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For Iraq – Hang the History Teachers by Michael Scheuer

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Sertorius [OP]

2005-09-08 11:40 | User Profile

For Iraq – Hang the History Teachers

by Michael Scheuer

While our all-seeing neoconservatives, liberal internationalists, and realists argue about democratizing the Muslim world – their argument is not if we should, only how – the real authors of our Muslim-world disaster remain hidden. These wretches are America’s history teachers. They have failed so utterly that no leader in either party appears to understand U.S. history or the basically nontransferable nature of America’s experience. So ineffective have the teachers been that Americans – leaders and led – expect to replicate abroad the republic under which they live but about which they know almost nothing.

Recently neoconservatives and the editorial pages of major dailies have brooded about the failure of Iraq’s constitutional convention to produce a document worthy of the Founders. While the neocons try to limit damage to the Bush Administration, other pundits on the right and the left draw on "history" to remind Americans the U.S. constitution was not made in a day, and that the 1776–1789 period passed before the Founders produced a constitution which still is the indispensable guide for those aspiring to self-government. Because it took America’s greatest men 13 years to create the constitution, the pundits say, we should not worry that the "Iraqi Founders" are having trouble.

This argument is glib and, as a friend says, sounds convincing if you say it fast. It is, however, an argument that can be grounded only in a malicious intent to mislead Americans or a fundamental ignorance of our history. It may be both, but certainly is the latter. For that reason, we should build gallows sturdy enough to accommodate our history teachers.

The road to the U.S. constitution began, to choose a plausible date, with Magna Charta in 1215. From then, Anglo-American political and constitutional thought meandered through five-plus centuries of evolution – guided by Christian scripture and punctuated by theoretical debate, civil and religious wars, regicide, electoral politics, and world wars – until 1789 and what Catherine Drinker Bowen aptly described as "Miracle in Philadelphia." Questions: How many Americans know, let alone can discuss, that fact? How many Americans can identify a similar post-1215 process in the Islamic world from which the Iraqi Founders can seek guidance? Whose fault is it that such elemental realities elude America’s bipartisan governing elite?

Next, when the Founders signed Jefferson’s Declaration, beginning the journey to the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, they were not only informed by Christian scripture and instructed by centuries of evolving Anglo-American political theory and moral philosophy, but also drew on 150-years experience of self-government in North America, beginning in Jamestown and Plymouth. The Founders were not off-the-cuff, 90-day wonders when it came to self-government. They were steeped in centuries of republican theory and history, and many participated in the day-to-day politics of self-government. Questions: How many Americans know these clear, bare-bone facts? From what comparable body of self-governing theory and what record of practical electoral experience are the Iraqi Founders drawing? Are they informed and guided, as were our Founders, by Christian scripture? How can any rational American expect the Iraqis to produce a "Miracle in Baghdad"?

Finally, when the Founders signed and the states ratified the Constitution, how did they know power would be peacefully passed from one government to another? Well, they didn’t. But based on the post-Magna Charta development of Anglo-American self-government, the Constitution‘s provisions, and the unity-producing reverence Americans had for George Washington’s actions and guidance, the Founders hoped for an orderly transfer. The accession of John Adams to succeed Washington did not fully prove the Founder’s formula because the Federalists kept power. But their scheme was validated by the 1800 transfer from Adams to Jefferson, from one party to another after a vicious election campaign. Questions: Why do Americans believe elections in places lacking 800 years of Anglo-American political experience, like Iraq and Afghanistan, make any difference? Whose fault is it that U.S. leaders fail to see that elections are meaningless in societies where there is have no history of peacefully transferring power and men do not shelve their AK-47s and wait for the next election?

History teachers are the villains. They have left Americans without a sound understanding of their history. Crippling at home, their failure causes our humiliation and defeat abroad. America’s experience is long, arduous, bloody, Christianity-based, and largely unique. Others may aspire to replicate it, and to them we owe rhetorical support, prayers, and best wishes. Our experience, however, cannot be installed in alien cultures in a few years time; and certainly not at bayonet point. That our otherwise brilliant U.S. leaders do not know this deep in their bones speaks to the failure of America’s history teachers, a failure that should shame them more painfully than any pain derived from the noose they richly merit.

