This sickens me; yes, textbooks need up dating and a lot of what we're taught is bullshit...but to slant it, in a state already filled with conservatives..."/>

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Texas School Board's Vote Could Make Nation's History Textbooks more Conservative

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Friday, March 19, 2010 14:38
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 2434
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:41 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:


They also have at least one misspelling:



Hell, YOU usually have at least one misspelling...

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Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:43 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


Since I'm not sure if this is directed to me, or, if it is, which points I should address, I'll leave this to whenever you can get back to it.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Wednesday, March 17, 2010 5:27 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Dang, I was kinda hoping that Kirk was going to come back with some cites or clarification on the whole Hanta virus thing. I did some quick looking online, and only found a few mentions of it, along the lines of, "well, *they* say now that it was Hanta virus that wiped out the native Americans...", without expanding on who the "they" is who is saying this, or giving anything like a cite, a source, a scientific paper, or a peer-reviewed study.

Hell, I can remember Erich Von Daniken (sp?) claiming that since he couldn't explain the Nasca lines, they had to be have been made by aliens. But saying it, and then hearing others say, "Ya know, they say..." doesn't make it so.

But I *am* curious about this hypothesis (I won't call it a theory yet, because it seems far less than that).




"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions


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Thursday, March 18, 2010 3:02 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Hell, YOU usually have at least one misspelling...



Thanks for your concession that you can find no overt conservative bias in the latest draft curriculum.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Thursday, March 18, 2010 5:42 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Snarkily tho' it may have been phrased (because I was replying to what I thought was a snark on your part...my mistake), yes, I was inquiring as to your response to
Quote:

I take it you approve of these things? You think creationism should be taught in public schools? It's okay with you if school children aren't taught any reference to sex and gender as social constructs, lest they learn about "ooo-ees"? You think that Judeo-Christian values of our founding fathers should be taught, but not their concept of separation of church and state? You think John Calvin should be taught, yet Thomas Jefferson OMITTED? And on and on.
By the way, I've heard since then that Jefferson was omitted because he was a big proponent of separation of church and state, even tho' he wront the Declaration of Independence. Little point, not important I'm sure to some, but totally omitted???


"I'm just right. Kinda like the sun rising in the east and the world being round...its not a need its just the way it is." The Delusional "Hero", 3/1/10

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Thursday, March 18, 2010 5:49 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Hell, YOU usually have at least one misspelling...



Thanks for your concession that you can find no overt conservative bias in the latest draft curriculum.

"Keep the Shiny side up"




Well, the fact that I haven't found it concedes nothing, since I also haven't READ it yet.

But thanks for your concession that you can find no liberal bias in my latest posts. ;)




"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions


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Thursday, March 18, 2010 11:52 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Well, the fact that I haven't found it concedes nothing, since I also haven't READ it yet.



Planning to?

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Thursday, March 18, 2010 12:22 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Actually, I *AM* planning to.




"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions


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Thursday, March 18, 2010 12:57 PM

KIRKULES


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Quote:

It’s also commonly taught that disease brought by the Spanish killed off the Aztec empire, were in reality the most recent evidence suggests that it was a North American disease similar the Hanta virus.


I'm curious; do you have any cites for that claim? On its surface, it seems a bit outrageous. Is there any name or record of this mystery disease? I only ask because Hanta virus, or really ANY of the hemorrhagic fevers, are really quite rare, and generally an "outbreak" consists of a dozen cases or less, so it seems a bit of a stretch to lay the devastation of an empire of more than twenty million all at the feet of such an historically rare disease.

