education or conditioning?

What is it that we mean when we talk about Free Education for All?
Is it possible that we aren't talking about "education" at all, but
rather, Public Conditioning?
Have we been educated, or conditioned  to conclude that the USA is the
keeper of world peace, or that we are the Melting Pot of the world, or
that democracy can exist alongside of Capitalism?  Where do our
"facts" come from?
As a schoolboy, I never questioned the source of what was being
spooned into my head by my teachers.  And much later I learned that
most of my teachers did not question the sources of the material they
were teaching, either.
There is a vast difference between providing information that will
cause a person to think, and a process of Conditioning a person to
accept information without question.
There is a great difference between training our children to become
loyal workers, and that schooling which develops Thinkers and Leaders.
As a nation, we have not arrived at our present place by accident.
But the question is, did we come here by way of our education?  Or did
we come to this place by way of our conditioning?
Anyway, I wanted to be certain you all think about the quote presented
by Diego:
"We're developing a new citizenry. One that will be very selective
about cereals and automobiles, but won't be able to think."
  Rod Serling

Thank you, Rod.
Carl Jarvis, saluting the Ghost of a wise man.