Ignorant Teens

[The Ben G]

Today me and my asian freind walked to the 7-11 by my house and got some batteries and a drink at about 10 at night. As we were leaving, a group of 4-6 highschoolers in the saftey of their car (since I guess there afraid of a 6 foot 2 200 pound muscular 8th grader with 2 foot long blonde hair blasting dead kennedys out of a set of speakers) asked me if I had blue eyes (which I do). I said what does it matter? They awnserd because I was a communist (because of the Hammer and Sickle backpatch that I have with the Anarchy A in the center of it). Then one of them flicked me off. They obviously thought that Communist and nazi are the same. I than told them I was strongly anti Nazi and anti Fascist. They then proceded to call me names and tell me how stupid I was.

I dont understand how history classes at least tell the deference between Communism and Fascism. I wouldnt have minded if it was only one of them, but they wouldnt take me on or even mention it if they were alone. The very thought of them thinking that I was a rascist make my skin crawl.

[Die Rote Fahne]

There are a lot of ignorant people. Don't let them get to you.

Point is, where your regalia proudly. You know what it is, comrades know what it is, enemies know what it is.

[The Ben G]

There are a lot of ignorant people. Don't let them get to you.

Point is, where your regalia proudly. You know what it is, comrades know what it is, enemies know what it is.

Thanks comrade. It gets me so made when people dont even learn things, or the things they learn are lies.

[The Red Next Door]

I think the schools do teach the difference between the two, but people just do not pay attention to the lesson.

[Chambered Word]

Don't you kinda expect that to happen in America?


(since I guess there afraid of a 6 foot 2 200 pound muscular 8th grader with 2 foot long blonde hair blasting dead kennedys out of a set of speakers)

Woah :huh:

[Axle]

I think the schools do teach the difference between the two, but people just do not pay attention to the lesson.

God I wish that were the case.

Its been a few years since high school, but I distinctly remember how my government and history classes "covered" socialism and communism: According to them there's no difference between the two, they're both authoritarian dictatorships that control everything in both the economic and social spheres. And that was basically the same definition we got for Nazism and fascism, too. The exception was that they mentioned that Nazism is inherently racist.

I'm never really surprised when people get any of the four confused, but I am disgusted by it.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

It's not always the teens who are to blame. Most people don't speak with authority. They are uncertain in their claims unless it's something they've verified for themselves. It's hard to do that with history. You rely on people you trust.

I went through school, and the teachers sometimes got things wrong. I pointed out something in math, and my friend sided with the teacher. I can't blame them. I brought in the information, and he took it to the teacher, who promptly changed her mind (which is better than most teachers).

I had a textbook that said anarchism was a far-right political ideology and communism was authoritarian. My political science teacher also thought political views only fell into four categories: radical, liberal, conservative, and reactionary. At the time, I was a non-violent radical of sorts (pacifism is somehow self-evidently good when you're young). When asked my political views on a test, I explained how I would technically be somewhere in between liberal and radical, and I clearly explained how I wasn't a radical because the textbook definition included "supporting violence," but I wasn't a liberal because I support socialism and radical change. I confronted him, and he still refused to change the grade.

One of my History teachers was quite conservative, but I actually remember him being fairly impartial aside from jokes at the expense of leftism.

I used to play World of Warcraft a lot. I don't play anymore, but you meet a lot of people. I once got into an exchange with public chat. It's basically hundreds of people reading the messages. Someone talked about communism being about large government. I clearly explained how communist theory actually works and that regardless of one's opinion, communism is factual not big government. That took about 5 minutes of arguing before one person agreed with me. And that only came because I told people to look it up and said I actually stupid political science. Many people told me to go back to school, nonetheless.

I've had numerous people tell me that anarchism does not have the same goal as communism (nuances here). They think anarchism is actually chaos, murder, and pillaging as according to the stereotypical negative connotation. It isn't a problem with only teens either.

I don't encounter many problems in Canada with my communist views, but I don't wear clothing (nothing against those who do). Frankly, I'm not a social person to begin with, and I certainly don't want to be approached randomly with questions. Sure, it might be a great opportunity to spread a good message. I just really like my space. Personal preference.

