Monday, June 18, 2012

Right-Wing Extremism for Children

Our Norwegian correspondent The Observer sends his translation of an article from Document.no. about the indoctrination of Norwegian children by the state (see this earlier report on the insidiousness of state-sponsored propaganda in Norway).

Indoctrinate them when they’re young, and political dissent becomes a thing of the past…

Right-wing Extremism for children
by Hans Rustad


The NRK children’s channel ‘Super’ sometimes tackles difficult topics. The term “right-wing extremism” is a sensitive one, and it tells us something about NRK’s own views when the public broadcaster tries to explain to young children what the term encompasses.

Right-wing extremism is a way of thinking.

Those who have this way of thinking, an ideology, believe that some groups in society have a more superior culture than others.

Some also believe that certain groups are smarter and more valuable than others, and that certain religions are more correct and more important.

We are all familiar with those horrible stories from WW2 about the Nazis who persecuted and killed Jews. Today we know that Anders Behring Breivik believes that Islam is a bad religion, and that he believes that Muslims shouldn’t be allowed to live in Norway and Europe. And that is why we say that he is a right-wing extremist.

He blames the Labour Party for the fact that many people in Norway are Muslims, and that’s why he killed all the young AUF members at Utøya.

This is very simplistic. To describe such a complex topic in this manner is almost doomed to fail. If the definition of the extreme right is the one given by the children’s department at NRK — to feel or believe that one is superior — then there are many different extreme right-wing groups in Norway, but it is unlikely that the children department is going to make a fuss about these other groups.

The fact that a link is established between Muslims in Norway, the Labour Party and Utøya is also problematic. It’s questionable whether it is wise to introduce children to such a simplistic way of analysing at an age where they don’t have the sufficient mental capacities to comprehend.

11 comments:

Michael Servetus said...

So the questions staring us in the face begging to be answered are: Does ot follow then that Non-right wing extremist culture or politics is better? Also related, does the fact that Muslims believe they are better than Christians and Jews and all non Muslims make them such right wing extremists and thus fit to be denounced or defined in such a way?

Anonymous said...

"Give me a child and I will give you the man."

Seems to work in Norway too.

Anonymous said...

Here's a photo of one of the kids watching the show. It looks harmless to me.

The muslims watch the show as well, as this snap shows, so it's all equal opportunity.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps this fellow could explain to his charges how exactly a culture which allows acid attacks upon women is not inferior to one which doesn't.

Anonymous said...

And to paraphrase Richard Dawkins: Show me a cultural relativist aboard an aeroplane (or in a hospital) and I'll show you a liar.

Tiedar said...

Today for pupils/students it's hard to have an opinion because state and school mostly spread one opinion so if you aren't interest and doesn't look for a "second story" to be able to have an opinion. So IMO you should reform the system (to an Utopia) where you are taught two times and every time you hear the story in an other way so you are "forced" to think about it on your and need not to accept the way it is presented in MSM or school/college.

Nemesis said...

What would be more interesting with this propaganda is how many parents of those children who were made to listen to that drivel were of like mind?

It has been my experience as a parent that when children 'learn' something at school which they feel uncomfortable with and it is promoted as 'truth', which they feel it is not, then the child will convey his thoughts to the parents at an appropriate time where a discussion may take place and a differing opinion given out to the child by the parent. That is of course if the child is of an age that allows him/her to comprehend what they have been taught.

Of course not every child will feel compelled to question everything that they may find themselves uncomfortable with. However, it appears that 'thinking' children - and in my opinion, children tend to be more questioning when they come from families that have regular dinner time discussions, or family time, where no subject is taboo - will generally raise questions whereas other less inquisitive children will not.

And after half a century of indoctrinating our children at school with some really fascist ideals, I believe the old adage about fooling some of the people some of the time, is quite apt here in this instance.

Regina F. said...

It's understandable to be worried about "extremists" of any political affiliation; left, right, whatever. But just be aware the government and media sometimes come up with buzzwords like that to justify discrimination and profiling against groups that they find troublesome. Here in the US, "right wing extremist" is becoming the new public boogeyman, as this site puts it: http://www.martiallawusa.com/wp/?p=77

An interesting read, check it out sometime.

Dymphna said...

Hey, Tiedar--

The fascinating thing about the Bible - especially the Pentateuch - is that it does just what you say; in order to satisfy several different versions of the same story from differing traditions, they simply wove the two together or put them side by side. This took, what - 3000 years, maybe?

Look at the two versions of Creation in Genesis - this starts right at the beginning.

While I have some differences with the details in Wikipedia, it remains true to the spirit of what transpired in getting those stories codified:

The Creation Narrative in Genesis

The fact that it was all finally made canonical is a tesatament to sheer perseverance. We could learn something from what they did in the face of fiercely-held political and religious differences.

laine said...

"It’s questionable whether it is wise to introduce children to such a simplistic way of analysing at an age where they don’t have the sufficient mental capacities to comprehend".

Well, if your goal is indoctrination in leftist gobbledygook, the younger the better as Lenin himself specified.

Anonymous said...

That one culture is better than another is obvious, not prejudicial. One culture says choose life, but one culture prizes death. One culture draws from principles that awaken questions, while one despises questioners. One culture produces more science and technology, while one culture encompasses views that call science apostasy. One culture produces music, but one culture abhors music. One culture prefers "go-alone to get-along", while one culture prefers revenge.

Failure to differentiate and thus discriminate leads to entropy. A series of examples: No farmer eats his best produce, but saves it for future plantings. No farmer cuts his best trees for firewood, when it should be used for fine furniture or left to grace the countryside. No conscientious farmer accepts the dictates of Monsanto as to what he must plant. Let us learn from the people who produce our food as to what "best practices" in general culture should be.