September 8, 2005

Michael Scheuer is the author of Imperial Hubris and Through Our Enemies' Eyes. He recently resigned after 22 years at the CIA.

Copyright 2005 © LewRockwell.com [url]http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/scheuer5.html[/url]

Angeleyes

2005-09-08 14:24 | User Profile

Sert, thank you, thank you, thank you. I need to buy that man a beer.

He put his finger on what I have been feeling ever since the "inflict democracy at the point of a bayonet" policy was undertaken.

AE [QUOTE=Sertorius]For Iraq – Hang the History Teachers

by Michael Scheuer [/QUOTE]

edward gibbon

2005-09-08 16:41 | User Profile

[QUOTE][COLOR=Red]Whose fault is it that U.S. leaders fail to see that elections are meaningless in societies where there is have no history of peacefully transferring power and men do not shelve their AK-47s and wait for the next election?[/COLOR]

[B][I]History teachers are the villains.[/I][/B] They have left Americans without a sound understanding of their history. Crippling at home, their failure causes our humiliation and defeat abroad. America’s experience is long, arduous, bloody, Christianity-based, and largely unique. Others may aspire to replicate it, and to them we owe rhetorical support, prayers, and best wishes. Our experience, however, cannot be installed in alien cultures in a few years time; and certainly not at bayonet point. [COLOR=Red]That our otherwise brilliant U.S. leaders do not know this deep in their bones speaks to the failure of America’s history teachers, a failure that should shame them more painfully than any pain derived from the noose they richly merit[/COLOR][/QUOTE]It is very easy to put all the blame on the history teachers, but I feel our ruling class must shoulder most of the blame for the horrendous American schooling. The dumbing down of America was at their behest.

H.A.L.2006

2005-09-08 18:11 | User Profile

The public school system, I fear, will be the blunt instrument that brings our society to its knees, and history teachers are the primary culprits indeed.

I'm amazed how many children get off of school buses after class and walk to their front door without a single book in hand. Now, I realize that this point is irrelevant when considering the fact that the books contain untruth in tangible form, but what these occurrences do show is that the untruth coming from the teachers' mouths can be allowed to spread so quickly and gain such a force that it stands inconsistent with untruth in the "outdated" textbooks. The kids have no readily available resources to compare the teachers' sayings to (and why would they doubt the authority anyway ... even more depressing is to wonder if kids even care to begin with).

My A.P. US and Euro History teachers in the mid-90's would constantly remind the class that FDR was, and is, the best US president we ever had ... that he helped curb the economic situation for the better ... and, most importantly, that he initiated crucial govt programs. (whoa nelly) Also, in Euro history, the teacher would repeatedly bring up examples of anti-semitism (ex: the black death blamed on Jews) and equate such anti-semites with ignorance and foes of social progress.

I cannot even imagine what the history lesson now sounds like in the mid-00's. As my generation gets olders, my views will increasingly become a smaller minority in a rapidly growing population of untruth.

Instead of the first thing we do being "kill all the lawyers" (thanks a lot W.S.), it should instead be to kill the history teachers.

xmetalhead

2005-09-08 18:32 | User Profile

I betcha large portions of the American population haven't even heard of the US Constitution.... or if they have heard about it, wouldn't know what it says or contains.

There used to be a black rock group called Living Colour (big hit "Cult of Personality") who had a song called "History Lesson", the chorus of the song says [I] "History's a lie that they teach you in school/ A fraudulent view called the golden rule"[/I]. At the time, I thought those were afrocentric-leftist rantings from an "oppressed" black rock singer but the lyrics always stuck in my mind anyways.

15 years later, the guy who wrote those lyrics appears to be a prophet, IMO.

Angeleyes

2005-09-09 13:44 | User Profile

[QUOTE=xmetalhead]I betcha large portions of the American population haven't even heard of the US Constitution.... or if they have heard about it, wouldn't know what it says or contains.

There used to be a black rock group called Living Colour (big hit "Cult of Personality") who had a song called "History Lesson", the chorus of the song says "History's a lie that they teach you in school/ A fraudulent view called the golden rule". At the time, I thought those were afrocentric-leftist rantings from an "oppressed" black rock singer but the lyrics always stuck in my mind anyways.

