Rick Santorum uncovers another liberal conspiracy.

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/santorum-blames-liberal-plot-for-students-bad-history-scores-video.php

Another day, another entry for Rick Santorum's list of liberal conspiracies.

This time Santorum is arguing that the reason so few U.S. students perform well in U.S. history is because of "a conscious effort on the part of the left who has a huge influence on our curriculum, to desensitize America to what American values are so they're more pliable to the new values that they would like to impose on America."

Santorum was speaking to the Story County GOP Central Committee in Iowa, and referenced a report that found that only 13% of high school seniors nationally are proficient in history. Only 22% of fourth-grade students and 18% of eighth-graders were proficient.

"How can we be a free people?" Santorum asked. "How can we be a people that fight for America if we don't know who America is or what we're all about?"

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

This time Santorum is arguing that the reason so few U.S. students perform well in U.S. history is because of "a conscious effort on the part of the left who has a huge influence on our curriculum, to desensitize America to what American values are so they're more pliable to the new values that they would like to impose on America."

He's using a lot of difficult words. Voters may feel he's patronizing them.

[Franzl]

In reality, the right-wing has more than proportional influence on education in America. (Pretty insulting to refer to it as right-wing.....but it's true, especially in places like Texas)

[Meeker]

I agree with Rick (never thought I'd say those words) that history isn't being placed at high enough importance. I don't think it's a leftwing conspiracy though. I think standardized testing has placed math, science and language skills at the highest value and so that's what schools spend most of their time focusing on.

[pbrower2a]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/santorum-blames-liberal-plot-for-students-bad-history-scores-video.php

Another day, another entry for Rick Santorum's list of liberal conspiracies.

This time Santorum is arguing that the reason so few U.S. students perform well in U.S. history is because of "a conscious effort on the part of the left who has a huge influence on our curriculum, to desensitize America to what American values are so they're more pliable to the new values that they would like to impose on America."

Santorum was speaking to the Story County GOP Central Committee in Iowa, and referenced a report that found that only 13% of high school seniors nationally are proficient in history. Only 22% of fourth-grade students and 18% of eighth-graders were proficient.

"How can we be a free people?" Santorum asked. "How can we be a people that fight for America if we don't know who America is or what we're all about?"

He remains a hoot. History isn't an opportunity to cherry-pick American history for the service of some American political agenda. Witch hunts, Indian "removal",  slavery, the KKK, labor-management violence, organized crime, some interventions in Latin America,  hysterical responses to 'security risks' with the risks (anarchism, Japanese-Americans, Communists, and Islam) usually proving slighter than the destruction of liberty, male supremacy, and political corruption of all times, are causes for shame.  The best in American history has been how we dealt with real dangers.

As a liberal I find America much less special than it used to be -- largely because other countries have caught up with us, To be sure, that is in part our achievement. It's a good thing that instead of setting up puppets  in Germany, Italy, and Japan who would then help us bleed those countries for American corporate gain we set up stable political systems capable of independence -- and economic achievements not always to the benefit of American corporations. It is a good thing that our model of political pluralism became a reality elsewhere. That is a testament to our virtues and not to our fall.

It's democracy -- and not some specific religious view, and not the powerful corporations and special-interest groups --  that has made America good. People can differ on many issues of theology, but in general people are obliged to look  for what is good for people not always themselves. Example: the Civil Rights struggle succeeded because white people decided that subjection of black people was not only wrong for blacks but also of no value to themselves.

Rick Santorum fails to recognize the role of liberalism in deciding what is good and right -- and creating progress. Abolition of slavery, emancipation of children from child labor, bans on fraudulently-marketed nostrums, gender equity, workers' rights, anti-fascism, the rights of the handicapped, civil rights for minorities, and now gay rights have all begun as parts of a liberal agenda of the time.

  

[Holmes]

Can you imagine him spewing this BS in a general election debate? What a loser.