I did have someone from one of the former Soviet Unions who had a socialist son. He's older, obviously, and was affiliated with my Dad. My Dad likes to bring up that I'm communist when politics comes up. He's conservative and we don't discuss politics often (once a month for 20 seconds, if that). I don't know what his goal is. Probably just to get me to socialize as I avoid it. Maybe to tease me, anyway. So the guy is like "you don't know what it's like."

I love people who have no argument just relying on their experience and expecting us to believe them. First of all, I'm not a Soviet-style communist. Secondly, I wouldn't take that as an argument even if I was. It's just like people in Iraq who say "if you were there, you'd agree with us." Sure I would. It's natural to develop a hatred of someone you're told to kill and tries to kill you. Your mind either rationalizes it or you get PTSD. Since rationalizing is more evolutionary efficient, it happens more often.

People don't get educated. I was dogmatic when I was 16-18. However, I still responded to reason (I was just way more read up on things and people couldn't counter me). When I was quite young, I learned one of the best lessons of my life. I believed 100% that I was right about a factual matter. I later found out I was mistaken. How true you "feel" something is has no relation to whether it's actually true.

I begin to wonder every day what the purpose of our gut instinct, intuition, and confidence is. From an evolutionary perspective, it just seems to land us in trouble. I change my views regularly. It gets me a lot of criticism. But I enjoy living that way. When I do stumble upon a solid belief, like leftism, it sticks around.

[counterblast]

Not to derail the conversation, or illegitimize the point you were making; but there are a few problems with placing this post in the "discrimination" forum.

1. Confusion of communism with fascism is not a form of social discrimination.
2. Why is your friends race relevant at all?
3. The title of this topic and the premise of your post is ageist. Ignorance transcends age boundaries.
4. Statements like "I could've taken them on alone", "I guess they're afraid of a 6'2 muscular 8th grader" also come across as very hyper-masculine, and seem to convey (at least to me) that physical strength is somehow the same as intellectual superiority.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Key their car.

[The Ben G]

Key their car.

I would if I knew where the cowardly bastards lived.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Today me and my asian freind walked to the 7-11 by my house and got some batteries and a drink at about 10 at night. As we were leaving, a group of 4-6 highschoolers in the saftey of their car (since I guess there afraid of a 6 foot 2 200 pound muscular 8th grader with 2 foot long blonde hair blasting dead kennedys out of a set of speakers) asked me if I had blue eyes (which I do). I said what does it matter? They awnserd because I was a communist (because of the Hammer and Sickle backpatch that I have with the Anarchy A in the center of it). Then one of them flicked me off. They obviously thought that Communist and nazi are the same. I than told them I was strongly anti Nazi and anti Fascist. They then proceded to call me names and tell me how stupid I was.

I dont understand how history classes at least tell the deference between Communism and Fascism. I wouldnt have minded if it was only one of them, but they wouldnt take me on or even mention it if they were alone. The very thought of them thinking that I was a rascist make my skin crawl.

Why do you think that they thought you were a NAZI? Maybe they were NAZIs - maybe they were just looking for whatever they could find to piss you off. Like if you had a team shirt on maybe they would have taken the piss about that.

[Rusty Shackleford]

i doubt they were nazis. but the note about ignorance in youth is spot on, and it can actually go on to the whole population. even in college, 2 times in one week i got a response "Russia is communism right?" grammatically and just overall incorrect. im not saying im some grammar pro but still...

[Chambered Word]

It's not always the teens who are to blame. Most people don't speak with authority. They are uncertain in their claims unless it's something they've verified for themselves. It's hard to do that with history. You rely on people you trust.

I went through school, and the teachers sometimes got things wrong. I pointed out something in math, and my friend sided with the teacher. I can't blame them. I brought in the information, and he took it to the teacher, who promptly changed her mind (which is better than most teachers).

I had a textbook that said anarchism was a far-right political ideology and communism was authoritarian. My political science teacher also thought political views only fell into four categories: radical, liberal, conservative, and reactionary. At the time, I was a non-violent radical of sorts (pacifism is somehow self-evidently good when you're young). When asked my political views on a test, I explained how I would technically be somewhere in between liberal and radical, and I clearly explained how I wasn't a radical because the textbook definition included "supporting violence," but I wasn't a liberal because I support socialism and radical change. I confronted him, and he still refused to change the grade.

