Things I Wish Had Been Taught

[HJ-Dune Walker]

It's been ten years since the middle of the Kosovo War. A decade has passed, and I find myself in awe at how few people I know who have any inkling of what the Kosovo War was, or even that it happened so recently. Granted, I was still a kid ten years ago, but if they could pull me out of class in 2001 for a single act of terrorism, you'd think they could teach me about a full blown war only a few years earlier.

There are other things that so many people my age have no clue about. The IRA's fight against the British, for example, which is only now starting to approach true peace and cooperation. Every time I read some hopeful news of talks happening, I mention it to people I know and they say, "What? The IRA? You mean the IRS?" or any number of clueless remarks.

I have to research these things myself. No one ever even thought to mention things like this to me. The Dalai Lama and Tibet? East Timor? Chile? The Kurds? Why have I had to learn about these events through wikipedia and what internet resources I can scrounge together? Why did I spend every single year of my lower education relearning stupid felgercarb about "American History", completely out of context, completely ignoring the rest of the world?

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I've been dwelling on this a lot lately. I just don't understand it. These are incredibly important world events, some of them less than a decade old, and people just have no clue. "Kosovo? Isn't that in like Asia?"

So I'm led to wonder what the heck I can do about it. I could petition for change in our education system of course, but that's a long and ultimately fruitless effort. Or I could forget about it and go on with my life, but I don't think I could live with myself like that.

So instead, I've been mulling over the idea of starting my own informational pamphlet. Yeah, sounds goofy, but here's the gist of it. I'm a university student with a lot of free time and a talent for writing. So I become the historian. I do basic research into these events; write up a short, tangible, significant overview; and disseminate copies across campus.

People here are very open to reading random stuff left around in classrooms or the student union building, so readership should be at least a few people. And if I can teach people the basics of the things I wish I had been taught, hopefully they'll be inspired to do their own further research. And at worst, they'll have gained a basic knowledge of something that, even today, has a major impact on all of us.

I'm toying around with themeing the works. One volume might focus on Japan, with one part on the cultural minorities of the Ainu and the Emishi, another part on Japan's economic slumps in the past half century, and perhaps a third part on stuff like who currently rules the country. (Can you name the current Japanese Emperor? The Prime Minister? Heck, how about the current US Secretary of the Interior?)

Another volume might focus on the Far East: The Chinese Invasion of Tibet, India's indepenence from Britain and the formation of Pakistan, East Timor's US backed genocide, and (especially with recent events) the Junta of Myanmar. Still another volume might focus on Europe: The Kosovo War, Spain's involvement in WWII, the firebombing of Dresden, etc.

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What do you folks think? Should I try to make this happen? Would it be worth it? Would you read something like this if someone made it?

~Dune Walker~

 

[Performer]

I'd be impressed by the Idealism and Hope it takes to make such an Attempt at improving the World (or maybe just american Education). I think it's futile, though. But that does not mean that it's wasted Effort, so long as you enjoy doing it, it's worth it.

Would I read it ? No, I don't care about History, and neither do I care about Politics.

 

[HJ-Pinnelipe]

I think it sounds like a good thing. If you think in your heart that you should do something, just go with it and do it. If you teach even just one person out of 100, it's worth it, right?

Me, I'd be very interested in learning about Asian history. Let's face it, as someone aiming to get into the gaming market I better understand a bit about Asia's culture. I have been trying to learn Japanese, but foreign languages come extremely slow to me. Why all this? If I go to some big convention, I want to understand what they're chattering about in their native tongue because there most likely will be someone Japanese at every major event involving technology and entertainment on the planet. I also would like to refrain from being a "stupid foreigner" and somehow offending them.

P.S.- Honestly, I really am Geographically challenged and so have no idea where on the globe most of those things are, but I am interested in other cultures and it was difficult to take them in highschool. It's impossible now that I'm in college.

 

[Ainilome]

"stupid gaijin"

American's for the most part, are an ignorant ignorant people. I blame our terrible public school system, corporate run media and lack of cultural emphasize on being educated.