[The Mikado]

Eh.  Everyone feels their big educational topic isn't taught enough.  You can't go anywhere without hearing "American children don't know science!" "American children can't do algebra anymore!" "American children think that Huckleberry Finn is a type of pie!" "American children don't know what year the War of 1812 started!" etc.  There's a lot of exaggeration and panic, and, frankly, I don't necessarily think that people not knowing things they don't actively want to learn is the worst thing in the world.

To me, a far bigger problem than the uninformed are the ill-informed that think they're well-informed.  Socrates himself argued that it's far better to know nothing than to "know" something that isn't true.

[Keystone Phil]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

[Franzl]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

All press is good for your man then?

[Landslide Lyndon]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

Charlie Sheen got plenty of coverage this year too, so there you go.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

All press is good for your man then?

Well you can only up from Rock Bottom. At best it helps him with the crazy vote, at worst he falls from 2-3% support to 1-0% support

[Keystone Phil]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

Charlie Sheen got plenty of coverage this year too, so there you go.

And Greece. Fair point.

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

All press is good for your man then?

Well you can only up from Rock Bottom. At best it helps him with the crazy vote, at worst he falls from 2-3% support to 1-0% support

Two recent polls show up up from 2%. One has him at 6% and another has him at 11% (and in third or fourth place, no less). Curiously, the latter wasn't posted anywhere on this board. I guess Dick Morris' surveys in his living room are worthy of more attention.

[Landslide Lyndon]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

Charlie Sheen got plenty of coverage this year too, so there you go.

And Greece. Fair point.

Is that supposed to pique me? Obviously you don't read the International board.

[Keystone Phil]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

Charlie Sheen got plenty of coverage this year too, so there you go.

And Greece. Fair point.

Is that supposed to pique me? Obviously you don't read the International board.

Me? Try to throw cheap jabs like that? Obviously you don't read my posts.

[Landslide Lyndon]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

Charlie Sheen got plenty of coverage this year too, so there you go.

And Greece. Fair point.

Is that supposed to pique me? Obviously you don't read the International board.

Me? Try to throw cheap jabs like that? Obviously you don't read my posts.

Good thing you clarified it. Otherwise I might have misunderstood you.

[DrScholl]

Paging the psychiatric ward, urgent.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

More coverage for the supposedly irrelevant candidate!

All press is good for your man then?

Santorum have a publicity, but mostly negative or just simply ridiculing him.

[angus]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/santorum-blames-liberal-plot-for-students-bad-history-scores-video.php

Another day, another entry for Rick Santorum's list of liberal conspiracies.

This time Santorum is arguing that the reason so few U.S. students perform well in U.S. history is because of "a conscious effort on the part of the left who has a huge influence on our curriculum, to desensitize America to what American values are so they're more pliable to the new values that they would like to impose on America."

Santorum was speaking to the Story County GOP Central Committee in Iowa, and referenced a report that found that only 13% of high school seniors nationally are proficient in history. Only 22% of fourth-grade students and 18% of eighth-graders were proficient.

"How can we be a free people?" Santorum asked. "How can we be a people that fight for America if we don't know who America is or what we're all about?"

He may be on to something.  There was a time when tests had a correct answer.  Now we're all touchy-feely and politically correct.  You can bet your ass that Koreans don't get hung up on political correctness.  That's why they outperform us whitekids on just about every test.

They used to ask, "If John wants to run 200 yards of fence, and he wants a fencepost every 10 yards, how many fence posts does he need?'  And the choices might be, like, A. 200  B.  20  C.  21  D.  210

Now, they they ask, "If Sanjay Upanishashad wants to run 200 meters of fence, and he or she wants a fencepost every 10 meters, how many fence posts does he or she need?"  Already it is unnecessarily wordy, what with the gratuitious subordinate clause "or she."  Then, they add insult to injury by giving "E.  19" as a choice, recognizing that Sanjay may have worked on a farm back in Uttar Pradesh and he (or she!) will know that a "Fence post" is not the same as a "corner post" and therefore, we should accept 19 as well as 21 as the correct answer.