15 years later, the guy who wrote those lyrics appears to be a prophet, IMO.[/QUOTE] Funnily enough, the lyric misuses an image, for all that its aim at "history" versus "a story" in school is on target.

The Golden Rrule is neither fraudulent, nor is it a bad moral construct upon which to base the fundamental social contract.

I liked "Cult of Personality" when it came out.

You don't have to follow me Only You, can set you free

Well written verse

AE

Blond Knight

2005-09-11 16:45 | User Profile

A good book on the mess called public education is "Why Johnny Can't Think" by Bob Whitaker.

Book:[url]http://readbob.com/[/url]

Also, a good article from Vdare that addresses another aspect of using the edjewcation system to deconstruct society.

[url]http://www.vdare.com/misc/050908_kerry_brainwashing.htm[/url]

September 08, 2005 Brainwashing In Academe: The Resident Assistant’s Tale

By Athena Kerry

As a Resident Assistant (student counselor) in an undergraduate dorm in a well-known Catholic university, I was anything but surprised at Kevin Carter’s recent article "Brainwashing Backfires in Academe". The diversity training in which Carter was forced to participate is a staple of student activities at universities spanning the country. And it’s even worse from the inside.

As a student employee of the university, I have been force-fed diversity indoctrination non-stop.

When I first interviewed for an RA job, a group of us were given the task of designing an ideal residence hall. Our interviewers observed our ability to work together.

When we presented our design (an ivy covered dorm, spiraling like the Guggenheim, complete with a rooftop garden and swimming pool, a small theater, game room, state-of-the-art study spaces and a printing center), our interviewers were impressed by our creativity and enthusiasm. But they asked only two questions: bullet How do you address the needs of non-Christian students who may need worship space? and

bullet How would you encourage any students who may not support GLBTQA to become "persons of care"?

GLBTQA?

Persons of care?

These terms were foreign to me. And context clues weren’t serving me well. I stepped back and let my fellow students stumble and stutter their way through some confused answers.

None of us were hired.

Last year, I applied again for the same position and again went through the same interview process. But this time, I saw it coming. I included in my imaginary residence hall a mosque, a prayer room, a temple, a chapel, and a "rainbow room" for what I now know is the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, and Asexual community.

There wasn’t room for the theater, the game room or the printing center—but, hey, I was hired.

Since my hire, I’ve been required to sit through nine mandatory hours of "Safe Space" training. "Safe Space" means creating a supportive environment for GLB etc. I’ve been given more than 70 pages of literature on how to develop "Safe Spaces".

I also received a glossary of terms that are acceptable and not acceptable to use in my position. "Boyfriend" and "girlfriend" are out, unless used in conjunction—as in "do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?", thereby avoiding the assumption of heterosexuality.

My emails, online profiles, and bedroom decorations are subject to inspection if I am suspected of violating any diversity policies.

I was told to place myself on something called the Riddle Homophobia Scale. I chose the "acceptance" level. As it turned out, "tolerance" and "acceptance" are still considered "homophobic" ("implies there is something to accept"). Ultimately, I was told, I should aim to find myself nurturing GLBTQA, wherein I will realize that "gay/lesbian people are indispensable to our society", and will view GLBTQAs with "genuine affection and delight," manifested by an eagerness to be an ally and advocate for their community.

I was expected to sign a statement that said, among other things:

"I am committed to educating myself and others about oppression, heterosexism, and homophobia, and combating them on a personal level. I am committed to working toward providing a safe, confident support network for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community…I am the product of a heterosexist culture and I am who I am. I do not have to feel guilty about what I know or believe, but I do need to take responsibility for what I can do now. I will struggle to change my false/inaccurate beliefs or oppressive attitudes towards gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."

All this at a Catholic university!

And that was just the bit about sexual orientation. A few racial and cultural lessons were slipped in as well. They were equally ridiculous. But GLBTQA issues took up the greater portion of our time in diversity and Safe Space training—interestingly, given our location in a city with a huge black and immigrant Hispanic population.