And another period of history that is almost -always- left out of public schools is the Industrial Revolution. The period between 1890 to 1920 is very often not mentioned. The rise of socialism, the horrible difference between the rich and the poor etc. In my school life, from 1st grade to 12th I learned about 1692-1869. And then 1929-1947. I was taught about the drafting of the Constitution more than once, the "glorious push of the Pioneers" and Manifest Destiny more than once. Any events not covered in those time periods were totally left out, and from what I've gathered from speaking to friends from various parts of the country, that's the norm. I learned of the WWII mostly from the point of America entering it. I wasn't taught of the rise of Nazi Germany and how it came to be. The horrifying events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were mentioned, but glossed over. The American occupation of Japan, the redrawing of the boundaries of Europe, the founding of Israel and the start of the modern conflict in the middle east? Never even mentioned.

The Korean war, Vietnam, Cold War, Cuban Missle Crisis, Desert Storm. Not even a word, ever. What I knew of the Korean war I learned from M.A.S.H. -.- Vietnam, from "Armageddon Now" and from my father who was there.

As for recent events that wouldn't have be taught to current adults, I blame the media and the lack of truly objective journalism in this country.

You might want to pick up "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn if you haven't. I believe the most recent edition is in two volumes.

 

[Dyngo]

If thats a common issue, Ainilome, it's chocking

I've read of all that, early in public school, allthough, even I consider "public school" lack alot of things in Sweden. The rise of the German empire is something we got alot of, and I guess that it should be very useful for all Americans to take a look at that part of history at least (without saying to much).

The main reason for history to repeat itself is IMO because people don't read about it. Ainilome blames, partly, on bad public schools and poor media reports. Thats, of course, an important issue, but the information is available. You find the history in the libraries and could get a pretty good picture of the world on the net, if you know where and how to look.

What I wish I've learned earlier is that "knowledge" don't always comes from the "channels" we are taught.
Francis Bacon once said that "Knowledge is power", and I believed that, for a long time. Until I read that knowledge is not power but "to define ´knowledge´ is power" (I think it was Foucault). And I agree...

edit: im not sure what you guys call "public school", but what I mean is not the private school but the "state"-school (the taxpayed school for all)

 

[HJ-Pinnelipe]

Lucky me, I got a free copy of Hiroshima because I was on my high school's Academic Superbowl team, English devision.. It's a rather saddening, but inspiring event.

 

[HJ-Dune Walker]

For me, the best story I ever found to truly get across the horrors of the atomic bombs isn't one about the mass suffering and destruction, but rather is the story of a single young girl named Sadako Sasaki. Every time I read that story, I can't help but feel like crying, but I wouldn't trade that feeling for the world.

If you tell someone that a million people died in one event, they can't grasp it. The sheer scale of it is beyond our ability to imagine. But if you describe the story of one person, and if you describe how that one person was an ordinary example of the millions involved, it touches a person much more deeply and movingly.

~Dune~

 

[HJ-Pinnelipe]

That's sort of what made Hiroshima such a great book..but her story was also sad. That was read to us in elementary school along with a few other cultural stories, but not explored in depth.

 

[HJ-Dune Walker]

I am reminded of a film, one which I had assumed much older than it is, but alas, it is only about ten years old now. It is called, Life Is Beautiful.

Another film that I really want to see at some point, but that I have been putting off because I know it will be far too powerful for me to handle emotionally, is Hayao Miyazaki's Grave of The Fireflies. Just the description gives me chills, and the fact that it is Miyazaki is what really holds me back, because his movies always impact me so very strongly.

~Dune~

 

[Dyngo]

I recommend When the wind blows. Grave of the fireflies is really good as well.

 

[WatchMaker]

Anything Miyazaki related is instantly great. ;P

 

[HJ-Dune Walker]

Miyazaki is getting up there in age, and he's likely to retire in not too many more years. Hopefully, Studio Ghibli will continue to produce equally beautiful works, even without his direction. His son is even becoming involved in the company, despite previous differences and a reluctance to follow in his father's footsteps.

~Dune~