private schools were accused of being divisive. Finally, the State imposed compulsory education on the people, either forcing children to go to public schools or else setting up arbitrary standards for private schools. Parental instruction was frowned on. Thus, the State has been warring with parents for control over their children.”

Rothbard wrote before the horrors of today’s wokery , but with his unrivalled genius, he anticipated them: “Not only has there been a trend toward increased State control, but the effects of this have been worsened by the very system of equality before the law that applies in political life. There has been the growth of a passion for equality in general. The result has been a tendency to regard every child as equal to every other child, as deserving equal treatment, and to impose complete uniformity in the classroom. Formerly, this had tended to be set at the average level of the class; but this being frustrating to the dullest (who, however, must be kept at the same level as the others, in the name of equality and democracy), the teaching tends more and more to be set at the lowest levels. Since the State began to control education, its evident tendency has been more and more to act in such a manner as to promote repression and hindrance of education, rather than the true development of the individual. Its tendency has been for compulsion, for enforced equality at the lowest level, for the watering down of the subject and even the abandonment of all formal teaching, for the inculcation of obedience to the State and to the group, rather than the development of self-independence, and for the deprecation of intellectual subjects. And finally, it is the drive of the State and its minions for power that explains the ‘modern education’ creed of ‘education of the whole child’ and making the school a ‘slice of life,’ where the individual plays, adjusts to the group, etc. The effect of this, as well as all the other measures, is to repress any tendency for the development of reasoning powers and individual independence; to try to usurp in various ways the ‘educational’ function (apart from formal instruction) of the home and friends, and to try to mold the ‘whole child’ in the desired paths. Thus, ‘modern education’ has abandoned the school functions of formal instruction in favor of molding the total personality both to enforce equality of learning at the level of the least educable, and to usurp the general educational role of home and other influences as much as possible.”

On one point, though, Rothbard underestimated the menace. He said that “since no one will accept outright State ‘communization’ of children, it is obvious that State control has to be achieved more silently and subtly.” State control under the Left has not been silent or subtle, and this has provoked  the recent backlash.

We can all enthusiastically agree with Rothbard’s message: “For anyone who is interested in the dignity of human life, in the progress and development of the individual in a free society, the choice between parental and State control over the children is clear.”

Let’s do everything we can to end “public” education!

Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. [send him mail], former editorial assistant to Ludwig von Mises and congressional chief of staff to Ron Paul, is founder and chairman of the Mises Institute, executor for the estate of Murray N. Rothbard, and editor of LewRockwell.com. He is the author of Against the State and Against the Left. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

community logo
Join the JD Rucker Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
0
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
Articles
February 26, 2025
AP Reports Over 20 DOGE Employees Have Resigned for Ethical Reasons But of Course It's Fake News

The Associated Press (or Associated Propaganda) is pure garbage.

00:05:01
March 04, 2022
We're Just Starting Stage Two of The Great Reset Launch, but Stage Three Is Likely Imminent

Sponsor: Get long-term storage food and prepper supplies at https://noqreport.com/mps

Let me start with a word of encouragement. In these crazy times, it's easy for people to lose hope and thereby lose the will to fight. That's what the powers-that-be want. If we keep fighting, we can delay and possibly even stop their nefarious plans.

It really comes down to God's will. If we are, as many believe, in the end times prophesied in Revelation and other books of the Bible, then we will not be able to stop The Great Reset or a similar iteration of globalism from coming to pass. If what we are seeing in the world is simply a type or echo of the end times, then we will be able to stop it eventually.

But here's the thing. Regardless of whether we are on the verge of the Biblical end times or not, our mission at this time remains the same. First and foremost, we must continuously serve our Lord and Savior. We must pray, share the Gospel, and live as the Bible instructs. That will never change....

