How High School History Courses Can Save America

How High School History Courses Can Save America

What percentage of American conservatives applauded Iraq and Vietnam just because "warfare is what American conservatives reflexively do." 

And what percentage of those conservative cheerleaders now look back with regret on those two random fits of decerebrate belligerence?

I would venture that at least a third of American conservatives fall in the category of "kneejerk cheerleaders" for any invasion pumped by Uncle Sam's war drums.

According to a 2015 NBC poll, 44% of Republicans already regret Iraq and I would LOVE to be "a fly on the inside of the cranium" of the other 56% to see exactly how their synapses are firing! http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/not-worth-it-huge-majority-regret-iraq-war-exclusive-poll-n139686

I feel certain that the percentage of dependably-belligerent conservatives who "look back" on recently-concluded warmaking and say "it just wasn't worth it" can be taught to see it wasn't worth it in the first place.

I suspect all necessary lessons can be imbued by high-quality secondary school courses in American History and World History - courses that would be requisite for high-school graduation.

By devising such an educational process, we could avoid the lion's share of "young buck folly," puerile eruptions of stupidity ultimately perped by old men who give head to young boys' testosterone surges. 

The Age-Old Normalization Of Warfare Through Stupidity, Ego And Religion

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-age-old-normalization-of-warfare.html

"Do War's Really Defend America's Freedom?"

(Homage Marine Commandant, Major General Smedley Butler)

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/11/do-wars-really-defend-americas-freedom.html

If nothing else, make every high school student write two decent essays; one on Major General Smedley Butler, the other on General William Westmoreland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Westmoreland

We could drastically enhance American civilization by requiring a two-year high school course in American history in which one year's textbook would be Howard Zinn's "A People's History Of The United States" while the other year would employ any right-of-center text written by a professor from one of America's top hundred colleges and universities. 

Better yet, devise a required three-year American history sequence with separate texts by Zinn, a right-winger and a middle-of-the-roader.

Pax tecum

Alan

"A People's History Of The United States" By Howard Zinn (Entire Text Freely Available Online)

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2016/08/history-of-united-states-by-howard-zinn.html