New Chinese Carrier

[Legbreaker]

And while this is all going on, it seems that everyone has forgotten a certain terrorist organization....anybody truly believe that with the death of OBL, that they aren't making plans for a little payback

While not for a moment diminishing the impact the actions of that particular organisation has had, effectively they've done nearly nothing compared to say just one year during the cold war.

I'm certainly NOT saying they don't need dealing with once and for all, but realistically, they're a relatively minor player in the grand scheme. It seems from this side of the world they just got lucky with the world trade centre, etc - virtually nobody had heard of them before, and they don't appear to have done very much since.

*dons flame retardant suit*

[Webstral]

Perhaps the best way to look at the future is to see a multipolar world much like the pre-WW2 world. The US, EC, CIS, PRC, and India all will be major players on the world stage going into the future. I, for one, look forward to a multipolar world. We Americans might learn to keep our best qualities while altering some of the ones that keep tripping us up.

[mikeo80]

Perhaps the best way to look at the future is to see a multipolar world much like the pre-WW2 world. The US, EC, CIS, PRC, and India all will be major players on the world stage going into the future. I, for one, look forward to a multipolar world. We Americans might learn to keep our best qualities while altering some of the ones that keep tripping us up.

That would be an admirable future. But only if Americans can learn from history.....

Oh, wait....

History is an ELECTIVE in some school systems. And the versions of history now taught can be very (COUGH COUGH) enlitening.

Case in point, I remember about 20 years ago, my youngest step daughter asked me the question....

"Who won the Second World War"

And She WAS SERIOUS!!!!!!!

My $0.02

Mike

[Panther Al]

That would be an admirable future. But only if Americans can learn from history.....

Oh, wait....

History is an ELECTIVE in some school systems. And the versions of history now taught can be very (COUGH COUGH) enlitening.

Case in point, I remember about 20 years ago, my youngest step daughter asked me the question....

"Who won the Second World War"

And She WAS SERIOUS!!!!!!!

My $0.02

Mike

Heh. When I was a recruiter I did a lot of high school visits. While in one of the local "good" schools, I overheard two students talking about a class they had, in which they learned that we ended WW2 by nuking the North Korean capital. I stopped, and asked, where did you learn this They gave me a 3 year old text book that said in it - amongst other things - that is how it happened. Brought it up to the principle, and he looked blank. Even the history teacher there was certain of it, after all, it was published. Of course, thankfully, the assistant principle blew her top, and had the book replaced. But they was teaching this for 3 years and *no one* noticed.

Sheesh.

[Fusilier]

They gave me a 3 year old text book that said in it - amongst other things - that is how it happened.

What

What school district was this

[Raellus]

Heh. When I was a recruiter I did a lot of high school visits. While in one of the local "good" schools, I overheard two students talking about a class they had, in which they learned that we ended WW2 by nuking the North Korean capital. I stopped, and asked, where did you learn this They gave me a 3 year old text book that said in it - amongst other things - that is how it happened. Brought it up to the principle, and he looked blank. Even the history teacher there was certain of it, after all, it was published. Of course, thankfully, the assistant principle blew her top, and had the book replaced. But they was teaching this for 3 years and *no one* noticed.

Sheesh.

I'm a high school history teacher and this is hard to believe. I can see students being confused and mixing up a couple of events, but an error that egregious in a textbook and a teacher who didn't know any better

Was this a private school or some kind of alternative or charter school

[Panther Al]

I'm a high school history teacher and this is hard to believe. I can see students being confused and mixing up a couple of events, but an error that egregious in a textbook and a teacher who didn't know any better

Was this a private school or some kind of alternative or charter school

What

What school district was this

A public High School in NW Ohio. To be.. for the lack of a better word.. fair, this teacher felt also that teaching the history of war mongering periods to be counterproductive, and instead focused on the more uplifting social miracles that lift humanity over its barbarous past... etc etc etc.

[95th Rifleman]

There is a similar school of thought in British education.

We are slowly but surely airbrushing our our more militant past in favour of a fluffy bunny focus.

I wonder if the british governemnt would of been so keen to go into Afghanistan if the previous two wars he have fought there would of been more prominent in the classroom over the past few decades.

[Fusilier]

This thread requires a reaction pic.

[Panther Al]

Back on subject:


The US made another statement about the whole Chinese Carrier issue: For the second time, The USS George Washington escorted by the USS John McCain, made a port visit to Danang, where they took aboard a passel of high ranking military and governmental visitors. A little trash talking ensued: Basically saying that the US has been doing carriers for a hundred years, ours is bigger, and we got 11 of them.

But the most interesting bit to me, is this is the *second* visit.

[Mohoender]

That would be an admirable future. But only if Americans can learn from history.....

Oh, wait....

History is an ELECTIVE in some school systems. And the versions of history now taught can be very (COUGH COUGH) enlitening.

Case in point, I remember about 20 years ago, my youngest step daughter asked me the question....

"Who won the Second World War"

And She WAS SERIOUS!!!!!!!

My $0.02

Mike

Don't be that mean about your own school system. Of course, you know that the French school system has been superior by far and for years. Here is an exemple of it:

A few years ago as I was a staff assistant in one of the good Paris school (pre-college level) I had a great conversation with an entire class about Nazi Germany. The kids had just done a terrific argumentation on how bad Nazi thesis were and I was impressed (truly). Obviously, I started to talk about Adolf Hitler and realized that the entire class was looking at me, puzzled. The least shy of them, then, asked whom I was talking about.

They were perfect at describing how bad nazis were, they simply didn't know who Adolf Hitler was.

[pmulcahy11b]

That reminds me of something from about fifteen years past. My brother Mark and I were having a merry discussion about Tet and I insisted it was a military victory for the US and South Vietnamese, but a political defeat for us.

My nephew, James, was confused. He told us he had no idea where Vietnam was, or what happened there.

I imagine he knows better now, since he's been in the Army for about 4 years and had a couple of tours in Afghanistan now.

[mikeo80]

Don't be that mean about your own school system. Of course, you know that the French school system has been superior by far and for years. Here is an exemple of it:

A few years ago as I was a staff assistant in one of the good Paris school (pre-college level) I had a great conversation with an entire class about Nazi Germany. The kids had just done a terrific argumentation on how bad Nazi thesis were and I was impressed (truly). Obviously, I started to talk about Adolf Hitler and realized that the entire class was looking at me, puzzled. The least shy of them, then, asked whom I was talking about.

They were perfect at describing how bad nazis were, they simply didn't know who Adolf Hitler was.

I get what you are saying.

But my step-daughter knew the US was in WWII. But who else What sides Nada. Needless to say, a quick and accurate history "refresher" was administered.

My $0.02

Mike

[Mohoender]

At least she was lucky enough ta have you around Mike.

[Mohoender]

My nephew, James, was confused. He told us he had no idea where Vietnam was, or what happened there.

You should have been proud. US spent almost as much time to forget about the Vietnam War than we did about the Algerian War. The only reason we know where Algeria is comes from the number of french citizen of Algerian descent.