"In our dreams, people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hands. The present education conventions of intellectual and character education fade from their minds, and, unhampered by tradition, we work our own good will upon a grateful and responsive folk.
     We shall not try to make these people, or any of their children, into philosophers, or men of science. We have not to raise up from them authors, educators, poets or men of letters. We shall not search for great artists, painters, musicians nor lawyers, doctors, preachers, politicians, statesmen -- of whom we have an ample supply.
     The task is simple. We will organize children and teach them in a perfect way the things their fathers and mothers are doing in an imperfect way."
by:
John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
(1839-1937) Industrialist, founded Standard Oil
Source:
General Education Board (1906)
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Reader comments about this quote:
sick, evil, and degenerate are three of the nicest words that come to mind.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Seriously evil bastard with a God complex.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Strange and so factious sounding. Would a person really intent on such evil let his intentions be known in this way?
     -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas     
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    Yes Waffler, he would. Most likely this was not something that was well publicized, but you can be sure that old John said it.
     -- jim k, austin,tx     
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    Sounds like a mantra of any religious school intent on capturing the minds of the children forever.
     -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas     
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    The words of this oil baron perfectly explain the guiding philosophy behind greed--remember in 1906 educating the masses was to prepare obedient workers for the Rockefellers to exploit. Mike,
     -- Anonymous, Upland, CA     
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    I really think it is tongue-in-cheek Jim. But the wealthy are always looking for ways to make money from the little people, or illegal immigrants. As we all know the rich get their money form the little people. Who the hell else buys all the consumer goods that these guys dump on society in order to enhance their personal fortunes and profits.
     -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas     
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    My question here is:"By whose definition of perfection and im-perfection?"J.D. Rockefeller? HA! I think Jesus is a better example to follow.
     -- Me Again     
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    This was who ol' JD was. I am not surprised Waffler finds this some sort of a joke. The Rockefellers have spoken boldly and without reservation about the New World Order and their support of it for decades. The Rockefellers have always had a hand in the silent takeover of the Republic through the Fed, the CFR, Trilateralist Commission, and their various internationalist organizations and foundations. These folks mean to be our rulers and indeed the Rockefellers are worth an estimated 10 trillion dollars. POWER is their game, make no mistake about it.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    I encourage everyone to read The Rockeffer Files by Gary Allan out of print but can be found written in the mid 60's but very relevant today. I know the quote is accurate.
     -- Pat, Woodlake Ca.     
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    "Oh, Brave New World! Look what man hath wrought!"
     -- Ken, Allyn, WA     
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    Mike, I can think of a few other words...
     -- RobertSRQ     
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    Rather shocking. Did not think he was a commie. Maybe the frame of mind he was in when making the statement would account for the appearance of a socialist mind set.
     -- warren, olathe     
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    Why would this be evil Waffler? I thought you were a big lib. This should be your philosophy in education. Those that think this way (there are many) do not see it as evil. They see the parents as evil. Take a look at the countries that fell to communism around the world and you will see that the first thing done is to separate the children from their parents and teach them to hate their parents. They become little informers about the anti-communist activities of mom and dad.
     -- warren, olathe     
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    No wonder this guy is considered a traitor to America by many!
     -- Carl R., West Valley City     
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    Ugh, Rockefeller was a disturbingly corrupt man.
     -- Anonymous     
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    Interesting. I respect JD for how much he accomplished and his self discipline and drive. I do not necessarily respect what he accomplished. It is easy to lash out at big powerful men who seem to hold the rest of us (little men) down, except if you know the story of JD he was also a little man who was persistent and driven, rising from a low paid clerk to the richest man in the world.
     -- Rob, Cincinnati     
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    John D. Rockefeller was a great dude. He was incredibly intelligent, and was able to see where the market was going, and made a ton of money from it. As well, he gave massive amounts of money to organizations, health and science.
     -- objective veiwer     
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    This quote is somewhat misunderstood. In the first part of the quote, he is saying that he wishes people did not try to force him to accepting standards. He was saying he dreams of people allowing him to help the world and people in his own way.
     -- Bob     
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    In the second part of the quote, he's saying that we should not be looking for more people like artists, musicians, politicians, and preachers, because there are plenty of those already.
     -- Bob     
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    In the last part of the quote, he is simply saying that we should be teaching children to perfect the job their parents are doing, whether that's farming or some other not interesting job. We shouldn't be teaching all the children to grow up and be rap artists, because there will be no one to do the rest of the work.
     -- Bob     
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     -- Bob      
    i think that the rockafellers seem to be very dull people, caught in a system that one lucky forefather began and perpetuated. they had no secret wisdom or plan, the control factor just grew, and like goats on a mountain, they led the flock by being the biggest goats, and nothing more. i was hoping for some huge conspiracy of power and found impotent rich dudes playing dice with the world of people, blindly. *shrug* i guess we all want to find the bad guy who is ruining the world, and i guess that would be very comforting, but these rich people, they're alot more isolated, poor in spirit, and deluded than most working class folks. it's kinda sad.
     -- eva lee, ann arbor     
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    oh, what does a man profit if he gains the world and losses his soul. weeping and gashing of teeth. men like that how fearful to stand befor a Mighty God without forgiveness of sin threw Christ.
     -- Anonymous     
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    Bob, I'm not so sure that the quote is misunderstood. Your explanation makes perfect sense and is exactly what I already believed Rockefeller's quote to mean. The fact that Rockefeller is looking at individuals who have glorious, amazing potential to shine as authors, artists, poets, statesmen, as simply cogs in a corporate wheel is the problem with his statement. The human soul is destined for so much more than just fulfilling a rich man's vision by standing in a factory all day long. The fact that he set about reforming the public education system to churn out human automatons is exactly what is disturbing.
     -- Courtney     
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    Exactly! No man has the right to decide for others what they may become. Only God has the ability and the right to determine who or what each of us can be.
     -- Charlene     
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    Despite the despicable nature of this quote it was NOT ROCKEFELLER who said this. It was Frederick Taylor Gates in Occasional Paper Number 1. Follow the link: http://bit.ly/95nLBs
     -- Josh, Washington     
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    i think rockefeller should be praised and worshipped. how about an international John Rockefeller day??
     -- andrew, melbourne     
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    I can't believe the ignorance and prejudice here. Communism does not work, nor does capitalism... That said I employ 110 people from nothing with an average salary of 50k. I do not call these people the 'little people'. if job creation, family security is a crime then I'm guilty. This world needs all types, workers, safe players, risk takers, winners and losers, I think in its basic form its called nature and the universe. It's how you conduct yourself that determines the quality of your character. Those that knock if you employ lots of people, who have themselves made something from nothing is fair play but the $ million dollar question is have you..? LOL, of course as an entrepreneurial person I had to use the wording of a $Million Dollar question to prove a point...
     -- Jamie Coats, Thames DItton, England     
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    Rockefeller spent more money during 1900-1920 on education than the federal government did. Getting their boys onto the boards of education and deciding what children would and would not learn.
     -- Haarp, Cat     
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    Jamie Coats, England...what do you mean capitalism doesn't work? How would you know? England, like most so called free nations has a socialist government living as a parasite on all capitalistic efforts. In other words we don't have capitalism and we never have...
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Bob you are fucking idiot
     -- Christopher Sonne, Nstved     
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    Superb foolishness in this debate, and let's not forget the flaming fools! Such ignorance and reading personality and giving Rockefeller far too much credit...or Gates.
    I can see this either way as a commentary about "what is" as much as from someone with grand ego...
     -- Dick, Topeka     
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    Anonymous, learn to make a comprehensible sentence. You should know that sentences start with capital letters and "threw Christ" should read "through Christ."
     -- jim k, austin tx     
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    The Rockefellers had monopolies in energy (oil, electricity), banking (the Federal Reserve), medicine (the AMA), pharmaceuticals (Sloan-Kettering), world government (the CFR), and much more. Their foundations and charitable organizations were designed to protect their massive wealth and to teach the 'new deal' in which THEY held all the power.

