Program Idea for the Department of Education

Dear Mr. President:

The Department of Education should formulate two educational programs concerning socialism.  One would be addressed to fifth graders and the other to tenth graders.  The programs would be the product of leading historians and economists, who would educate students as to the history of socialism, its economic failure, its political failure, and its history of mass murder.  The showing of the two programs would be a prerequisite for states’ eligibility for federal aid.

Zilvinas Silenas, a refugee from Lithuania and the new president of the Foundation for Economic Education, recently appeared in an interview on Dan Elmendorf’s Redeemer Broadcasting (http://redeemerbroadcasting.org/content/plain-answer-podcasts / A Plain Answer: A Case Study - Socialism as it was in Lithuania - Zilvinas Silenas ).  In the interview Silenas describes in vivid detail the horrible realities of socialism. Material like this could be combined with history that short circuits the left-wing indoctrination that is occurring in America’s schools.  Indeed, a discussion of political correctness and biases in the educational system should be a part of the presentation, which would be given in one-to-two-hour assemblies of students. 

The chief argument against this idea is that it can be coopted and turned into a pro-socialist presentation when the Democrats gain power.  However, such a step would create a focal point for debate, for much of the subversion currently occurs more subtly.

Along with Silenas and FEE, Peter Wood of the National Association of Scholars could help appoint a commission that would create the presentation.

Something needs to be done now about the misinformation in which American students are being indoctrinated.   

Sincerely,

Mitchell Langbert, Ph.D.

Cc: The Honorable Betsy DeVos

The Politicization of Science

Heather MacDonald of City Journal wrote a frustrating but riveting piece about the cooptation of the National Science Foundation by the political correctness movement. It's not surprising, but MacDonald provides the gory details of the politicization of science. What have the Republicans and Trump been doing about this? My guess is nothing so far. (H/t Dan Elmendorf.)

Mercatus Institute Finds that New York Is the Least-Free State

Dan Elmendorf of Redeemer Broadcasting sent me this video from the Mercatus Institute.  Prof. Will Ruger of Texas State University, San Marcos and Prof. Jason Sorens of SUNY Buffalo used a detailed procedure to rank the 50 states as to their degrees of freedom.  The lowest is New York and the highest are New Hampshire and South Dakota.  The video below provides some additional information about the study. 

There is an interesting parallel.  Recall the television miniseries, John Adams. It's fun to re-watch it on Independence Day (see below).   According to its account of the Continental Congress's signing of the Delcaration of Independence 236 years ago, New York was the only state to abstain on the initial vote, while the first state to vote for it was New Hampshire.  Let us also recall New York's contribution to national politics.  Alexander Hamilton, the inventor of big government, lived in New York City for most of his life.  Theodore Roosevelt, the inventor of Progressivism, lived and worked in New York for most of his life. The inventor of the New Deal, Franklin Roosevelt, also came from the Hudson Valley.

In my lifetime the State of New York has been in contnual decline. I live here for family reasons.