Victor Davis Hanson and our miseducated youth

American Thinker ^ | 20 Dec, 2021 | Jared Peterson

[MtnClimber]

In a just and sensible America, Victor Davis Hanson would be chair of the history department at Harvard, teaching a mandatory and beloved course in the history of Western Civilization, to be followed in undergraduates’ sophomore year by his equally popular year-long course in American history, both of which would be emulated nationwide by most if not all American colleges and universities.

These courses would be fact intensive, and unlike the rather hagiographic picture students like this writer received during the 50’s, would not only emphasize the achievements of America and the West, but would honestly and rationally confront their infractions and low points. But the overarching message would be clear: Though imperfect, as are all human endeavors, the creative genius of the West has given humanity the vast majority of what has made the modern world superior materially and, through the Judeo- Christian tradition, preferable morally to much of the past; and America can fairly claim to be the finest model of a nation whose governmental and economic system has produced the most fairness, prosperity and ordered freedom, for the largest percentage of its people, of any nation in history.

But alas, this was not to be. Instead, since the seventies we have lost the better part of two generations of badly mis-educated American youth; and the inability of any American institution today to vigorously refute the patent falsehoods about our nation and the West being spewed by the woke left is a direct consequence of that tragic miseducation.

Mankind seems destined to swing from one distorted extreme to its logical opposite: 19th century Western man had an arrogant swagger, understandably, given his near total dominance, and that arrogance carried through well into the 20th century in its educational institutions’ presentation of history.

[Buttons12]

FReepers who have sacrificed immensely in order to be able to live on one income for the benefit of their children

And for that sacrifice a parent has the all the joy and satisfaction of raising their own children.

I don't say it is always the proper choice; but there is a tendency to believe that some institution providing "socialization" (be it a primary school or a nursing home) is preferable to living at home with one's own family -- and sometimes it's a very convenient excuse for handing off responsibility. Maybe having Grandma and the kids home isn't just for the Waltons. Although these days, for some, it's hard just to have a father in the family.

Let someone else tackle it. Let the government put food on the table. Maybe we'll visit Gramps on the weekend.

[Buttons12]

He may be a classicist basically but I’ve noticed some rather basic errors he’s revealed in that area.
As a conservative thinker, he’s on a level with Jordan Peterson. They’re not consistent, they’re not scrupulously logical, but they know how to raise interesting questions and point out the inconsistencies of others. They are gadflies; that’s useful.
Socrates was a gadfly. Hanson is no Socrates.

[thirst4truth]

My 40 year old son and his wife have done it. Their kids are 12 and 14, home schooled and both parents work. Their Mom works only part time, but began leaving them at home alone when they were 8 and 10, to do their school work at home. She was only 2 miles away from them, and only for 4 hours at a time.

The best thing about it, is I can spend a day with them, every week expounding on their lessons in life, after finishing their homework for the day by 11am. They are good kids, very self sufficient and happy, one of them has dyslexia and they have found a special teaching curriculum to help, she is not being left behind struggling in a class of 30.

[Texas Fossil]

Important post.

Thanks.

[2CAVTrooper]

Yes he is.

[BroJoeK]

“starting with the change of “BLUE States”—of Reagan’s time—to “RED States”...”

Tim Russert did that, circa 2000, logically saying R=Red=Republican, so blue must be Democrat.

And our newly Republican Southern Democrats kind of liked keeping their old red color — let the Yankees keep their blue color.

And Democrats liked going from “red” revolutionary to “blue” defenders of the status quo — “our Democracy”.

Only the old Republicans objected to the travesty of coloring “red”, as in communists, the people who from Day One wrote, ratified & defended our decidedly anti-communist Constitution.

But who cares about them?

[FLT-bird]

It really starts with Howard Zinn in the early 80s with the people’s history of the United States which was the first big work of revisionist history by 1960s Leftists on their march through the institutions. By the early 90s PC Revisionism came in and suddenly we were told that the War Between the States was “all about” slavery and the Confederate Battle Flag had suddenly and magically become a racist hate symbol.

But not to worry I was assured over and over and over again by PCers and other Leftists in the 1990s, that same Leftist historical revisionism would never ever be applied to the Founding Fathers. No. It was just everything Southern that was horrible and evil......starting in the mid 19th century. I told them they were full of crap and I wasn’t buying it for one second.

and now here we are. What’s pathetic are the people who claim to be Conservatives who bought into the PC Revisionist anti-Southern crap in the first place. Congratulations on being useful idiots for the Left’s agenda.

[FLT-bird]

Hanson gets a lot of things right. I’ve been a regular listener to his podcasts for years. He is spot on about ancient history and his background as a farmer gives him some great insights. From about the early 19th through the early 20th century I find I disagree with his historical analysis about pretty much everything. Then from WWII on, I agree with him about pretty much everything again.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Listen to his podcasts if you have an iPhone. You will become addicted.