    Gradually taking over the curriculum of prestigious ivy league schools, the Rockefellers were able to guarantee that 'graduates' would be well-trained in the use of their exclusive products. Through their political connections, it has become illegal to teach or proscribe therapies that contradict the 'law'.

    The quote above expresses absolutely the intent on how the lower classes would be educated -- just enough to be good and obedient laborers. So this is why in government schools, so much attention (i.e. money) is put into 'fairness' and 'equality' and special education. The intelligent kids have to be kept back and distracted with 'socialized' programs. Now you know why.

    Americans have been sold a bill of goods. This is not capitalism -- monopolies are incompatible with capitalism. After all the years of education we get, we are promptly put into debt, and into a debt-mindset. We borrow for our education (a LOT), for our cars, for our houses (if we ever get there), we have credit card debt, we even borrow in order to invest. And the Rockefellers make money for every dollar borrowed in circulation -- as well as whenever you buy expensive pharmaceuticals (and even the insurance to cover it).

    These guys are not humanitarians! They are oligarchs and hold the puppet strings to the Oval Office and the 'establishment' Congress -- remember most of these politicians have been conditioned in Rockefeller schools. It's a big club -- and you are most likely not in it !
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    In the Zionist hierarchy headed by the Rothschilds...
     -- Robert, St. Emilion, France     
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    The poor educational system in the US compared to the other civilized countries in the world are proof that he achieved what he set out to do.

    There is a reason why we stopped being a democracy and became an oligarchy decades ago. This is one of them.
     -- Michelle, Anaheim CA.     
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    Thank you, Josh, for the citation. We will check into it. Thank you,
     -- Editor, Liberty Quotes     
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