I’ve heard a lot about how the government shutdown could have been avoided if Republicans just accepted that Obamacare’s here, it’s too late, and I’ve heard the Republicans say that if the Democrats hadn’t approved Obamacare, Satan’s doorway into the United States, this wouldn’t have been necessary.

What I haven’t heard is how if we encouraged individualistic education rather than ideological conformity, we wouldn’t have a gap of dissent the size of the Grand Canyon between the two parties that control the U.S. government.

Back in old Abe’s days, Abe as in Lincoln, there was a lot of dissent,  often right there in Lincoln’s Cabinet between his so-called “Team of Rivals.” Education was more individualistic then, less conformist because it was less of an accepted social standard.

Even those individuals with similar studies developed in their individual ways. The Team of Rivals disagreed on many things, but they agreed on many things as well. When one disagreed on matters due to differences between party ideologies, someone would compromise, because other elements in their teaching would convince them of it.

Basically, the f—-rs were playing with a full deck, not just two colors, black or reds. Not just “Ace” or “Joker.” Not just “spades” or “hearts.” That is the purpose of education, a purpose blunted by its fairly recent status as a social standard: heightened ability. Why is that important? Because it spurs growth, and when individuals in our government spur growth, our country grows with them.

This is where Spielberg’s “Lincoln” was such a devastating disappointment. It didn’t investigate the humanity that triumphed in that situation–only the party. Conformity assuages ego. Growth takes something more.

With that in mind, the government’s been shutdown for longer than 17 days.