I'm not trying to be snarky or disagreeable, either; this is honestly the very first time I've ever heard this postulated as THE cause for the collapse of the Aztec civilization. My gut feeling is that there were MANY root causes for its decline and fall. If the rest of world history is any indicator, it was an empire already in a state of decay and decline, and the diseases brought by the Conquistadors weakened the population further, which would make them more susceptible to diseases which were already around, but not particularly lethal nor overly communicable (hemorrhagic fever outbreaks tend to burn themselves out rather quickly BECAUSE they're so ungodly fast at killing their hosts, often before they can infect others, thus ending the diseases transmission vectors). This, in turn, further weakened a civilization that was now knocked down to its knees, coupled with the toppling of their "god"-leader by the Spaniards, which brings a lack of faith in the old ways, and a general malaise and lethargy about the civilization as a whole, until the once-proud followers simply disappear into the wilderness to seek a new way.

Point being, it's rarely ONE SINGLE THING that can be seen as the absolute ending occurrence that puts the final nail in an empire. It's a systemic falling down, a collapse of several societal parts at once.




"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions



I agree with most of what you’ve said, obviously it was not one single event that brought down the Aztecs. If I had to point the blame at any one thing it would be that Montezuma was a pussy. He allowed his standing army of tens of thousands to be defeated by a couple of hundred Spanish on horseback.

Here’s a link to a National Geographic video that discusses the plague theory.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/naked-science/3489/Overvi
ew#tab-Videos/06057_00


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Thursday, March 18, 2010 3:47 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Kirk: Thanks for the link. I'm going to try to set some time aside to check it out, because it is a bit fascinating.


Meanwhile, back to the Texas curriculum. Just read it, made some quick notes. And yeah, the State Board of Education *HAS* made some decidedly right-wing changes and demands, and it seems pretty clear TO ME that they're trying to steer the curricula to the right. And some of their changes just struck me as odd.

So here goes, in rough draft...

Quote:



... analyze social issues such as the treatment of affecting women, minorities, children, labor, growth of cities, and problems of immigrants, urbanization , and analyze the Social Gospel ,and philanthropy of industrialists.



- Added "... and philanthropy of industrialists"

That feels like an attempt to paint robber-barons in a more positive light.

Quote:


... identify the causes of World War I and reasons for U.S. entry in World War I, including propaganda (information disseminated by an organization or government to promote a policy, idea, or cause) and unrestricted submarine warfare



- Struck the entire part about propaganda.

Quote:

... analyze the impact of significant individuals such as Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, Henry Ford,Glenn Curtiss, Marcus Garvey,and Charles A. Lindbergh.


- Not sure why they added Glenn Curtiss... Guess they wanted a "balance" of industrialists.

Quote:

... evaluate the roles played by significant military contributions of leaders during World War II, including Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Oveta Culp Hobby, Benjamin O. Davis, Chester A. Nimitz, George Marshall, and George Patton...


- Why cut Oveta Culp Hobby and Benjamin O. Davis, the only woman and the only black man mentioned in the WWII leaders' section, and keep ONLY the white men?

Oveta Culp Hobby was the first commanding officer of the WACs (Women's Army Corps), a Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, a graduate of Mary Hardin Baylor College for Women and the University of Texas at Austin, the wife of former governor of Texas Bill Hobby, and more.

Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. was the commander of the Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black fighter/escort group that gained fame in WWII and set the stage for military integration.

Quote:

... describe U.S. responses to Soviet aggression after World War II, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Berlin airlift...


- Replaced the word "expansion" with "aggression".

Quote:

... describe how McCarthyism, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), the arms race, and the space race increased Cold War tensions and how the later release of the Venona Papers confirmed suspicions of communist infiltration in U.S. government.


- Added the underscored bit.

Quote:

... identify the roles of significant leaders who supported or opposed of the civil rights movement, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Betty Friedan, George Wallace, and others.


- Struck "Betty Friedan". Why, exactly? Was she less of an influence on modern history than Wallace? Or is she a greater threat to conservatism?

Quote:

... describe Richard M. Nixon’s leadership in the normalization of relations with China and the policy of détente.


- Struck the word "role" and replaced it with "leadership".

Quote:

... describe Ronald Reagan’s leadership in domestic and international policies , including such as Reaganomics and Peace Through Strength


- Again with the "leadership" instead of "role".

