The road to hell is paved by good intentions

I have previously written a piece on evil.  I believe that the problem with "evil" is that it always cloaks it self in good intentions.
The communists brutal regimes around the world was rationalized by concern for the poor - that is good right? A good man is his brother's keeper, every body knows that. The Nazis was motivated by far reaching concerns for the German people - the German at least  seemed to think that was a pretty good idea at the time.

Now these ideas have hit rock bottom. Communism more or less committed suicide as did Nazism. Its a common mistake to think that totalitarian regimes doesn't mind the public opinion. In fact nothing could be more wrong. Why else did both the Nazis and the Commies spend endless resources on propaganda? Mass-meetings, education and indoctrination of the youth. Nothing is more important for a dictator than the approval of his people, there are just different ways to get it - that's all.

Contemporary politics have found the new Columbi egg of public policy - the magic words are - "It's for the sake of the children."

The Swedish government closes Lundbergs boarding school "for the safety of the children." In Sweden parents that doesn't take their children to the communal day care are suspicious, because the dogma has it that the daycare "is for the good of the children." When Swedish authorities kidnapped Domenic from his parents when they were moving to India, they did it "for the children", i.e. for Domenic, when they put Domenic's father in jail for wanting to spend time with his son it was "for Domenic's sake." The authorities were concerned that his parents taught him wrong values. Now Ms. Begler has the same concerns about Lundsbergs boarding school.

One might think that the children at Lundsberg would now if they are in any danger or abused in any way. When the whole school, all the students, say that they love their school and want to stay in their school, which has one of the best academic records of any school in Sweden by the way, the school Inspectorate only retorts that they do this "for the sake of the children." Never mind that the children lives at the school and has no way to go, at least not on such short notice (24 hours).

Ms. Begler, Director of the School Inspectorate cares for the children and that they are taught the right values.

The freedoms of all are constantly being encroached by reason of "it's for the children." Well here's an novel idea - why don't we let the parents raise their children? How about that?

I think every parent reacts if he or she thinks that their child is attending a school that is unsafe, teaches weird values or otherwise can be deemed to be unsound. It is also my experience that when people pay for something, they tend to be more demanding for quality and adequate results as compared to when people doesn't pay. This is why Hyundai owners always are more content customers than BMW buyers, it has very little to do with the cars and more to do with the expectations of the consumer.

Is there any person out there that honestly believes that the approximately 400 parents of the students at Lundsberg who pays appx $30.000,00 a year for their kids at this school, would accept that this school would act in any way - any way at all,  that would warrant that the government rush in and by force close it down, for the sake of the children?

It's ludicrous.

The "I’m leaving" routine

Parents need to chill. Sometimes when I’m in a public place, I hear parents go: ”Ok, we’re leaving now, bye bye, you gonna be here all by your self. ” Probably everybody has heard that at some point, it stuns me every time. I think these obvious lies are messing up a lot of good things. Apparently its a common thing according to the International Journal of Psychology as reported by the BBC.

Every time I hear a parent doing the ”I’m leaving" routine my thinking is ”what are they thinking?” Then I look at the kid looking at his parents, and depending on his age his reaction is either panic or ”yeah right!” Kids are not stupid, after a while they have it all figured out. They know mom or dad won’t leave. Basically it’s just a way for parents to undermine their authority. It’s the dumbest thing any parent can do. The horror of the kid before they figure it out is heartbreaking, the person they rely on for their survival just said she is going to dump him with some old lady, strangers, kidnappers and what not. This is serious emotional abuse, a child just might not have the ability to express her feelings but that doesn’t change the fact.

Why do some parents lie to their kids? I guess because they are stressed out and doesn’t know better. I can understand some things, like ”that is beautiful” when it really isn’t, but then again who can really say that’s a lie. Everybody knows parents sometimes needs to boost confidence, so its not really a lie is it? Its more an expression of a parent’s love and support for their offspring, and that’s a good thing.

The bad things are threats and scare tactics. I don’t think management by fear and parenting mix well. The problem becomes obvious when you consider that parenting involves a bunch of years and the individual being parented is changing and growing and maturing. That’s a problem since this means that a course of ”fear” always must be adjusted to the maturity and increased accordingly. Since this can’t be done, which most parents discover soon enough. The only thing that has been achieved is distrust, and then your are in a sticky place as a parent in the coming years, when its really going to matter.

Don’t lie to the kids. Tell the truth. It’s very simple and its better in the long run.