by Michelle Malkin
The two most important questions for society, according to the Greek
philosopher Plato, are these: What will we teach our children? And who
will teach them? Left-wing celebrities have teamed up with one of
America's most radical historians to take control of the classroom in
the name of "social justice." Parents, beware: This Hollywood-backed
Marxist education project may be coming to a school near you.
On Sunday, Dec. 13, the History Channel will air "The People Speak"
-- a documentary based on Marxist academic Howard Zinn's
capitalism-bashing, America-dissing, grievance-mongering history
textbook, "A People's History of the United States." The film was
co-produced and bankrolled by Zinn's Boston neighbor and mentee Matt
Damon. An all-star cast of Bush-bashing liberals, including Danny
Glover, Josh Brolin, Bruce Springsteen, Marisa Tomei and Eddie Vedder,
will appear. Zinn's work is a self-proclaimed "biased account" of
American history that rails against white oppressors, the free market
and the military.
Zinn's objective is not to impart knowledge, but to instigate
"change" and nurture a political "counterforce" (an echo of fellow
radical academic and Hugo Chavez admirer Bill Ayers' proclamation of
education as the "motor-force of revolution"). Teachers are not
supposed to teach facts in the school of Zinn. "There is no such thing
as pure fact," Zinn asserts. Educators are not supposed to emphasize
individual academic achievement. They are supposed to "empower" student
collectivism by emphasizing "the role of working people, women, people
of color and organized social movements." School officials are not
facilitators of intellectual inquiry, but leaders of "social struggle."
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/12/11/hollywood_and_howard_zinns_marxist_education_project