School Textbooks: Indoctrination in the Making

One of the most pervasive influence on American society is the high school textbooks. Thanks to the
virtual monopoly of public education, publishers have the power to warp minds of young people. In
reality, textbooks have shape the ideas of young people.

First, history textbooks focus on names, dates and places rather than on the conflict of political and
economic interests. Second, literature textbooks create a censored version of our literary heritage.
Third, science textbooks present a detail based version of science that shies away from broader
concepts.(eg. How cells work, how matter and energy flow to one another, and how plants and animals
evolve)

The reason for this, is to sell many textbooks to as many schools as possible. The marketing key is
shiny cover with lots of color pictures and eye catching layout. Many textbook publisher will not
include content that is offensive to commerce as well as to religious institutions. Schools go to great
lengths to avoid buying books with dangerous ideas. In some states, agency created a list of approved
textbooks. This created a watchdogs for so-called 'community values'. Also this censorship prevents
students from critical thinking.

At the same time, there are powerful commercial interests who see an well-informed and critically
thinking citizen as a direct threat. These corporations would rather have people easily influenced to
accept whatever message by corporate controlled media. One of the biggest lies found in textbooks is
the idea of democracy. Thanks to Woodrow Wilson and his idiotic followers, he coined the term
'democracy' meaning the American way. This confusion made it easier for politicians to warp our way
in how government really works.

Promoting democracy worldwide is probably the greatest con game in history. We may claim to have a
government by the people for the people but in fact have legal representatives paid by corporate
lobbyists. History textbooks deceive us by claiming we live in a democracy. In reality, history
textbook convey a consensus view of history full of inaccuracies and misrepresentation. Majority of
people believed what history think it is. Overall, American history is a joke.

Helping students understand our cultural history presents a lot of dangerous ideas such as lower classes,
environmentalism and other subcultures. It gives alternatives the middle class view of what America
should be. Controlling the content of books is, in reality, more direct control over the masses.
Until we have a more balanced and open-minded approach to education, children should take our
history's lessons lightly.

Bibliography references

'Looking at history: a review of major US history textbooks' Davis, OL 1986

'Lies across America: what our historic sites get wrong' Loewen, James 1999
'History on trial: Culture wars and the teaching of the past' Nash, Gary B 1997