Chapter 7: Dismantling the “Common”: Undoing the Promise of Affordable, Quality Education For a Majority of California Youth

U.S. society has gone amuck. Unending wars, greed, assassinations, fear, massive surveillance, and ostentatious self-interest have replaced civility, democracy, and humanity. Where is an ethical, moral compass to guide us in our daily lives? Our country has incarcerated more people than any other nation in the developed world (Alexander, 2010; Putnam, 2000). Something has gone terribly wrong.

People sit together or walk around with their eyes glued to cell phones or a digital screen. Fear, anxiety, and passivity are prominent feelings among young and old alike. Jobs are scarce, and there are few signs that jobs will be created to replace the ones that have been shipped abroad. The U.S. is one of the most economically unequal societies in the world, and racial and class inequalities are growing. Racism and bigotry seem to be taken for granted, as colorblindness becomes the dominant perspective. Many teachers realize that critical, transformative, problem-posing education and a deeper understanding of ourselves and of our world can make us a more humane, caring species. Yet the assault on the Commons—the public good—continues (Ahlquist, 2011).