Thanks! I am a big Gore Vidal fan and he had it right. The standards issue is infuriating and depressing at the same time. And now with this cleansing of history…
Even when I disagreed with this or that Gore Vidal position\issue, by the end of any talk, special event (some of which I volunteered at Pacifica Foundation Radio Stations to present and then use via audio recordings even of the audience Q&A, always juicy to raise funds for non-profit non-corporate-captured Public Radio) or essay in his books I'd leave and for weeks after have a huge shit-eating grin and a genuine appreciation for surrealism and the place of Absurdity in our national po-li-tics....There was also more than a titch of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters in Vidal even if his magic mushrooms may have come in a cocktail or wine glass...
In my post, I refer to America the Stupid, which this article explains how and why. It is mind-blowing to know how few schools, kids, teachers, and their parents have no idea who and what America is and what it stands for. From the age of 8, which was our third grade in Boston Public Schools, we learned about the Civil War, the Constitution, and we had to learn the Preamble and recite it to our classmates. We learned in other classes later on about the World Wars. I am saddened to learn that less and less of our history is being taught with a real sense of truth. Sadly, I am stuck in FL, and what they have done to the curriculum of US History is depressing. How do we fight back? How do we get the truth out? How do we remove Trump?
My grandson came to me talking about how hitlers economics helped Germany. I asked him if they discussed the holocaust. He said “no” they were just talking about the economy. I think my head blew up with my mouth. And yes this was his first year to vote and 47 was his only option with his indoctrination. My graduation present to him was a copy of the constitution and a school book “government 101” If I had any power I would change our education system (not by getting rid of the department of Education) maybe just simply mandating the truth
Good on you. More of us need to give out copies of The Constitution and the book Government 101. We should start a movement to educate America. I have been call it America the Stupid, but now I am finding out why.
Gore Vidal’s quote keeps coming up for us in the past months: “we are the United States of amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing”. We’ve also been railing against stripping out of content and standards since our kids (now in the their mid 30’s) were in school.
Mark, you mention the Holocaust. As a slightly unrelated fact, but connected to your overarching thesis, all Jews know about the Holocaust. But they talk about the "six million." Either they don't know or don't care that the Nazis killed 12M people in concentration camps. Half of them were not Jews, so the Jews have in a sense sanitized what they think they know about the Holocaust. And they don't read Niemoller's famous poem.
It is indeed shocking that all Americans know there is a Constitution, but increasing numbers of them either don't know, don't care, or dismiss what the very First Amendment to that Constitution says. It's not subtle, and it's not abstruse. Unfortunately, we have confused the matter by agreeing to the "In 'god' we Trust" language on money, and agreeing to let Eisenhower include "under 'god'" in the Pledge of Allegiance. There were most certainly atheists among the Founding Fathers. It seems to me that Jefferson was one of them.
You make, as usual, excellent points. Many others died in the Holocaust. Hitler has contempt for a wide swath of people, but his obsession was with Jewish people.
Yes, he had a relative fixation on Jews, and they were certainly over-represented among his victims. But still, only half of his victims were Jews. You would be hard-pressed today to find a Jewish person who either knows that or thinks it's worth mentioning.
Here's one of the complications of this skewed view. I have a friend who is Israeli-American. He thinks the Palestinians deserve whatever the Israelis and Americans mete out to them, because Hamas attacked Israel on 10/7/23 (he will not consider what was bothering them enough to lead them to do that), and they can have no complaint. On the other hand, he approves of Israel, and the US, punishing Iran for attacking Israel a couple of days ago. He was grudging in his admission that it was Israel that attacked first. So Israel is always right, whether he thinks someone first attacked them, or they first attacked someone else.
And to your point about Donnie, my friend says Biden "didn't get it," and Donnie does get it. I have pointed out that Biden was incessant in talking about, and providing, "ironclad support" to Israel (and accepted AIPAC money), and the "what do you think Biden didn't get" question goes unanswered. He also says he voted for Harris, but he now regrets his vote. Why? Harris isn't in any office. She hasn't done anything to disappoint him. She said repeatedly and publicly that she wouldn't do anything different from Biden. I think it's all the Donnie mystique. Which I totally fail to understand, because Donnie is a blatant clown, an inveterate liar, and openly cares about nothing but himself.
I've been calling this time The Age of Stupidity for at least five years, but this piece makes the case with more eloquence. I think this would make an excellent podcast, Mark. One of the most important elements of building a mass social movement is education, and that means understanding the past as well as the present. Let's all strive to share the hell out of this post.
What you write about the USA is especially frightening for me in England as what is happening here is worse. At least Trump wants 'to make America Great Again' (whatever that really means). Our 'leaders' despise us - as evidenced by their resistance to Casey's audit - they enjoy prostituting the defenceless...
Thanks! I am a big Gore Vidal fan and he had it right. The standards issue is infuriating and depressing at the same time. And now with this cleansing of history…
This is a must-see Mitch.
