Fred's Thesis
That’s odd, Steve. I thought that the heart of Fred's thesis was that positive, ambitious role models are essential to a child's success in life.
Umm, nope. The title and first paragraph should be the best clues as to his thesis: individual ambition, accomplishment, and responsibility are the keys to success and poverty is an excuse, not an impediment.
The other clue would be the summation, which you posted in part before:
“You don’t have to be helpless, nor useless, nor immoral because you were born poor. If this were not true, the Irish, Italians, Jews, the Chinese of railroad coolie days, the Poles and the Czechs would still be in slums. They aren’t. They made it, as Violeta made it, as Eva and lots of black cops made it, without Section Eight housing, welfare, scholarships, minority preferences with no expectations attached, medical charity, or monotonous self-pity. She has a contempt for those who could, but don’t, that would peel chrome from an engine block.”
Both success stories featured positive, influential teachers — in these two cases, good parents — who taught those who rose above their unfortunate beginnings.
Not really. Violeta's Dad was featured, but only as yet another example of Fred's thesis, as described above. Eva's mother is only mentioned in passing, so portraying her as an “influential teacher” is quite a stretch. Nice try, though. Full disclosure: I may have an advantage since I've been reading Fred for years. He is a strong libertarian who lands somewhat right of center. He has a fairly substantial disdain for government-run schools as well. No quantity of mutation will be able to make this into an essay on the importance of teachers and mentors.
Some folks have good teachers at home, and some don’t.
True, but that has nothing to do with the article.
What about those who don’t? "Welcome to the world, ‘The Unkilled’"… and then what?
The same what that has sustained society for millenia. Some people will use ambition, initiative, and personal integrity to improve themselves and have a great life. Others will stew in their own juices, play the victim, and whimper about poverty.
Umm, nope. The title and first paragraph should be the best clues as to his thesis: individual ambition, accomplishment, and responsibility are the keys to success and poverty is an excuse, not an impediment.
The other clue would be the summation, which you posted in part before:
“You don’t have to be helpless, nor useless, nor immoral because you were born poor. If this were not true, the Irish, Italians, Jews, the Chinese of railroad coolie days, the Poles and the Czechs would still be in slums. They aren’t. They made it, as Violeta made it, as Eva and lots of black cops made it, without Section Eight housing, welfare, scholarships, minority preferences with no expectations attached, medical charity, or monotonous self-pity. She has a contempt for those who could, but don’t, that would peel chrome from an engine block.”
Both success stories featured positive, influential teachers — in these two cases, good parents — who taught those who rose above their unfortunate beginnings.
Not really. Violeta's Dad was featured, but only as yet another example of Fred's thesis, as described above. Eva's mother is only mentioned in passing, so portraying her as an “influential teacher” is quite a stretch. Nice try, though. Full disclosure: I may have an advantage since I've been reading Fred for years. He is a strong libertarian who lands somewhat right of center. He has a fairly substantial disdain for government-run schools as well. No quantity of mutation will be able to make this into an essay on the importance of teachers and mentors.
Some folks have good teachers at home, and some don’t.
True, but that has nothing to do with the article.
What about those who don’t? "Welcome to the world, ‘The Unkilled’"… and then what?
The same what that has sustained society for millenia. Some people will use ambition, initiative, and personal integrity to improve themselves and have a great life. Others will stew in their own juices, play the victim, and whimper about poverty.
posted by Anonymous | 7:11 PM
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