Sally Rogow

This injustice certainly needs to be challenged. You certainly have my support for the reinstatement of this scholar.

Sally Rogow

I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread on the greatest figure  in the history of the world. I started by thinking about what I value most about society. I came up with democracy, freedom of expression, political equality and the welfare state. I then looked at the person who did most to achieve this. I would therefore nominate Tom Paine.

In 1776 Paine published Common Sense, a pamphlet that attacked the British Monarchy and argued for American independence. Over the next few years he wrote articles and pamphlets on the superiority of republican democracy over monarchical government. This not only influenced events in America but also played a role in the French Revolution.

In 1791 he published his most influential work, The Rights of Man. In the book Paine attacked hereditary government and argued for equal political rights. He also urged the introduction of progressive taxation, family allowances, old age pensions, maternity grants and the abolition of the House of Lords.

The Rights of Man was printed in cheap editions so that it could achieve a working class readership. Although the book was banned by the government, during the next two years over 200,000 people in Britain managed to buy a copy. The book inspired a generation of men and women willing to sacrifice life and liberty in order to obtain equal political rights.

Most of the things Paine advocated were not achieved until the 20th century. However, I believe that Paine’s writings played an important role in this. I know my decision has been influenced by the fact that Paine was born in Britain (in fact he lived very close to the place where I am typing these comments). I would be very interested to hear from others who would like to nominate someone from the country where they live.

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The idea that George Bush is the first pre-modernist politician is an interesting concept. If so, is the election of Bush the beginning of a new political phenomenon?

I think it might be worth considering what a pre-modernist America will be like. The first change will probably be the appointment of someone like Alberto Gonzales to replace Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who is dying of thyroid cancer. This will help to overturn the moderate majority of the Supreme Court. The next four years will see the rights of women, homosexuals and African Americans undermined.

This will be all done in the name of a moral crusade. These people define morality in a very narrow way. Primarily they are concerned with sexual issues. Having sex outside marriage or with someone of  the same gender is immoral. So also is having an abortion or watching adult rated material. It will not be long before they will be campaigning against birth control and marriages under the age of 21.

These people appear to be unconcerned with other aspects of morality. For example, the killing of innocent women and children in Iraq, the death of millions in Africa from starvation, or the poverty of their own citizens.

It many ways, the Christian fundamentalists are a mirror image of Muslim fundamentalists. They are obsessed with sex. Especially the sex lives of young women. Much of what is happening is an attempt to maintain and expand the sexual dominance of males. Both groups are particularly concerned with overturning the changes that have taken place in the improvements in the freedom of women over the last few years.

I believe the election of Bush is as significant as the decision by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1922 to appoint Benito Mussolini as leader of Italy. Mussolini made it possible for Franco and Hitler to gain power. However, I doubt if Bush will have this impact on the world. His views are unlikely to have any influence on important political leaders outside the UK and Italy. In fact, Bush’s victory is likely to make it more difficult for his supporters in Europe. Will he get any help at all if he decides to invade Iran, North Korea or Cuba? Blair might be tempted but it would be political suicide. One of the reasons why he is keen on an early election as it might pre-date these actions.

By 2008 the United States will be even more divided from the rest of the Western World than it is now. The big question is what state will the United States be in. Will the poor, racial minorities, the homosexuals, the trade unions, non-fundamentalist Christians, liberals, radicals, etc. join forces to defeat pre-modernism?

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The allegations against Bush and those who support him do not reflect the facts To equate Christians with Muslim fudamentalists who are spreading hate around the world is outrageous. Terrorism, hate, antisemitism threatens Europeans as much as Americans and Canadians. There is no appeasement with terrorism...and that needs to be the focus, not Bush bashing. Look at all the concessins and appeasement that Europeans made prior to World War II. How many thousands of young people lost their lives, beccause the world did not stand up when it could have done some good.

The Madrid bombing is one more piece of solid evidence of the hatred being shown to western democractic countries. IT is time to take unified and concerted action against all acts of terrorism. Israel has been isolated, blamed and unjustly attacked by the UN...terrorism against its citizens have been ignored or justified. It has now become clear that the suicide bombings in Israel have just been the first chapter and a warning to the rest of the world. No country is safe.

Hi Everyone,

My name is Sally Rogow. I am a Professor Emerita, Faculty of

Education, University of British Columbia. My field is Special Education.

I've written books and articles on language development and literacy, play

and social/emotional development. I've also written books for young people.