America 2.0

Do I find this appalling more because it’s yet another hallmark of a burgeoning fascist state, or more because it’s an infuriating affront to my intellectual capacity? Hard to say.

Although American students are typically taught a sanitized version of history in which the inherent superiority and benevolence of the United States is rarely challenged, the social and political changes unleashed in the 1960s have opened up some space for a more honest accounting of our past. But even these few small steps taken by some teachers toward collective critical self-reflection are too much for many Americans to bear.

So, as part of an education bill signed into law by Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida has declared that "American history shall be viewed as factual, not as constructed." That factual history, the law states, shall be viewed as "knowable, teachable and testable."

Florida’s lawmakers are not only prescribing the specific view of U.S. history that must be taught (my favorite among the many specific commands in the law is the one about instructing students on "the nature and importance of free enterprise to the United States economy"), but are trying to legislate out of existence any ideas to the contrary. They are not just saying that their history is the best history, but that it is beyond interpretation. In fact, the law attempts to suppress discussion of the very idea that history is interpretation.

There’s more at the link. Honestly, this is just disgusting. I don’t even know what to say anymore, except that I’m really sorry for anyone who’s got kids in the public education system in Florida.

(Thanks to Shaker Cassie for passing that one along.)