I live in Australia and even the information we got wasn't that completely and utterly misleading.

Most of my classmates actually trust me to know more about communism than the teacher, lol. Is everyone in North America addicted to authority or something? :(

[Rusty Shackleford]

I live in Australia and even the information we got wasn't that completely and utterly misleading.

Most of my classmates actually trust me to know more about communism than the teacher, lol. Is everyone in North America addicted to authority or something? :(
well it seems like everyone loves security in this place, and also adores respect for elders. with the respect for elders comes the almost automatic trust of what a teacher says to their students. the students may not retain what the teacher says, but they hardly ever question what the teachers say.

[AK]

well it seems like everyone loves security in this place, and also adores respect for elders. with the respect for elders comes the almost automatic trust of what a teacher says to their students. the students may not retain what the teacher says, but they hardly ever question what the teachers say.

This seems to be the case at my high school. A student asked the teacher what Communism was and he replied: 'a totalitarian system of government where the state is supreme'. She believed it, much to the shock of the other Marxist and his Anarchist friend in my class. And speaking of teen ignorance, I'm constantly referred to as the Nazi Fascist Communist Russian by a sizable minority of my friends. :(

[RHIZOMES]

The way History is taught in New Zealand high schools is absolutely dismal. It is incredibly depressing. One time I read in a textbook Gorbachev instituted those reforms because he saw "the suffering of the Soviet people". L O L No mention of what happened afterwards though...

My own History teacher was a fascist as well, to make it even worse. :rolleyes:

[Rusty Shackleford]

i had suspicions that one of my teachers form this semester was very right wing. i think it was just the way he taught though. i missed the day they covered marx engels and hegel. :unsure:

[rednordman]

I think the schools do teach the difference between the two, but people just do not pay attention to the lesson.Apparently not from what i have heard.

[Comrade Anarchist]

I have the same feeling and i hate having to go out of my way to tell people that my political beliefs have nothing to do with the nazis, soviets or any other racists, sexist, or any other hater groups out there. The thing is that most people dont care to learn but when forced to see something they dont know about instead of asking about it they starting flinging insults b/c their scared and brain washed. High school textbooks have say nothing about anarchism and the only thing they say about communism is stalin, lenin, state, millions dead, totalitarian. so kids never learn unless they try to learn on their own.

[The Ben G]

Why do you think that they thought you were a NAZI? Maybe they were NAZIs - maybe they were just looking for whatever they could find to piss you off. Like if you had a team shirt on maybe they would have taken the piss about that.

I was acctually wearing a Bad Brains shirt.

[Kwisatz Haderach]

Are you sure they were not intentionally acting stupid because they thought it would be "funny"? Somehow it strikes me as odd - not that they were ignorant, but that they would object to racism. Anti-communists don't usually object to racism. Certainly not strong enough to flip someone off for it.

[the last donut of the night]

Are you sure they were not intentionally acting stupid because they thought it would be "funny"? Somehow it strikes me as odd - not that they were ignorant, but that they would object to racism. Anti-communists don't usually object to racism. Certainly not strong enough to flip someone off for it.

Hell, I know many anti-communist teens that can be vehemently anti-racist but be completely anti-communistic. The thing is that a lot of so called "anti-communists" don't know what they really believe. You see that in America people have quite muddled views. So sometimes they can have very positive views on some things, but not get the bigger picture.

[Red Saxon]

I blame the teachers...

In my AP Government Honours class in High School, I had an argument with the teacher there for an entire class period about the fact that Nazi's were not socialist.
Luckily, she got married and moved to Nebraska to teach there. :|

[The Ben G]

I blame the teachers...