It may seem trivial, but it slants things to more favorably view them, which the right loves to do.

Quote:

... understand the effects of governmental actions on individuals, industries, and communities , including the impact of Fifth Amendment property rights.


- Added the bit about "including the 5th...", property rights being one of the favorite talking points of the right.

Quote:

... describe the emergence of monetary policy in the United States, including the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and the shifting trend from a gold standard to fiat money.


- Added this bit entirely, which is of VERY special interest of the ultra-hard-right, and to virtually nobody else in the world.

Quote:

... evaluate constitutional change in terms of strict construction versus judicial interpretation.


- Again, they added this entire section, stopping JUST short of going into a rant about "judicial activism" and the like. "Strict construction" is another big pet project of conservatives, people like The Federalist Society.

Quote:

... describe the impact of significant examples of cultural movements in art, music, and literature such as Tin Pan Alley, the Harlem Renaissance, the Beat Generation, rock and roll, the Chicano Mural Movement, and hip hop , and country and western music on American society...


- Added the bit about C&W - which I'm glad of, but it definitely tends to be more of a conservative crowd.

Quote:

... discuss the meaning and historical significance of the mottoes “E Pluribus Unum” and “In God We Trust.”


- Added that. Do you suppose they'll include that "In God We Trust" didn't appear on American money until almost the end of the Civil War (and sometimes not until MUCH later, not appearing on paper "fiat" money until 1957)?


So, that's my first pass.

Anyone else read it and want to take a shot?





"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions


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Thursday, March 18, 2010 4:40 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
- Added "... and philanthropy of industrialists"

That feels like an attempt to paint robber-barons in a more positive light.


Or could be pointing out that philanthropy of the industralists was in fact a part of the social issues of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before government was able to handle it. Got a Carnegie Library in your community? Lots of folk do.

Quote:


- Struck the entire part about propaganda.

[b/]
As well as the part about unrestricted submarine warfare.

Quote:

- Not sure why they added Glenn Curtiss... Guess they wanted a "balance" of industrialists.

Check a biography of Glenn Curtis. He was an aviation pioneer, much more innovative than the Wrights. Although Curtiss-Wright eventually became a major player in the aircraft industry, Curtiss is mostly recognized for development and innovation.

Quote:

- Why cut Oveta Culp Hobby and Benjamin O. Davis, the only woman and the only black man mentioned in the WWII leaders' section, and keep ONLY the white men?

Because Hobby and Davis weren't major players in the war when compared to Bradley, et. al.? Might as well ask why the TEKS committee added them in the first place. Note that the School board did add "the bravery and contributions of the Tuskegee airmen, the Flying Tigers, and the Navajo Code Talkers".

Quote:

- Replaced the word "expansion" with "aggression".

You could ask the folks in Eastern Europe which it was. Bet they'd go with aggression.


Overall, do note that a lot of the stuff the State Board of Education deleted was stuff that was added by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Committee. Was TEKS trying to liberalize the curriculim?

Gotta pack for a trip and leaving tomorrow, so it may be a couple of days 'til I hit a place with free internet. Will hit a few more then.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Thursday, March 18, 2010 5:25 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


So should we change the language to refer to our "aggression" beyond the Mississippi River, rather than our "expansion"?

Ask Southeastern Asia, and I'll bet they'd have a difference of opinion on whether we were practicing "aggression", too. Shall we change the wording to reflect our illegal and aggressive war in Vietnam, and explain that we lost because we deserved to?

As to Curtiss, why not Jack Northrop instead? Why not Kelly Johnson? If we're talking innovation, they're right up there. Hell, Curtiss was all but done as an aviation company by the end of WWII, and completely defunct by 1949. Aircraft from Douglas, Chance-Vought, North American Aviation, and even Republic, and especially Boeing, were far more influential in the outcome of WWII.

I don't find Curtiss's inclusion especially conservative (unless he was one of those whackadoodles who saw commies behind every bush - or behind every Bush!), just odd.