00:56:36
October 13, 2021
Video Clowns Fauci et al Over Rapidly Devolving Narrative on 'Vaccine' Effectiveness

Anthony Fauci isn't a fool. He just thinks everyone else is. This is why he's been able to keep a straight face throughout the rapid devolution surrounding the narrative of his beloved vaccines. They were touted as practically 100% effective in the beginning. Today, some are saying they have zero impact on whether its recipients contract Covid-19 or not.

00:02:13
March 21, 2021
Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney: Covid-19, hacked elections, and vaccines combine for 'hybrid warfare' against America

Today, The Two Mikes again spoke with Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney about the current state of security and division in the United States. He also talked about the Wuhan Flu and his contention that it was intentionally released as a biological weapon by the Chinese Communist Party. This is one heck of a interview you won't want to miss.

https://noqreport.com/2021/03/21/lt-gen-tom-mcinerney-covid-19-hacked-elections-and-vaccines-combine-for-hybrid-warfare-against-america

Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney: Covid-19, hacked elections, and vaccines combine for 'hybrid warfare' against America
March 08, 2021
CDC reports face masks, lockdowns 'mitigate' Covid cases... by less than 2%

It's hard to say whether it's worse that face mask mandates and Covid lockdowns have minimal effect on the spread of Covid-19 or that the CDC is pretending like a 0%-2% decrease is worth the widespread destitution and psychological carnage that their recommendations are producing.

CDC reports face masks, lockdowns 'mitigate' Covid cases... by less than 2%
March 04, 2021
Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney explains why Lin Wood's whistleblower is absolutely credible

The transcript of an interview with a whistleblower put out by attorney Lin Wood on Populist Press reveals bombshell accusations of massive corruption, child sex trafficking, and a cabal that completely redefines the concept of The Swamp. Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney joined Two Mikes to explain why every American must read this blockbuster release.

https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/2021/03/lt-gen-tom-mcinerney-explains-why-lin-woods-whistleblower-is-absolutely-credible

Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney explains why Lin Wood's whistleblower is absolutely credible
February 19, 2025
Leftist Rag Rolls Out RINO Lawmakers to Manufacture a GOP DOGE Revolt

It isn't often that I cite a publication without linking to or even quoting from it, but Axios wins that distinction today. Their recent article, "Trump faces growing DOGE revolt from GOP lawmakers," is such a blatant attempt to manufacture an agenda by faking a narrative that I cannot recommend even reading it for laughs.

There is no "growing DOGE revolt." Not in the GOP, nor outside of the GOP. The sentiment towards what DOGE is doing is improving among the public. Democrats have already shamed themselves with their unified outrage towards those who would expose their corruption. As for the RINOs who oppose what's being done, their ranks are not growing. Their ranks are shrinking.

Axios doesn't want you to know this because it would mean the Trump administration is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing and fulfilling the will of the people to root out the massive waste of taxpayer dollars. This is why they're manufacturing the "revolt."

To be clear, the fact that there's no revolt ...

placeholder
February 18, 2025
The Signs and Symptoms of Musk Derangement Syndrome

If you believe Trump Derangement Syndrome is a unique, one-off illness, you’re mistaken. The left has someone new to despise: Elon Musk. The brilliant and unusual billionaire some might describe as alien-smart is being mercilessly derided for his role in the Trump administration. Millions appear to be suffering from MDS – Musk Derangement Syndrome – but the strange thing about all this poisonous fury being directed at the president’s right-hand man is that he used to be someone the left admired, confirming once and for all that there is a fine line between love and hate.

placeholder
February 18, 2025
Returning to Locals

We have been off and on with Locals for, well, years. We are officially putting far more emphasis here, including adding our videos to the feed. Thank you all for sticking by us. Now it's time to advance freedom in America through Locals once again.