I'm not a big fan of Rick Santorum, but in this case I think he might be exactly right:  political correctness is ameliorating our grading system.  In newspeak, and for you under-21 crowd, it is "dumbing down" our curriculum.

[Yelnoc]

I'm not a big fan of Rick Santorum, but in this case I think he might be exactly right:  political correctness is ameliorating our grading system.  In newspeak, and for you under-21 crowd, it is "dumbing down" our curriculum.

I'm so glad you're willing to clarify things...

[porker]

He may be on to something.  There was a time when tests had a correct answer.  Now we're all touchy-feely and politically correct.  You can bet your ass that Koreans don't get hung up on political correctness.  That's why they outperform us whitekids on just about every test.

They used to ask, "If John wants to run 200 yards of fence, and he wants a fencepost every 10 yards, how many fence posts does he need?'  And the choices might be, like, A. 200  B.  20  C.  21  D.  210

Now, they they ask, "If Sanjay Upanishashad wants to run 200 meters of fence, and he or she wants a fencepost every 10 meters, how many fence posts does he or she need?"  Already it is unnecessarily wordy, what with the gratuitious subordinate clause "or she."  Then, they add insult to injury by giving "E.  19" as a choice, recognizing that Sanjay may have worked on a farm back in Uttar Pradesh and he (or she!) will know that a "Fence post" is not the same as a "corner post" and therefore, we should accept 19 as well as 21 as the correct answer.

I'm not a big fan of Rick Santorum, but in this case I think he might be exactly right:  political correctness is ameliorating our grading system.  In newspeak, and for you under-21 crowd, it is "dumbing down" our curriculum.

Conservatives criticize "political correctness" because they can't get away with overt racism or sexism anymore. If you really believe political correctness is "dumbing down" our curriculum, try giving a better example than "adding 'or she' is gratuitous." Without evidence you're just regurgitating the same conservative, anti-progress talking points adjusted for a mainstream audience.

[angus]

He may be on to something.  There was a time when tests had a correct answer.  Now we're all touchy-feely and politically correct.  You can bet your ass that Koreans don't get hung up on political correctness.  That's why they outperform us whitekids on just about every test.

They used to ask, "If John wants to run 200 yards of fence, and he wants a fencepost every 10 yards, how many fence posts does he need?'  And the choices might be, like, A. 200  B.  20  C.  21  D.  210

Now, they they ask, "If Sanjay Upanishashad wants to run 200 meters of fence, and he or she wants a fencepost every 10 meters, how many fence posts does he or she need?"  Already it is unnecessarily wordy, what with the gratuitious subordinate clause "or she."  Then, they add insult to injury by giving "E.  19" as a choice, recognizing that Sanjay may have worked on a farm back in Uttar Pradesh and he (or she!) will know that a "Fence post" is not the same as a "corner post" and therefore, we should accept 19 as well as 21 as the correct answer.

I'm not a big fan of Rick Santorum, but in this case I think he might be exactly right:  political correctness is ameliorating our grading system.  In newspeak, and for you under-21 crowd, it is "dumbing down" our curriculum.

Conservatives criticize "political correctness" because they can't get away with overt racism or sexism anymore. If you really believe political correctness is "dumbing down" our curriculum, try giving a better example than "adding 'or she' is gratuitous." Without evidence you're just regurgitating the same conservative, anti-progress talking points adjusted for a mainstream audience.

Yeah, that's me.  I hate ns, chinks, gooks, wetbacks.  Pretty much everybody.

I admit it.  I'm a complete bigot and don't like anyone who isn't a white anglo saxon protestant, and since I'm not a white anglo saxon protestant I hate mself as well, and anytime I say anything negative about the government's policy, it's because I'm a full of self-loathing which I project on all humanity.  Moreover, since I'm a knuckle-dragging neanderthal and I"m not smart enough to recognize I need psychiatric help, I just go on hating and bashing the government for its policies which favor everyone else but me.

