In Name Only - an art work & poem by T Newfields
Satoru: I think most teachers start out idealistic, but end up cynical . . .
Melissa: Perhaps that's an occupational hazard. Eventually many reach a point where they become robots half-consciously performing routines in class.
Liao: (nodding) Indeed. Many social institutions becomes the antithesis of their avowed goals. Prisons, for example, basically train criminals. The military frequently fosters conflict, not peace. And in many ways schools actually make students more stupid.
Tim: I'm tempted to call it ingenious. It reminds me of Orwell’s notion of "doublespeak." Each system, through a curious dialectical process, eventually creates its own shadow-self . . .