The Belly of Maine Socialism - Part Two

 Into The Belly Of Maine State Socialism Part One

I have gotten on to a side track here on the University of Maine, which is a major recipient of  funds from the legislature's redistribution of wealth programs.

As mentioned previously Peter Pitegoff, the current Dean of The University of Maine Law School,  is on the board of the Coastal Enterprises Incorporated whose mission statement  includes the words "…all to achieve social and economic justice within sustainable communities."


Peter Pitegoff's bio contains a similar statement, stating that his focus is on social and economic justice

In Maine, Pitegoff is advancing the Law School through new program development and engagement with diverse institutions. He has positioned the Law School to expand upon its pivotal role in law, policy, and economic development regionally and in Maine and to achieve a higher profile on a global stage. Curricular innovation is bolstering a historically stellar teaching institution, faculty research kindles scholarly exchange and publication, and public service pervades the organizational culture. With a focus on the environment, ocean and coastal issues, social and economic justice, health policy, and more, Pitegoff is working to identify the Law School as a destination point for students, faculty, scholars, lawyers, and policymakers from near and far

....... In 2006, the presiding officers of the Maine Legislature appointed Dean Pitegoff to the advisory committee on legislative ethics.

The phrase "social and political justice" represents a specific political movement. It is not within the scope of the current post to define it, but one can get a general idea by reviewing the table of contents of the the link below. Today the phrase "social justice" or "social and political justice' is largely associated with the radical left which desires to transform the American political system into socialism. The identification of these specific phrases is so generally known, that it is hard to believe that one can use these words without understanding that they will be identified with the socialist movement within the United States of America.

Economics and Economic Justice Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The University of Maine is a major recipient of the legislature's redistribution of wealth initiatives, and has a Department for  Marxist and Socialist Studies.

I wanted to know how the American political philosophy is represented at Maine's public university

I searched "curriculum James Madison" at The University of Maine website but found no links that related to any courses that mention James Madison. Most of the links referred to the James Madison Fellowship or a town by the name of Madison. The Jame Madison Fellowship is awarded to one recipient per year per state with a maximum stipend of $24,000 for up to two years of graduate study

I searched " curriculum Karl Marx" and got 24 results. all on the first page were specific references to courses on Karl Marx

I searched "curriculum Federalist Papers". There were 24 results but none related to the Federalist Papers, There was one result that actually had the word "Federalist Papers". It is a 2011 study on why teenagers drop out of GED. In a section on what will be included in 2012 GED test it states:

More history, civics, and government; More graphics, photographs; More clearly defined content in U.S. and world history; More analys; Different content areas tested within same item setlMore single-item questions; At least one "practical" document (voters' guide, tax form,etc.); At "least one excerpt from U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence;  Federalist   Papers,   or landlemark Supreme Court cases

           
Note that says at least ONE question on ANY of the U..S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, or landmark Supreme Court cases

I guess that is a start on reclaiming a place for our own political philosophy in our own educational system But it is pretty much swamped by the representation that Marxism-socialism receives in our educational systems. Even having a federal department of education is more socialist that related to the political philosophy that founded the United States of America, which is based on a very small federal government.

However as long as government is" spreading the wealth around" to education, wouldn't it be wise to mandate that high school students be required to study The Federalist Papers, which record the thinking that went into the formation of the United States Constitution? Then they would have a background in our own political philosophy that would prepare them for the socialistic indoctrination that is so highly prevalent at our institutions of higher learning which so frequently reduces the American political philosophy to a mis-use of the term "capitalism" .

The private capitalism system is essential to the free enterprise system which is based in the fundamental political philosophy that founded the United States of America. It is not THE political philosophy of the United States. If the economic principal of free enterprise can be fundamentally transformed from within our educational systems, then what is next?  Will Shariah Law also be infiltrated into our system despite the fact that Shariah Law is a conflation of religion and state, while the United States politcal philsophpy is based in the separation of church and state?. If our own political philsophy continues to be under-represented in our educational system, then maybe future generations will forget the principals undelying the separation of church and state just as they do not understand the political philosophy underlying the free enterprise system.

The Maine legislature is redistributing wealth to The University Of Maine, which is educating about the political philosophy of socialism , at best disproportionately to the education of the American political philosophy, and at worst as pure indoctrination. This is what they call "social and economic justice"? Yeah Right!

Afternote: I have been researching the meanings of the terms "social and economic justice' and in particular the legal meaning.. I am  finding that withing each definition there is a lot of room for interpretation and so I acknowledge that I may interpret the meaning one way and it may be intended another - to be fair.

I find that the Center for Economic and Social Justice is quite precise in its terminology- but  the terms as they are popularly being used today do not necessarily have the same meaning as described below. The term "distributive justice" has an entirely different meaning as associated with programs like Fannie May and Freddie Mack, where in the government decided that everyone had to own a home and ordered banks to write mortgages for those who could not afford them. This is the opposite of the definition presented by the Center for Economic and Social Justice below. Since the definitions presented by the center for Economic and Social Justice are grounded in the concept of private property, the meaning of the terms would have a completely different meaning in systems that do not allow for private property.

Many confuse the distributive principles of justice with those of charity. Charity involves the concept "to each according to his needs," whereas "distributive justice" is based on the idea "to each according to his contribution." Confusing these principles leads to endless conflict and scarcity, forcing government to intervene excessively to maintain social order.

          Center for Economic and Social Justice