Thanks for pointing that out.  I'm so glad everyone isn't a Republican, because surely the world would be such a mess if everyone were as stupid and narrow-minded and uninformed as myself and my fellow Republicans.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

It was conservatives that championed civil rights (Coolidge for Native Americans, JFK in a lot of ways for African Americans) Liberals like Wallace and LBJ were racists. Need I also remind you that Goldwater was pro-civil rights but felt that the issue should be handled at the state level. It was a conservative (Susan B. Anthony) who led the charge for women to get the righ to vote.

[porker]

Yeah, that's me.  I hate ns, chinks, gooks, wetbacks.  Pretty much everybody.

I admit it.  I'm a complete bigot and don't like anyone who isn't a white anglo saxon protestant, and since I'm not a white anglo saxon protestant I hate mself as well, and anytime I say anything negative about the government's policy, it's because I'm a full of self-loathing which I project on all humanity.  Moreover, since I'm a knuckle-dragging neanderthal and I"m not smart enough to recognize I need psychiatric help, I just go on hating and bashing the government for its policies which favor everyone else but me.

Thanks for pointing that out.  I'm so glad everyone isn't a Republican, because surely the world would be such a mess if everyone were as stupid and narrow-minded and uninformed as myself and my fellow Republicans.

Yeah, that's me.  I hate ns, chinks, gooks, wetbacks.  Pretty much everybody.

I admit it.  I'm a complete bigot and don't like anyone who isn't a white anglo saxon protestant, and since I'm not a white anglo saxon protestant I hate mself as well, and anytime I say anything negative about the government's policy, it's because I'm a full of self-loathing which I project on all humanity.  Moreover, since I'm a knuckle-dragging neanderthal and I"m not smart enough to recognize I need psychiatric help, I just go on hating and bashing the government for its policies which favor everyone else but me.

Thanks for pointing that out.  I'm so glad everyone isn't a Republican, because surely the world would be such a mess if everyone were as stupid and narrow-minded and uninformed as myself and my fellow Republicans.

Your sarcasm is noted.

Most republicans aren't bigots - or at least don't think of themselves as bigots. But help me reconcile this: Conservatives, time and time again, support policies that marginalize immigrants, gays, muslims, blacks, Native Americans, the poor, and the disabled. Rick Santorum, a Christian ex-senator and presidential candidate, compared homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality yet *insists* he is not a bigot. You can pretend America is a magical place where everyone loves each other. Or you can take a look at the people running for PRESIDENT to realize we're far, far away from a truly free society. And I think that in itself warrants a hard look at our public school curriculum. If you think removing sexist undertones in the English language is primarily responsible for the "dumbing down" of our students, you should probably get your head checked...

[angus]

Oh, I had a good long rant prepared, but I see you posted...

Ah, I've invested so much of my anger into my diatribe that I'm almost sober, so I'll have to start drinking again.  Rather than waste all that effort, I'll post it anyway and get back to you later with regards to your recent post.



Evidence?  I just gave it to you.  I have prepared tests.  I have sat on many committees which fretted over this asinine sort of PC garbage!  I have seen the tests evolve over the 22 years I have been employed in higher education.

Oh, you twit.  You pulled my chain, you did.  I should quit while I'm ahead, but your superficial and predictable post--No, I have no idea who you are.  Don't recognize your username, but D-TX speaks volumes.  You surely must be a frustrated young punk.  And while I recognize that, I cannot let such insolence and ingorance pass for wisdom.

Yes, Rick Santorum says all sorts of strange things.  So that implies that everything he says is misguided.  Right? 

