Texas schools rewrites US History

[RedRalph]

I'm sure in the grand scheme of things its insignicant. I'm sure opening the gates to Germanic tribes or Mexicans and other rising powers are more of a danger.

I was always taught that immigration was one of the main factors in the US' rise to (temporary) supremacy.

 

[Quackers]

yeah i edited that out after realising it LOL

 

[bhsup]

So um, CNN was interviewing the secretary of the US department of education this morning. He said it wouldn't matter what Texas put in their textbooks because (I assume with the technology available today in printing) publishers were able to easily adapt textbooks to different markets. He was also very coy and refused to say anything but "curriculum is controlled at the local level" when the anchors were trying to get him to condemn the content of the books.

 

[downtown]

That is absolutely not true, and Sec.Duncan should know better. Publishers *can* adopt to different markets, but they don't.

 

[warpus]

Actually, as I recall, I once read a book that said that when nations start to attempt to rewrite their own history as they teach it to the next generation, it is the first sign that things are heading down.

Most countries do that though - they teach youngins a rosy distorted vision of their nations' history.

Except maybe the Germans - they are cool. The Germans teach their kids about the holocaust and all the stupid crap their ancestors did. (I think)

This particular instance of Texas douchebaggery is even worse than what the Japanese do with THEIR youngins..

 

[woody60707]

Very popular. Third most popular newspaper in UK print-wise, second most read English language newspaper site in the world. But, you know, never let facts get in the way of a good story.

ummmm, Foxnews could say the samething.

 

[RedRalph]

ummmm, Foxnews could say the samething.

and it would be true, which would make me a total idiot if I had just claimed no one watches it.

 

[Volum]

Some of those things seem pretty scary, I'm not saying the Feds should force everyone to learn exactly the same (The U.S is made up of separate states and so on) but it just feels like there should be some sort of control over what kind of books are used.


I'm glad Norwegian history books aren't biased, they just teach you the facts!

Chapter 1: Sweden sucks pre 1700
Chapter 2: Vikings where awesome at everything
Chapter 3: How we stopped Hitler from getting a nuke and saved the free world.
Chapter 4: Why we love the Brits and the Americans for WW2 and try to ignore the Soviets
Chapter 5: Why the UN (and everyone else) thinks we are the greatest country in the world
Chapter 6: How rich are we? Comparison with all other nations.
Chapter 7: Explaining why the United States loves us.
Chapter 8: Sweden's suckiness from 1700 and today - How we fooled them into a union in 1814
Chapter 9: The awesome independence and how Sweden was told to suck it

 

[bhsup]

Love it! That nuke reference, I do recall reading something about heavy water in Norway? Is that what you're referring to?

 

[ColdClimate]

Love it! That nuke reference, I do recall reading something about heavy water in Norway? Is that what you're referring to?

The "heroes of telemark" case. Norway saves western civilization, and in keeping with fine scandanavian tradition, does it all on skiis

The Canadian 'biased history' text would be much shorter:

Chapter 1: War of 1812 (WE BURNED DOWN THE WHITEHOUSE!!!!)
Chapter 2: Details....
CHapter 3: Bryan Adams

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

im sorry the speling is terible (its due to a "concussion" not the Candian scool systim)

i think in US a natinal cirricelem wuld be good but maybe the states havethe histery for their own state for exumple peple in Mass. lern Mass. histury and peeple in Californea lern Californea history but they all can lern natinal histery

the constitutinal thing is silly maybe this falls under Genreal Welfare as its not good to have stuped peopl.

 

[azzaman333]

How do people this ignorant get elected in the first place?

 

[cardgame]

Dude. It's Texas. They vote according to how fundamentally christian you are, not how you do your job...

 

[sophie]

im sorry the speling is terible (its due to a "concussion" not the Candian scool systim)

i think in US a natinal cirricelem wuld be good but maybe the states havethe histery for their own state for exumple peple in Mass. lern Mass. histury and peeple in Californea lern Californea history but they all can lern natinal histery

the constitutinal thing is silly maybe this falls under Genreal Welfare as its not good to have stuped peopl.

They already do this to an extent. At least in my school district, we learned Californian history in the 4th grade. Then US History in the 5th Grade, then "Classical" world history in 6th

 

[Lord Baal]

Some of those things seem pretty scary, I'm not saying the Feds should force everyone to learn exactly the same (The U.S is made up of separate states and so on) but it just feels like there should be some sort of control over what kind of books are used.


I'm glad Norwegian history books aren't biased, they just teach you the facts!

Chapter 1: Sweden sucks pre 1700
Chapter 2: Vikings where awesome at everything
Chapter 3: How we stopped Hitler from getting a nuke and saved the free world.
Chapter 4: Why we love the Brits and the Americans for WW2 and try to ignore the Soviets
Chapter 5: Why the UN (and everyone else) thinks we are the greatest country in the world
Chapter 6: How rich are we? Comparison with all other nations.
Chapter 7: Explaining why the United States loves us.
Chapter 8: Sweden's suckiness from 1700 and today - How we fooled them into a union in 1814
Chapter 9: The awesome independence and how Sweden was told to suck it

I wish our history were that awesome.

How do people this ignorant get elected in the first place?

Because the morons voting for them are even more ignorant.

 

[willemvanoranje]

Most countries do that though - they teach youngins a rosy distorted vision of their nations' history.

Except maybe the Germans - they are cool. The Germans teach their kids about the holocaust and all the stupid crap their ancestors did. (I think)

The victor does that. Germans indeed teach their children about the war and nationalism. That's why many Germans are still afraid to sing the national anthem or wave the flag. It took 50 year top open up a little bit in that aspect and show some pride of being German. But how many English, French, and Americans hear about the bombardment of Dresden, which fits right into the Warsaw-Rotterdam-Belgrado line?

But to get back to the topic at hand... I am very afraid of the Texan generation that becomes of age in 2030 and may lead the state by 2060.

 

[Dragonlord]

Actually, as I recall, I once read a book that said that when nations start to attempt to rewrite their own history as they teach it to the next generation, it is the first sign that things are heading down.

This - also this tampering with textbooks to fit local prejudices seems a symptom of a degrading US education system to me ... and neglecting education is NOT the way to remain the world's leading power.

I didn't mean to imply that altering Texan textbooks will directly lead to America's fall...

Most countries do that though - they teach youngins a rosy distorted vision of their nations' history.

Except maybe the Germans - they are cool. The Germans teach their kids about the holocaust and all the stupid crap their ancestors did. (I think)

This particular instance of Texas douchebaggery is even worse than what the Japanese do with THEIR youngins..

True - I went to grade school in the US and I well remember the contrast I saw between the US school, where I was required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning (this was the early 70s) and was surrounded by flag-waving at each and every opportunity, and the schools in Germany, where any overt patriotism was frowned upon.
I much prefer the German way...