Under-education about Communism in the US school system.

[Jake14]

I'm not really sure as to where this should be posted but move it if there be need.
I'm a senior in high school and we were issued our government book the other day and i was flipping through the table of contents and saw there was a chapter on political ideologies; it turned out to be literally a three-page chapter that was horribly biased against communism.
It irked me quite a bit. I feel this is a major issue not only for the cause but for the education of the general population. The entire theme for the book give off the vibe of "If you're oppose capitalism then fuck you".

Any thoughts?

[Commissar Rykov]

I'm not really sure as to where this should be posted but move it if there be need.
I'm a senior in high school and we were issued our government book the other day and i was flipping through the table of contents and saw there was a chapter on political ideologies; it turned out to be literally a three-page chapter that was horribly biased against communism.
It irked me quite a bit. I feel this is a major issue not only for the cause but for the education of the general population. The entire theme for the book give off the vibe of "If you're oppose capitalism then fuck you".

Any thoughts?
What did you seriously expect from American History Books and Civics books?:confused: In High School when I took Civics I was rather lucky as my teacher spent time going over various ideologies and was rather even handed though he used the typical line towards communism that it is a good idea on paper but people tended to ruin it in reality. You are talking about a nation that has been anti-Communist for around a century and you are surprised it still appears in American Texts? If you are going to educate the Masses it isn't going to be done in classrooms with Bourgeois historical works.

[La Comédie Noire]

Depending where you are you'll find your history teacher is often a lot more sympathetic to communism than the average text book.

God bless the interwebz all the same though.

[Zav]

It seems to be mis-education more-so than under-education. What did you expect? The authors already wiped out almost all trace of the Labor Movement, downplay racial and sexual violence (against women AND queers), 'disappear' public figures with Leftist tendencies (I'll eat my hat if your book mentions Paul Robeson, for example), gloss over events that make the current system look bad, glorify authority and reactionary ideologies, falsify statistics and/or display them misleadingly, and portray themselves as unbiased scholars all the while. We should put a dent in fossil fuel dependency by burning them. There are three history books in my old high school that have been entirely corrected by me (because the school district to my knowledge hasn't bought new books in forty years). Each one used about ten pens, for they were that erroneous.

[BE_]

Surprisingly, my text book is actually pretty good for an American one. It actually has a big focus on the labor movement and doesn't put it in a bad light at all. It even says it was pretty important for today's society.

Also, Marxism isn't right wing biased in the book. It has a good definition about it and doesn't say something like "Marxism is an evil anti-american ideology out there to destroy FREEDOM!" like I have seen in other school books before.

I would say the people that wrote my book where probably progressives/social democrats (which is crazy for an American school book) based on the other things written in my book.

[RedMarxist]

My History text book confuses Communism with Marxism-Leninism and refers to the Soviet Union as "Communist."

I think its less of them trying to brainwash you and more of the authors themselves not knowing anything about the subject, in this case Socialism and Communism.

Ever asked yourself why a few people with a PhD are more credible than anybody else. I know more about Communism then those quacks who wrote the textbook who most likely looked on Wikipedia to find the information. And I could most likely write it better then them.

As a Marxist-Leninist, I'm deeply offended by how they characterize "Communism" as a system wherein a authoritarian party resides over a single-party state. Um, Lenin's theories were not the reason that came about...its complicated. I wish I could tell those text book writers all I know about real Communism so they would not mess up.

[Art Vandelay]

My History text book confuses Communism with Marxism-Leninism and refers to the Soviet Union as "Communist."

I think its less of them trying to brainwash you and more of the authors themselves not knowing anything about the subject, in this case Socialism and Communism.

Ever asked yourself why a few people with a PhD are more credible than anybody else. I know more about Communism then those quacks who wrote the textbook who most likely looked on Wikipedia to find the information. And I could most likely write it better then them.

As a Marxist-Leninist, I'm deeply offended by how they characterize "Communism" as a system wherein a authoritarian party resides over a single-party state. Um, Lenin's theories were not the reason that came about...its complicated. I wish I could tell those text book writers all I know about real Communism so they would not mess up.

Sadly I do not think it would help...

[Jake14]

I would really expect nothing different, and my history teacher is a jackass.
I'm not really offended by any of it because that's pretty much the view of communism by most of the population, and it isn't just communism its radical political ideologies in general. It is just saddening to argue with my class mates who literally know nothing about the topic and yet they argue against it.

[Agent Equality]

My History text book confuses Communism with Marxism-Leninism and refers to the Soviet Union as "Communist."

I think its less of them trying to brainwash you and more of the authors themselves not knowing anything about the subject, in this case Socialism and Communism.

Ever asked yourself why a few people with a PhD are more credible than anybody else. I know more about Communism then those quacks who wrote the textbook who most likely looked on Wikipedia to find the information. And I could most likely write it better then them.

As a Marxist-Leninist, I'm deeply offended by how they characterize "Communism" as a system wherein a authoritarian party resides over a single-party state. Um, Lenin's theories were not the reason that came about...its complicated. I wish I could tell those text book writers all I know about real Communism so they would not mess up.

Well this is what historically happened with all marxist-leninist regimes so um....yeah... But you are correct, that is not communism in the slightest. Marxism-Leninism perhaps, but certainly not communism as advocated by marx and others

[o well this is ok I guess]

Dude I borrowed All of Kropotkin's and Proudhons's books off my grade 12 social teacher.

Fun guy. Gave us chocolate every week.

[communard71]

Whatever, the case is moot. People don't learn in history classrooms. They are there and listen to what they need for the test. Most history teachers are bumbling ignoramuses who don't know jack about history and got into it because they liked the Civil War as a kid and play COD now. Real education is always self education anyways, and the people need real teachers outside of school to become aware of any leftist movements.

[Column No.4]

The annoying part is the US is steeped in Socialism and Communism, yet theyve completely erased it from their history.

[bietan jarrai]

I wish I could tell those text book writers all I know about real Communism so they would not mess up.

they probably know that what they're writing is bullshit, however they probably don't decide what goes in the textbook. you know most students would never dare to question anything in their textbooks, so for the exploiters it is very important to control what they are learning.

[Jake14]

Whatever, the case is moot. People don't learn in history classrooms. They are there and listen to what they need for the test. Most history teachers are bumbling ignoramuses who don't know jack about history and got into it because they liked the Civil War as a kid and play COD now. Real education is always self education anyways, and the people need real teachers outside of school to become aware of any leftist movements.


Very true, from where i'm from history teachers get into to be coaches and they can loaf in the classroom.