Wrong.  This is an example of inductive reasoning.  The schools simply don't teach critical thinking anymore.  This has been documented and lamented for some time.  Don't believe me?  Fine.  Find yourself another PhD and ask him.  (Or her!  Yes, I know plenty of well-educated women.  In fact, my dissertation advisor was a female, and I respect her very much.  So is my wife, also a PhD, also a university professor, and also a non-WASP.  And I respect her very much as well.  And she agrees with me.  Moreover, she was educated outside the USA and is able to look at our political correctness rather more objectively than I and has drawn many of the same conclusions.)   As a matter of fact, I have worked as a high school teacher--in Texas, of all places--after obtaining my BS in mathematics and before going on to graduate school.  Moreover, I am a huge supporter of public schools.  I know that sometimes it puts me at odds with other Republicans and LIbertarians on this forum and elsewhere, but in fact I have always maintained a very Confucian philosophy with regard to the education of our children, and I do not complain about taxes, no matter how high, when those taxes are used for our schools.

So someone who doesn't even live in the United States posts, "Rick Santorum..."  and all the sudden everyone jumps on his bandwagon.  Doesn't matter what the elipses represent.  If Rick Santorum said it, it must be weird an bigoted, or at best uninformed and radical.  But he's dead reight here.  We are failing our children.  And our Republic will crumble if we can't even speak openly about our problems without resorting to assailing the messenger.

Oh, you can bet your ass I don't intend to fail my child in this regard.  I'm on his case every night.  Make no mistake.  He makes the best grades in his class.  I'm very anal-retentive about that.  And so is my wife.  WE buy him math books and handwriting books at Walmart every time we go.  Yes, Walmart, that beastly monstrosity that sends American jobs overseas and writes US foreign policy.  He knows very well that he needs to continue to score the highest marks in his class.  He is six years old and already can play the piano very well.  Just a few minutes ago I had him play six songs.  Simple arrangements, but he's up to chords now.  Take me out to the ballgame, Alley cat, Be our Guest, etc.  And he's reading chinese and spanish pretty well, in addition to English.  I have no intention of letting the schools and our politically correct legislature fail him. 

I know your legislature has its head up its ass.  I know your state's schools are failing.  I'm well aware of its shortcomings in this regard.  But do not be presumptuous.  My state does not have that problem.   Nor does my city.  The cedar falls composite 4th and 8th grade reading and math scores are above the state average, and the state average is above the national average.  So don't bring your Frustrated Texas Democrat attitude to bear on my comments.  I can appreciate where you are coming from, but we have slightly different perspectives, we have slightly different aspects of involvement in the system, and I'd guess that we have slightly different maturity levels.  I know from whence I speak.  Yes, Rick Santorum is onto something here.  He may be a radical weirdo, but in this regard he has spoken to the fact that our schools are failing our children.  This is demonstrable.  We no longer are as competitive in the global economy as we were five decades ago.  We spend six times as much on the weakest among us as on the strongest.  There was a time when we put money into advanced programs for the gifted and talented.  Nowadays, in many districts, those students suffer while money is funneled into programs for the barely literate.  How many blind bus drivers should the city hire, after all?  You tell me!  Sure, some of the bone-headed policies of the GOP are responsible in part--especially in Texas!--but you are either ignorant or insensitive if you do not recognize that our national desire to bask in the warm glow of white man's guilt is also a major source of our economic decline vis-a-vis the developing markets of the world.

Look, I don't know what might be in Santorum's head.  Don't claim too.  But the fact that someone can put up a thread with his name in the title, and lots of otherwise well-adjusted people jump in with bandwagon comments without even trying to analyze the substance of what he might have said is further evidence that our schools are failing in their duties to teach critical thinking.  That may or not be due to the causes that Santorum points out--I suspect multiple causes and Santorum's explanation is expedient and political but ignores other causes--but at least he has made statements that are worth objective analysis, instead of dismissal due to their messenger.

[Keystone Phil]

Angus is a fighter for freedom.