April 25, 2025
post photo preview
An Industry Insider Explains Why the Coming Shortages Are Going to Be So Crazy
Article by Michael Snyder from End of the American Dream

(End of the American Dream)—The United States imported 438 billion dollars worth of goods from China in 2024.  All of a sudden, most of that trade is being cut off.  Tariffs on Chinese goods are now so high that it no longer makes economic sense for Chinese companies to export products to us, and it no longer makes economic sense for U.S. companies to import products from China.  As a result, container bookings are absolutely plummeting, and retail CEOs are warning that store shelves all over America will “soon be empty”.  Yes, retailers will attempt to find replacement items from other sources when it is possible to do so.  But in many cases, things that are made in China are not made anywhere else.  As retailers run through existing inventory levels, shortages will begin to emerge.

I do not believe that we should have ever started trading with China. And I would love to see a day in the future when we no longer trade with China.

But at this moment we are deeply, deeply dependent on China. Nobody can deny this.

Our economy literally cannot function normally without Chinese imports, and now most of those imports will no longer be coming across the ocean. Most Chinese imports fall into these 10 categories

  • Electrical machinery and TV parts: $124.97 billion, 28% of total imports from China
  • Nuclear reactor parts and mechanical appliances: $82 billion, 18% of total imports from China
  • Toys, games and sports equipment: $30.03 billion, 7% of imports from China
  • Plastics: $19.29 billion, 4% of total imports from China
  • Furniture, lamps and pre-fabricated buildings: $18.52, 4% of total imports from China
  • Vehicles: $16.85 billion, 4% of total imports from China
  • Iron and steel: $11.98 billion, 3% of total imports from China
  • Optical and photographic parts: $11.88 billion, 3% of total imports from China
  • Clothing: $9.99 billion, 2% of total imports from China
  • Shoes: $9.78 billion, 2% of total imports from China

Did you know that China makes 80 percent of our toys?

If you are going to need toys later this year, you may want to stock up now.

It is being reported that container bookings from China to the United States have already “plummeted by over 60% in just three weeks”

Container shipping between China and the United States faces unprecedented disruption following the implementation of new Trump administration tariffs on U.S. imports from China, with industry leaders warning of potential widespread supply chain impacts and economic consequences that could rival the pandemic.

According to Ryan Peterson, Founder and CEO of Flexport, ocean container bookings from China to the United States have plummeted by over 60% in just three weeks since the new tariffs took effect. The dramatic decline follows the introduction of reciprocal tariffs that went into effect on April 9, setting rates at 145% for China and 10% for all other origin points.

I told you what I thought about this in an article that I posted yesterday.

Today, I would like to share some insights from an industry insider.

Molson Hart is the founder and president of an educational toy company called Viahart.  He just posted an analysis of what we are facing that is so good that I decided to share his entire Twitter post in this article…

The White House has put itself and the country in a bad situation but doesn’t realize it yet.

Around April 10th China to USA trade shut down.

It takes ~30 days for containers to go from China to LA.

45 to Houston by sea, 45 to Chicago by train.

55 to New York by sea.

That means that there are no economic effects of what was done on April 10th until about May 10th.

Around that time (it’s already started to happen) trucking work is going to dry up. Warehouses will start doing layoffs because no labor is needed to unload containers and some products will be out of stock, reducing the need for shipping labor.

All this will start in the Los Angeles area.

After about 2 weeks, it’ll start hitting Chicago and Houston.

Let’s say the White House, after 3 weeks, changes its mind, on May 31st.

“This isn’t working out like we thought it would. Tariffs back to 0.”

Let’s say China says “bygones be bygones, we’ll go back to how things were”.

Let’s say every factory in China that got screwed by their orders being cancelled says the same thing “no problem, we’ll make and ship”.

The problem is, even under the most favorable conditions of China and the factories restarting economic ties as though nothing happened, it will be at least another 30 days before economic activity is revived.

And that’s just in LA.

In Chicago/Houston, you’ll need to wait another 45 days.

New York, at that point, will still be getting containers from before April 10th, they will then have 50 days (May 31 minus April 10) of zero economic activity at the ports, in trucking of Chinese goods, in warehousing.

The whole situation is a bit like lockdowns. Once you shut down, it takes a long time to get economic activity back to where it was, if you ever can.

