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Children of the Left, Unite! (Marxism in books for children)
New York Times ^ | January 9, 2009 | Caleb Crain

Posted on 01/10/2009 12:22:33 PM PST by reaganaut1

As Julia L. Mickenberg and Philip Nel document in Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children’s Literature (New York University, $32.95), Marxist principles have been dripping steadily into the minds of American youth for more than a century. This isn’t altogether surprising. After all, most parents want their children to be far left in their early years — to share toys, to eschew the torture of siblings, to leave a clean environment behind them, to refrain from causing the extinction of the dog, to rise above coveting and hoarding, and to view the blandishments of corporate America through a lens of harsh skepticism. But fewer parents wish for their children to carry all these virtues into adulthood. It is one thing to convince your child that no individual owns the sandbox and that it is better for all children that it is so. It is another to hope that when he grows up he will donate the family home to a workers’ collective.

Mickenberg, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Texas, Austin, and Nel, a professor of English at Kansas State University, have nonetheless found 44 texts that attempt to attach children to social justice permanently. As they note in an introduction, the tentacles of the left reach deep. Crockett Johnson, creator of the innocuous-seeming “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” was an editor at The New Masses, a Communist weekly. Syd Hoff, known for “Danny and the Dinosaur,” wrote for The Daily Worker. Environmentalism is more or less explicit in such crowd pleasers as “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss. In fact, so permeated is children’s literature by progressive ideals that Mickenberg and Nel were forced to narrow their scope by focusing on texts that have fallen out of print.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: bookreview; childrensbooks; childrensliterature; indoctrination; radicalleft
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Is the Time willing to acknowledge the leftist indoctrination of children because it thinks the process is complete?
1 posted on 01/10/2009 12:22:33 PM PST by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

For adults, the NYTimes is the major propaganda tool for socialism.


2 posted on 01/10/2009 12:25:38 PM PST by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: reaganaut1

“After all, most parents want their children to be far left in their early years — to share toys, to eschew the torture of siblings, to leave a clean environment behind them, to refrain from causing the extinction of the dog, to rise above coveting and hoarding,...”

Uh....that is NOT being liberal necessarily. What nonsense!


3 posted on 01/10/2009 12:26:17 PM PST by SumProVita (Cogito, ergo...Sum Pro Vita. (Modified DeCartes))
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To: SumProVita
I read an artical a while back that said the lefties are not reproducing as much as the conservatives are and the Demos are concerned about this in the future. It explained that lefties are more concerned with wealth and usually have only l maybe 2 children. The conservatives usually have 2-3-4 children. Don't know it's true but hopefully it's true. At least that would give us hope for the future.
4 posted on 01/10/2009 12:41:23 PM PST by nbhunt
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To: SumProVita

they didn’t say liberal, they said “far left”

zero said the same thing, that communism was about sharing toys

children shouldn’t be forced to share their toys. they should have their own toys, and if another child wants to play with it, they should be able to negotiate


5 posted on 01/10/2009 12:48:49 PM PST by chuck_the_tv_out
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To: nbhunt
At least that would give us hope for the future.

They've already thought of that: public education.

6 posted on 01/10/2009 12:51:46 PM PST by jabchae
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To: reaganaut1

FOUND IT,

Republicans and Evangelicals Have Babies, Democrats and Seculars Buy Small Dogs

http://conservativeintelligencer.com/republicans-and-evangelicals-have-babies-democrats-and-seculars-buy-small-dogs/57/


7 posted on 01/10/2009 12:53:23 PM PST by nbhunt
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To: nbhunt

So, America will be saved by genetics? LOL.


8 posted on 01/10/2009 12:54:50 PM PST by Misterioso ( Socialism is an ideology. Capitalism is a natural phenomenon.)
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To: Misterioso

By your statement....I hope not yours.


9 posted on 01/10/2009 12:55:52 PM PST by nbhunt
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To: reaganaut1

Is the Time willing to acknowledge the leftist indoctrination of children because it thinks the process is complete?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Start with calling it by its true name: MARXISM COMMUNISM.

( Yes, I am shouting. The American people are asleep!)

Then...GET YOUR KID OUT OF THE MARXIST GOVERNMENT K-12 INDOCTRINATION CAMPS!

( Yes, I am **really** shouting loudly!)


10 posted on 01/10/2009 12:57:49 PM PST by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are NOT stupid)
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To: reaganaut1

Take back the schools, take back the culture, take back America.


11 posted on 01/10/2009 1:03:17 PM PST by Cyber Ninja (His legacy is a stain OnTheDress)
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To: wintertime

You’ll get a headache!

That said, I didn’t think there was anything Marxist about “Danny and the Dinosaur.”


12 posted on 01/10/2009 1:12:47 PM PST by Tax-chick (To oppose the god of this world by lifting up Christ.)
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To: OnTheDress

You cannot “take back the schools”. People have been doing that “Pickett’s Charge” for at least 50 years. What you can do is deprive the government schools of your little revenue units and encourage others to do the same. The sooner the schools collapse the better.


13 posted on 01/10/2009 1:13:36 PM PST by achilles2000 (Shouting "fire" in a burning building is doing everyone a favor...whether they like it or not)
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To: reaganaut1
most parents want their children to be far left in their early years

Really? Most parents want their children to think the world owes them everything, to throw tantrums when they don't get what they want, and police every action of their peers? I never knew.

14 posted on 01/10/2009 1:22:08 PM PST by eclecticEel (In short, I want Obama given the same respect and deference that Democrats have given George Bush)
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To: achilles2000
I didn't say it was possible. I think it is vital.
15 posted on 01/10/2009 1:22:54 PM PST by Cyber Ninja (His legacy is a stain OnTheDress)
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To: Tax-chick

The Liberal/Marxist have already given me a headache. ;-)

Sorry! Don’t know Danny and the Dinosaur. But sounds like my 4 year old grandson would love it. :-)


16 posted on 01/10/2009 1:25:53 PM PST by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are NOT stupid)
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To: wintertime

It’s a cute story, and a bright 4-year-old can read it. It was one of two children’s books at my father’s farmhouse in Missouri, so it was memorized during deer season when the children couldn’t go out!


17 posted on 01/10/2009 1:56:05 PM PST by Tax-chick (To oppose the god of this world by lifting up Christ.)
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To: SumProVita
that is NOT being liberal necessarily. What nonsense!

I was going to say the same thing. All Christians should practice social justice, because that is the way that Jesus taught us to live. Socialism is something entirely different. Even if it does encourage some of the same actions of those who practice social justice in a Christian way, it's not done so for salvific reasons.

18 posted on 01/10/2009 4:24:44 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: nbhunt

You actually think that a person’s political orientation is determined by their genes? I’m reminded of the story of the preacher’s daughter. Compré?


19 posted on 01/10/2009 5:00:48 PM PST by Misterioso ( Socialism is an ideology. Capitalism is a natural phenomenon.)
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To: reaganaut1

That opening paragraph is TRAGIC.


20 posted on 01/11/2009 4:27:28 AM PST by kittykat77
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