I *DO* find Oveta Hobby and Benjamin Davis's removal a bit telling, though. You can argue about their impact, but surely a far greater number of American bombers would have been lost to the Luftwaffe without the efforts of the fearless escort pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group. And it's highly doubtful that the U.S. bomber efforts could have dealt with the kind of sustained losses they had been taking on missions like the infamous Regenberg/Schweinfurt "double-strike" missions. In fact, they stopped deep-penetration bombing raids until they figured out the long-range escort problem, and it was only with the aid of groups like the Tuskegee Airmen that they were able to resume such raids, which led to the crippling of the Nazi war machine's infrastructure.

As for Hobby's contributions, MacArthur called the WACs his "best soldiers", and asked for more of them to serve in his command, because they were more disciplined, worked harder, and complained less (his words, not mine).

But I can see why conservatives would want to leave out the contributions of blacks and women to the military, since they never wanted either to serve in the first place.




"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions


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Friday, March 19, 2010 6:20 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Just keeping this one up in the "active" area so Geezer can come back to it when he gets a chance.




"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions


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Friday, March 19, 2010 2:38 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Ask Southeastern Asia, and I'll bet they'd have a difference of opinion on whether we were practicing "aggression", too.


As to that, I can only reply that the South Vietnamese I worked with didn't think we were the aggressors.
Quote:

As to Curtiss, why not Jack Northrop instead? Why not Kelly Johnson?

Curtiss was there at the start. He pretty much started aircraft manufacturing as a going enterprise after the Wrights would not innovate.

Quote:

I don't find Curtiss's inclusion especially conservative...

Not sure why you brought it up, then.
Quote:

You can argue about their impact, but surely a far greater number of American bombers would have been lost to the Luftwaffe without the efforts of the fearless escort pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group.

As I noted, the curriculum does include language relating to "...the bravery and contributions of the Tuskegee airmen...". Probably better to cover the whole group than one individual who was not a major leader in the war.

Quote:

As for Hobby's contributions, MacArthur called the WACs his "best soldiers", and asked for more of them to serve in his command, because they were more disciplined, worked harder, and complained less


They did cover women during the war in broader terms. "...and opportunities and obstacles for women and ethnic minorities." Again, seems better to take a broader look than at just one person who's not in command of theatres, armys, fleets, etc.

Quote:

But I can see why conservatives would want to leave out the contributions of blacks and women to the military, since they never wanted either to serve in the first place.


But as noted above, the contributions of blacks and women are included.

Here's all of WWII after the editing.

"(7) History. The student understands the domestic and international impact of U.S. participation in World War II. The Student is expected to:
(A) identify reasons for U.S. involvement in World War II, including the growth of dictatorships and the attack on Pearl Harbor;

(B) evaluate the domestic and international leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman during World War II, including the U.S. relationship with its allies and domestic mobilization for the war effort;

(C) analyze major issues of World War II,
including the Holocaust, the internment of Japanese-Americans, the regulation of some foreign nationals, and the development of atomic weapons

(D) analyze major military events of World War II, including the Battle of Midway, the U.S. military advancement through the Pacific Islands, the Bataan Death March,

(E) evaluate the military contributions of leaders during World War II, including Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Chester A. Nimitz, George Marshall, and George Patton;

(F) explain the home front and how American patriotism inspired exceptional actions by citizens and military personnel, including high levels of military enlistment; volunteerism; purchase of war bonds, Victory Gardens, the bravery and contributions of the Tuskegee airmen, the Flying Tigers, and the Navajo Code Talkers; and opportunities and obstacles for women and ethnic minorities."

There's a lot left out. The Normandy invasion got cut. No mention of the strategic bombing campaigns against Germany and Japan. Nor North Africa or Italy. They got lumped into "...major military events..." I guess.

Enough for tonight. D.C. to Nashville's a full day. Later.


"Keep the Shiny side up"

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