This is quite a long read but was very informative. Makes you think about things a little bit.

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archiv ... o212.shtml

interesting.

no wonder i liked legos so much. the power hierarchy with the pieces is dead on as to what went on between me, my cousins, and my brother growing up.

Interesting that when they are handed pure democrocy, they choose socialism.

they initially chose democracy, the teachers basically taught them socialism.

I don't quite understand...

yes they did teach them socialism...in the name of democracy??

or was the point that in democracy, you find instances of socialism?

It didn't sound like the teachers pushed any particular ideology, but rather guided open discussion.
I think the point is that when EVERYONE knows the mechanisms of power, the masses will always choose to eliminate any gross misappropriation of power, relinquishing their chance at becoming CEO of a fortune 500 company in return for not being a disenfranchised, disillusioned, nearly worthless, 40 year old has been, that drives a 1988 ford escort to work at goodwill for $6/hr. because that's the only place that will give them a legal pay check after serving 10-15 at the state penn. for a drug trafficing conviction that never would have happened were it plausable for him to live up to the american dream otherwise.
Keep in mind that some of the children refused to play once they learned how hopeless a plight it was to try to win or even compete. This is exactly what happens in our society. Some of the most intelligent people in the country sleep under highway overpasses and live out of shopping carts because thay are so disillusioned with our financially competitive society that they have essentially dropped out. They just don't sound very intelligent because they haven't been groomed by our insane educational system. And these are generally not the people you see panhandling at busy intersections. The ones I talk of usually have too much pride for that. They have chosen alienation over conformity. They have chosen poverty over servitude. They have chosen bad hygene over sterility. When you are LUCKY enough to have money, education, good parents, and a fair shake or any one of these, you don't have to make such decisions, but for the rest of us it's a daily internal struggle that keeps your' world in a constant state of chaotic flux.
I have been blessed with one good parent, and a mediocre education, so I don't claim to be in that position, but I have been close and it really sucks when you find yourself seriously considering the gutter as a better home.

Great response, CE.

i was an only child growing up so all the pieces were mine.

It's important to note that the concepts of socialism and democracy don't contradict each other. Social programs here in the states are all instated in a democratic manner.

Personally, I think they ended this experiment far too soon. Perhaps I'm just a mad scientist type, but this kind of situation would make the perfect petri dish to grow a superior system of government. Kids say the darndest things, and at least this way we could possibly experiment with different government systems without risking property or human life.

Super interesting indeed.