Even when I disagreed with this or that Gore Vidal position\issue, by the end of any talk, special event (some of which I volunteered at Pacifica Foundation Radio Stations to present and then use via audio recordings even of the audience Q&A, always juicy to raise funds for non-profit non-corporate-captured Public Radio) or essay in his books I'd leave and for weeks after have a huge shit-eating grin and a genuine appreciation for surrealism and the place of Absurdity in our national po-li-tics....There was also more than a titch of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters in Vidal even if his magic mushrooms may have come in a cocktail or wine glass...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_LIoeyGgj0
Gore Vidal on We The People Hosted by (Governor & Pacifica Radio Interview show co-producer and host Jerry Brown (1996)
A Gore Vidal Archive
2.93K subscribers
170 views Sep 30, 2022
Broadcast originally from Pacifica Radio, We The People, 1996
Tio Mitchito
Mitch Ritter\Paradigm Sifters, Code Shifters, PsalmSong Chasers
Lay-Low Studio, Ore-Wa (Refuge of A-Tone-ment Seekers)
Media Discussion List\Looksee
It’s coming as a podcast!
In my post, I refer to America the Stupid, which this article explains how and why. It is mind-blowing to know how few schools, kids, teachers, and their parents have no idea who and what America is and what it stands for. From the age of 8, which was our third grade in Boston Public Schools, we learned about the Civil War, the Constitution, and we had to learn the Preamble and recite it to our classmates. We learned in other classes later on about the World Wars. I am saddened to learn that less and less of our history is being taught with a real sense of truth. Sadly, I am stuck in FL, and what they have done to the curriculum of US History is depressing. How do we fight back? How do we get the truth out? How do we remove Trump?
My grandson came to me talking about how hitlers economics helped Germany. I asked him if they discussed the holocaust. He said “no” they were just talking about the economy. I think my head blew up with my mouth. And yes this was his first year to vote and 47 was his only option with his indoctrination. My graduation present to him was a copy of the constitution and a school book “government 101” If I had any power I would change our education system (not by getting rid of the department of Education) maybe just simply mandating the truth
Good on you. More of us need to give out copies of The Constitution and the book Government 101. We should start a movement to educate America. I have been call it America the Stupid, but now I am finding out why.
Great piece, Mark.
Keep writing! We appreciate your work.
Gore Vidal’s quote keeps coming up for us in the past months: “we are the United States of amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing”. We’ve also been railing against stripping out of content and standards since our kids (now in the their mid 30’s) were in school.
Hard to top Vidal on this topic.
Mark, you mention the Holocaust. As a slightly unrelated fact, but connected to your overarching thesis, all Jews know about the Holocaust. But they talk about the "six million." Either they don't know or don't care that the Nazis killed 12M people in concentration camps. Half of them were not Jews, so the Jews have in a sense sanitized what they think they know about the Holocaust. And they don't read Niemoller's famous poem.
It is indeed shocking that all Americans know there is a Constitution, but increasing numbers of them either don't know, don't care, or dismiss what the very First Amendment to that Constitution says. It's not subtle, and it's not abstruse. Unfortunately, we have confused the matter by agreeing to the "In 'god' we Trust" language on money, and agreeing to let Eisenhower include "under 'god'" in the Pledge of Allegiance. There were most certainly atheists among the Founding Fathers. It seems to me that Jefferson was one of them.
You make, as usual, excellent points. Many others died in the Holocaust. Hitler has contempt for a wide swath of people, but his obsession was with Jewish people.
Yes, he had a relative fixation on Jews, and they were certainly over-represented among his victims. But still, only half of his victims were Jews. You would be hard-pressed today to find a Jewish person who either knows that or thinks it's worth mentioning.
Here's one of the complications of this skewed view. I have a friend who is Israeli-American. He thinks the Palestinians deserve whatever the Israelis and Americans mete out to them, because Hamas attacked Israel on 10/7/23 (he will not consider what was bothering them enough to lead them to do that), and they can have no complaint. On the other hand, he approves of Israel, and the US, punishing Iran for attacking Israel a couple of days ago. He was grudging in his admission that it was Israel that attacked first. So Israel is always right, whether he thinks someone first attacked them, or they first attacked someone else.
And to your point about Donnie, my friend says Biden "didn't get it," and Donnie does get it. I have pointed out that Biden was incessant in talking about, and providing, "ironclad support" to Israel (and accepted AIPAC money), and the "what do you think Biden didn't get" question goes unanswered. He also says he voted for Harris, but he now regrets his vote. Why? Harris isn't in any office. She hasn't done anything to disappoint him. She said repeatedly and publicly that she wouldn't do anything different from Biden. I think it's all the Donnie mystique. Which I totally fail to understand, because Donnie is a blatant clown, an inveterate liar, and openly cares about nothing but himself.
I've been calling this time The Age of Stupidity for at least five years, but this piece makes the case with more eloquence. I think this would make an excellent podcast, Mark. One of the most important elements of building a mass social movement is education, and that means understanding the past as well as the present. Let's all strive to share the hell out of this post.
Absolutely
What you write about the USA is especially frightening for me in England as what is happening here is worse. At least Trump wants 'to make America Great Again' (whatever that really means). Our 'leaders' despise us - as evidenced by their resistance to Casey's audit - they enjoy prostituting the defenceless...
A depressing state of affairs.