The Unvarnished Truth

[theoldwolf]

Cross-posted from my other blog, but deserves all the exposure it can get.

America is no longer the greatest country in the world.

Watch it if you have the stomach for things that people don't say often enough, and many refuse to hear.

NSFW for language, but nothing worse than you'd hear in an R-rated movie.

Comments

[lowen-kind.livejournal.com]

Well said.

I don't know if it was a planned speech, which I think it is, the comments hit home.

If it was truly a candid moment, then it is even more moving.

[marmoe.livejournal.com]

It's the opening scene of the new HBO series "The Newsroom". A bit unrealistic in that everyone else stayed silent, but powerful.

[marmoe.livejournal.com]

From outside the US it's devastating to see how partisan the country seems to have become, how ignorant large parts of the population are about important issues like climate change or foreign policy. Meanwhile Republicans in Texas try to change how the next generation will view the world. Veterans Day is more important that Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they tried to relabel slave trade as "Atlantic triangular trade", Capitalism becomes "free enterprise", only the upsides of which must be taught, and the US is and always has been a Christian Nation, as intended by the Founding Fathers. Oh, and Creationism is Science, of course! I wish you the best, but it's heartbreaking to watch.

[dhlawrence.livejournal.com]

To be fair, triangle trade is the new term beyond the US. It's being taught here as well because it wasn't just slaves being traded; they're showing the wherefores and whys, not just the "slaves moved to America because" story. Works out about the same but now they're showing that non-slave and former slave countries were in on it too.

[marmoe.livejournal.com]

Part of the slave trade was triangle trade, if they were able to get cargo other than ballast. Slave ships were not set up to easily carry cargo. However in this case they tried to excise the word "slave trade" entirely. Several of the changes have a strong 1984 newspeak stench to them.

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

Veterans Day is more important. It honors millions of people who worked hard to defend their nation. MLK was just one man, and exactly how much success of the civil rights movement we owe to him is in question.

"Free enterprise" I learned in a high school economics class in 1999. It is not synonymous with capitalism, but it is a defining attribute.

While I don't agree with all the slants among those Texan Republicans, I consider it their right to teach what they believe.

[marmoe.livejournal.com]

MLK was just one man, and exactly how much success of the civil rights movement we owe to him is in question.
It is? Over here he is THE icon of the civil rights movement.

It is not synonymous with capitalism.
From now on, it is to future generations of Americans. The word "capitalism" will be excised from Texas schoolbooks and hence for larger parts of the US. Also note, that the instructions are to teach the advantages of free enterprise. The drawbacks are not part of the curriculum. Don't confuse those poor little students.

I consider it their right to teach what they believe.
Is it their right to tell liberals what to teach, as well? Because that is what they are effectivly doing. Hey, we are the majority, now we will teach your children our worldview.

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

OK, I agree that their reduced coverage of capitalism is inadequate to the point of borderline propaganda. But for your last question, put yourself in their shoes: They think liberals have been telling them what to teach for generations.

[marmoe.livejournal.com]

I could be wrong, but AFAIK Texas has been conservative since at least the 60s. That would imply, that SBOE was conservative leaning all the last decades. I know that Evolution/Creationism has always been contentious in the US, but something seems to have strongly changed in the SBOE in recent years. Not only do scholars protest them about evolution, but also about changes to the social science curriculum. What I failed to mention, they downplay the need for the seperation of church and state, I think that one is a fundamental part of the US constitution.

BTW, do you think liberals have indoctrinated US children in the past the way the conservatives are trying to do it now?

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

I reserve judgment on that.

[marmoe.livejournal.com]

No problem. Thanks for the exchange. :)

[dhlawrence.livejournal.com]

I think it was Lewis Black who said it best; Americans complain about all the immigrants (legal or otherwise), ask where they're coming from, then shout at the top of their lungs "We're the greatest country in the world!"

Being the global superpower just means you're the next empire to be toppled by someone you may or may not like. Middle power status is much more profitable in a global economy. We'll teach you the secret knock.

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

He doesn't say what is the greatest country today. I think it's impressive that we rank so highly in so many categories, and I'd like to know which is better overall. Besides, despite his claim that we lead in just three categories all negative, we're still #1 in cultural influences like movies and music. I see that every time I leave the country.

[thefoxaroo.livejournal.com]

Aussies need to pay attention to this speech. There have been claims that Australia is "The Greatest Country in the world", "The lucky country" and (one I always hated) "The smart country."

The hurtful truth is that Australia never reached any such pinacle of greatness. It *had* the potential to go in that direction, but is instead sliding backwards at an alarming rate. Manufacturing has declined here to be almost a negligible contribution to our economy, infrastructure is crumbling, housing is unaffordable, the cost of living is soaring, job security is an oxymoron here and if China decides to cease buying ore then this nation will vanish into the pits that were dug to extract our precious mineral wealth.

I don't hear very many Aussies saying "She'll be right" any more. Maybe *that's* progress.