At one point, the 60+ of us were divided into "break-out" groups to discuss different problems as a group. My group was given the following problem:

"Weisia is an international student from Poland, who is beginning her [college] experience as the first member of her family to go to college. Moreover, this is her first time in the United States, and she is living with Gina, a student from an upper class, predominantly-white, suburban college prep school. Weisia brought two small suitcases with her on the airplane. Gina, with the help of her physician parents, brought a truckload of items to school, including a $50 high-speed, state-of-the-art hairdryer, a new neon-colored George Foreman Grill with 3 settings, and her entire wardrobe, including 14 pair of shoes. Within the first week of school, Weisia comes to you distraught. She has realized that she has not brought all the ‘necessities for college life’ with her. Gina apparently suggested that she purchase certain items, and even provided her own shopping list which included Mentadent, Kleenex, make-up, and 24-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and a high-powered television antenna. Weisia only has a $20 bill with her."

We were then expected to define and address the issues within this problem, which could be located on the "wall of oppression" (a poster of a brick wall, each brick emblazoned with the a word like "ageism", "ableism", "classism", "beautyism", "racism" or "ethnocentrism").

Once we pinpointed these transgressions, we could discuss how to overcome them, and how to include the Office of Student Diversity staff.

One of the Student Diversity staff members turned to our group and said: "We’re not trying to change anyone’s world view, we just trying to help you understand the world differently."

No-one blinked an eye.

(The spokespeople for our group decided that, yes, this was a case of discrimination, even if the American girl, Gina, didn't realize it. Ignorance is no excuse, and the RA should take Gina aside and explain to her that intruding behavior was discriminatory and that she should share her expensive things. Ironically, my friends in the advising office tell me that if I want to have a good time, I should make friends with the exchange students. Coming to an American school is not cheap, and they usually have money to burn!)

The encouraging thing about Kevin Carter’s report was the backlash he observed post-brainwashing. No such phenomena took place after my experience. The few of us RAs that have banded together—all female, the men say nothing, perhaps because many are themselves gay—quietly whisper "hypocrisy" in back corners of basement apartments. But any more than that threatens our employment.

And, for a broke college student, free room and board plus a stipend makes it impractical not to sell out our values.

Athena Kerry (email her) is a senior at a Catholic university somewhere in America.

PaleoBear

2005-09-24 18:38 | User Profile

[QUOTE=H.A.L.2006]The public school system, I fear, will be the blunt instrument that brings our society to its knees, and history teachers are the primary culprits indeed.

I'm amazed how many children get off of school buses after class and walk to their front door without a single book in hand. Now, I realize that this point is irrelevant when considering the fact that the books contain untruth in tangible form, but what these occurrences do show is that the untruth coming from the teachers' mouths can be allowed to spread so quickly and gain such a force that it stands inconsistent with untruth in the "outdated" textbooks. The kids have no readily available resources to compare the teachers' sayings to (and why would they doubt the authority anyway ... even more depressing is to wonder if kids even care to begin with).

My A.P. US and Euro History teachers in the mid-90's would constantly remind the class that FDR was, and is, the best US president we ever had ... that he helped curb the economic situation for the better ... and, most importantly, that he initiated crucial govt programs. (whoa nelly) Also, in Euro history, the teacher would repeatedly bring up examples of anti-semitism (ex: the black death blamed on Jews) and equate such anti-semites with ignorance and foes of social progress.

I cannot even imagine what the history lesson now sounds like in the mid-00's. As my generation gets olders, my views will increasingly become a smaller minority in a rapidly growing population of untruth.

Instead of the first thing we do being "kill all the lawyers" (thanks a lot W.S.), it should instead be to kill the history teachers.[/QUOTE]Thank the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation for turning one of the greatest products of Christendom, the university, into 'bare ruined choirs'. Philosophy was separated (prescinded) from theology and nowadays we have as the best-selling work of philosophy, "On Bullshit", by a Princeton professor of philosophy.

"One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit," Harry G. Frankfurt writes, in what must surely be the most eyebrow-raising opener in modern philosophical prose. "Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted."

[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0691122946/qid=1127586622/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5922118-9691819?v=glance&s=books&n=507846"]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0691122946/qid=1127586622/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5922118-9691819?v=glance&s=books&n=507846[/url]

Move over Plato and Aristotle, this Hebrew can philosophize!