In my AP Government Honours class in High School, I had an argument with the teacher there for an entire class period about the fact that Nazi's were not socialist.
Luckily, she got married and moved to Nebraska to teach there. :|

I also think that the family matters, too. But I agree with you on that one.:thumbup1:

[Red Saxon]

I also think that the family matters, too. But I agree with you on that one.:thumbup1:
It became completely ridiculous when she didn't know that Hitler also persecuted Gypsies.
I'm fairly sure that she cheated on her teaching exam :laugh:

[Chambered Word]

This seems to be the case at my high school. A student asked the teacher what Communism was and he replied: 'a totalitarian system of government where the state is supreme'. She believed it, much to the shock of the other Marxist and his Anarchist friend in my class. And speaking of teen ignorance, I'm constantly referred to as the Nazi Fascist Communist Russian by a sizable minority of my friends. :(

Don't take that sort of shit from your 'friends' comrade. If someone called me a Nazi or a fascist I'd be on their case. :thumbdown:

[Number 16 Bus Shelter]

Is ignorance to repeat what you are told? Perhaps. I can't speak for history/political books in the US, but over here they seem disgustingly biased. The definitions they give of Communism include the words "Authoritarian" "Dictatorship" etc. I mean this was a book from the local library on Communist theory. Not Soviet history. Good grief. :blink:

So, it sounds ominous... conspiracy theory anyone? :p

[lombas]

It became completely ridiculous when she didn't know that Hitler also persecuted Gypsies.


You could've mentioned freemasons, too (or have you?). Always does the trick against the common confident liberal bourgeois.

[lombas]

And speaking of teen ignorance, I'm constantly referred to as the Nazi Fascist Communist Russian by a sizable minority of my friends. :(

I don't think friends are supposed to speak about you in that way.

Of course, I myself am sometimes referred to as a godless libertine socialist without principles - but that's because I am a godless libertine socialist without principles.

Doesn't serve my point... Hmm... Right, next please?

[Jallen]

At schools over here all they basically teach is communism means equal wages, but human nature doesn't allow it to work and it always ends up in dictatorships and a lot of dead people so you can just forget about it.
I had to do research myself to find out the truth. :(

[the last donut of the night]

At schools over here all they basically teach is communism means equal wages, but human nature doesn't allow it to work and it always ends up in dictatorships and a lot of dead people so you can just forget about it.
I had to do research myself to find out the truth. :(

Even in Europe? I thought at least they wouldn't be as crazy about it there.

[the last donut of the night]

It became completely ridiculous when she didn't know that Hitler also persecuted Gypsies.
I'm fairly sure that she cheated on her teaching exam :laugh:

I hate how textbooks teach about the Holocaust, and while rightfully mentioning the Jews, just put the Gypsies, Gays, Freemasons, Communists, Polish, and the mentally and physically disabled as a side note.

[Invincible Summer]

Hell, I know many anti-communist teens that can be vehemently anti-racist but be completely anti-communistic. The thing is that a lot of so called "anti-communists" don't know what they really believe. You see that in America people have quite muddled views. So sometimes they can have very positive views on some things, but not get the bigger picture.

I think it's because racism and, to a lesser degree sexism and homophobia, are generally seen to be "morally wrong," and it's easier to be accepting of people according to their race and sex/gender/orientation than it is to see the whole economic system the world operates under as "morally wrong."

It's just easier to "love your neighbor" in the mystical, metaphysical sense, but exploiting them and oppressing them in the economic/material sense seems to be just too harsh to deal with. It requires being "too negative" or "radical" and "rocking the boat." Changing individual opinions/actions in regards to race/gender/sexual orientation is easier than changing the world.

It's all related to that whole PC-liberal-individualist activism type of bs.

[Liberateeducate]

I had a world history class in a College, which the professor actively made connections between stalin/ hitler and how their ideologies were similar and implementations of said ideologies led to similar results.
I knew much better and debated the professor in and out of class, but to no avail.

so its not just highschool

[cska]

I had a world history class in a College, which the professor actively made connections between stalin/ hitler and how their ideologies were similar and implementations of said ideologies led to similar results.
I knew much better and debated the professor in and out of class, but to no avail.

so its not just highschool

:crying: That is awful. Thankfully the college I am studying at is pretty open-minded. I hope he didn't give you a bad grade...