And again, this assumes, that China and its factories, which make things you can’t buy elsewhere, will start right back up again as though nothing happened, which is unlikely.

It’s almost like we’re speeding towards a brick wall but the driver of the car doesn’t see it yet.

By the time he does, it’ll be too late to hit the brakes.

I could not have said it better myself.

When we finally hit that brick wall, millions of people are going to be extremely angry.

Many are suggesting that we should just start making stuff here, and I agree with that.

But the reality of the matter is that it takes a long time to construct new factories.

In a subsequent post on Twitter, Molson Hart commented on this…

Lego is building a factory in the United States.

They began looking for a location in 2021.

They originally expected to start production in the second half of 2025.

They are now forecasting 2027.

The biggest toy company in the world needed 6 years to make in America.

We can’t wait for years until new factories are built, because we are going to be in the middle of a full-blown crisis just months from now.

For example, what are you going to do if you need to get your vehicle repaired and the parts that you need have tripled in price or are no longer available at all?…

“From brake pads and batteries to bumpers and sensors, many of the parts used to repair and maintain vehicles are imported,” Cars.com editor-in-chief Jenni Newman told FOX Business. “If those parts are hit with tariffs, suppliers are expected to pass on the extra cost to repair shops and dealership service departments.”

Not only would this drive up repair bills for consumers, but it could also cause longer wait times if parts become harder to get or inventory is scaled back, Newman said.

There are thousands upon thousands of supply chains that will be disrupted by ultra-high tariffs on Chinese imports.

Unless we want to have a full-blown meltdown, we need to reach a deal with China.

Unfortunately, the Chinese just publicly stated that no negotiations with the U.S. are currently happening…

China is not negotiating with the U.S. over tariffs, Beijing declared Thursday, despite President Donald Trump recently suggesting the 145% tax on its imports could be reduced “substantially.”

Ministry of Commerce spokesman He Yadong said, “Any claims about the progress of China-U.S. trade negotiations are groundless as trying to catch the wind and have no factual basis,” according to the Associated Press.

“The unilateral tariff increase measures were initiated by the United States. If the United States really wants to solve the problem, it should face up to the rational voices of the international community and all parties at home, completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, and find ways to resolve differences through equal dialogue,” he continued.

We should have never allowed ourselves to become so dependent on China.

Sometimes I feel like tearing my hair out, because decades of very foolish decisions have put us into this position.

Now we desperately need Chinese imports, but most of them won’t be coming to us for the foreseeable future, and President Trump just told Glenn Beck that he feels like he is holding all the cards and doesn’t need to negotiate

‘I don’t have to negotiate. I don’t have to negotiate. I’m talking to people out of respect, but I don’t have to,’ Trump told the former Fox News host.

‘So we’re this giant store that people want to come in and buy from, we’re the United States. We have the richest consumers, etcetera, etcetera, right?’ the president continued.

Trump said he was currently negotiating with ’70 different countries.’

‘We’re negotiating, we’re showing great respect, but in the end, we may make deals, but either that or I just set a price and I say “here’s what you’re going to pay for the privilege of servicing the United States of America,”‘ Trump said.

There are some people out there that are insisting that I am overstating the seriousness of the crisis that we are facing.

Okay, let’s see what happens.

If a deal with China can be reached quickly, it is quite likely that the damage will be minimized.

I would be thrilled if that actually happens.

But if a deal with China cannot be reached quickly, we are going to experience a tremendous amount of pain.

Container traffic across the Pacific Ocean has already fallen dramatically, and the clock is ticking…

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

Read full Article
April 24, 2025
post photo preview
New Mexico Judge Who Housed Gun-Toting Tren de Aragua Member Has Been Banned From the Bench
The case, broken by Border Hawk last week, exemplifies the "challenges" of our leftist judiciary.

A former New Mexico judge, Joel Cano, who stepped down last month after an alleged Tren de Aragua member was apprehended at his residence, has been permanently barred from judicial service in the state.