[Liberateeducate]

:crying: That is awful. Thankfully the college I am studying at is pretty open-minded. I hope he didn't give you a bad grade...He gave me a C on paper discussing Carnegies "Gospel of Wealth" because of my "one-sided analysis" meaning I gave a marxist analysis of it, but all the tests/other bullshit assignments were based off the memorization of random historical facts and regurgitating them so I ended up with a B+ because I was able to do well on that crap.
Me and a couple friends deem him Prof. Fence-sitter because almost every lecture he gave took almost know critical analysis, even up to current history like the war in Iraq or other military actions.

Its like he was a centerist with no backbone it was really sad.

[cska]

Ouch. I used to hate history cause it was always based on the memorization of random facts, many of which are falsified by the capitalists anyway. However, my latest history class in college was a breath of fresh air, in more ways than one. Firstly, the teacher didn't shy from examining the imperialist policies of America, or the lack of democracy under the so-called "founding fathers". However, this stuff I already knew. What was a relief was to learn that Americans weren't always the sheep that most people seem to be now. There were incidents such as Shays' rebellion and Bostonians rioting because of the Fugitive Slave Act. We should point to this part of United States history with pride, and hope to rekindle that spirit of fighting for liberty and justice, and end this indifference or hopelessness that so many people have.

[Liberateeducate]

Ouch. I used to hate history cause it was always based on the memorization of random facts, many of which are falsified by the capitalists anyway. However, my latest history class in college was a breath of fresh air, in more ways than one. Firstly, the teacher didn't shy from examining the imperialist policies of America, or the lack of democracy under the so-called "founding fathers". However, this stuff I already knew. What was a relief was to learn that Americans weren't always the sheep that most people seem to be now. There were incidents such as Shays' rebellion and Bostonians rioting because of the Fugitive Slave Act. We should point to this part of United States history with pride, and hope to rekindle that spirit of fighting for liberty and justice, and end this indifference or hopelessness that so many people have.
http://www.freewebs.com/discourse-analysis/CalvinHobbes-Test.bmp

[Kayser_Soso]

Today me and my asian freind walked to the 7-11 by my house and got some batteries and a drink at about 10 at night. As we were leaving, a group of 4-6 highschoolers in the saftey of their car (since I guess there afraid of a 6 foot 2 200 pound muscular 8th grader with 2 foot long blonde hair blasting dead kennedys out of a set of speakers) asked me if I had blue eyes (which I do). I said what does it matter? They awnserd because I was a communist (because of the Hammer and Sickle backpatch that I have with the Anarchy A in the center of it). Then one of them flicked me off. They obviously thought that Communist and nazi are the same. I than told them I was strongly anti Nazi and anti Fascist. They then proceded to call me names and tell me how stupid I was.

I dont understand how history classes at least tell the deference between Communism and Fascism. I wouldnt have minded if it was only one of them, but they wouldnt take me on or even mention it if they were alone. The very thought of them thinking that I was a rascist make my skin crawl.

Thank the buzzword "totalitarianism" for that situation. Even my own mother, born in 1955 and whose father not only fought in the war but ended up with one of the units who met the Red Army(though as far as I know he had no personal experience with them), once remarked to me the last time I saw her: "Don't mention anything about Communism; you know my dad fought in the war against them."

This is ironic because conservatives often ***** about the so-called "dumbing down of our modern schools", though it is apparent that their schools weren't much better.

[cska]

:laugh: I always love Calvin and Hobbes.

Calvin: Somewhere in Communist Russia I'll bet there's a little boy who has never known anything but censorship and oppression. But maybe he's heard of America, and he dreams of living in this land of freedom and opportunity! Someday, I'd like to meet that little boy...and tell him the awful TRUTH ABOUT THIS PLACE!!
Calvin's Dad: Calvin, be quiet and eat the stupid lima beans.

[Stand Your Ground]

I hate how textbooks teach about the Holocaust, and while rightfully mentioning the Jews, just put the Gypsies, Gays, Freemasons, Communists, Polish, and the mentally and physically disabled as a side note.
I agree. The rest of the people that were discriminated against don't get enough attention. :cursing:
And communism is feared in America by most because of propaganda.