The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Joel Cano "can never hold a judicial office again, be a candidate for a judicial office, and cannot exercise any judicial authority in the state, including officiating at weddings," as stated by an Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) spokesman to Fox News Digital.

Originally set to address disciplinary cases on Thursday, the court canceled the oral arguments as the matters were resolved.

Cano, previously a judge at the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court in Las Cruces, submitted his resignation letter on March 3, according to Fox News Digital, though the court spokesman noted it reached the Supreme Court and 3rd Judicial District Court only on March 31.

In his resignation letter, Cano indicated his final workday was March 21, writing, "All the best to everyone of you. I wish all of you a happy retirement once you are ready yourself."

In January, Homeland Security Investigations Las Cruces began probing Venezuelan native Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, described as "an illegal alien from Venezuela and a suspected member of a criminal gang" living with other undocumented individuals and possessing firearms, per court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

On February 28, authorities executed two search warrants at a property owned by Cano’s wife, Nancy Cano.

Ortega-Lopez and his housemates were detained, and agents "seized four firearms from April Cano's residence." April Cano is the daughter of Nancy and Joel Cano, according to court records.

Investigators found Ortega-Lopez displaying weapons in social media posts, some of which he claimed belonged to April Cano, who "allowed him to hold and sometimes shoot various firearms."

Read full Article
April 23, 2025
Adams Praises Trump's Efforts to Deport Criminal Illegals
Article by Chris Wade from The Center Square

(The Center Square)—New York City Mayor Eric Adams praised the Trump administration's efforts to deport members of the Tren de Aruga and MS-13 gangs during an appearance with the White House's border czar Tom Homan.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Adams gave a full-throttled endorsement of the Trump administration's deportation efforts, which he said are getting rid of "dangerous criminals" that are "wreaking havoc" on the streets of his city, and criticized fellow Democrats for bucking those efforts. 

"We have taken them down and we will continue to fight violent transnational crimes with the full force of the law," Adams told reporters. "It’s good to have partners in the federal agencies who are joining us in this priority on how important it is to keep our city safe."

The press briefing came after federal immigration officials on Tuesday announced the indictment of 27 alleged Tren de Aragua members and associates on racketeering, narcotics, sex trafficking and robbery charges.

“President Trump’s been clear, he made a promise to Americans to make the country safe again. And today you see one step, one small step, and many more steps to come here, to make this country safe and help Mayor Adams and the police commissioner,” Homan said.

Homan praised Adams for cooperating with federal authorities to address "significant public safety threats and national security threats" and said NYPD officers aren't being enlisted as immigration agents. 

"This is what collaboration looks like," Homan said Tuesday. "Work with us, give us access to the person you locked in a jail cell cause they’re obviously a public safety threat. That’s all we're asking." 

Adams, who is running for reelection as an independent, has been criticized by other New York Democrats over his support for the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigration. Several challengers have made Adams' cooperation with Trump a key plank of their campaigns to oust the incumbent.

Democrats have also targeted Adams over his administration's decision to enter into an agreement with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents to reopen their offices at the notorious Rikers Island prison. That deal has been temporarily blocked by a state judge after the New York City Council was sued over the agreement.

Homan also defended the Trump administration's handling of the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose deportation to an El Salvador mega-prison has become a flashpoint over the White House immigration policies. A federal judge has accused Homeland Security of violating court orders to return the man to the United States. He said that despite reports, Garcia was deported due to an "administrative error," there were "no mistakes" by authorities.

"I stand by the fact that this guy, this El Salvador national criminal and gang member terrorist is home," Homan said at Tuesday's briefing. "Every member of TDA should be on the run because the Trump administration is committed to removing every single member of TDA and MS-13." 

Adams also criticized Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen for his controversial taxpayer-funded trip to El Salvador to meet with Garcia and call for his return to the country. 

"I will tell you this: we have dangerous gangs in our city. And I would not be sipping drinks with them," Adams said in remarks Tuesday. "I would not be turning them into heroes."

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals