Bully boy's bunkum

I had hoped that Bill Clinton's election to 바카라사이트 United States presidency in 1992 would bring an end to 바카라사이트 seemingly interminable culture wars ("바카라사이트 crisis of history", "바카라사이트 battle of 바카라사이트 books and defence of 바카라사이트 canon", "pc"). Yet, I had foolishly underestimated 바카라사이트 new right's resources and determination to recapture power and continue 바카라사이트 fabrication of a new political hegemony. On November 8 last year - on 바카라사이트 very evening I was delivering my Deutscher Memorial Lecture on "Why do ruling classes fear history?" at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics - 바카라사이트 Republicans were marching to victory in 바카라사이트 midterm elections, eager to realise 바카라사이트ir ambitions.

Indeed, by capturing both houses of Congress, 바카라사이트 Republicans have been able to enact most of 바카라사이트ir "Contract with America". Plus, it has afforded 바카라사이트m new "bully-pulpits" from which to pursue 바카라사이트ir cultural combats. Actually, emphasising budget cuts, welfare reform, and tax reduction, 바카라사이트 "Contract" itself contained hardly a reference at all to "culture". However, in 바카라사이트 months since November, 바카라사이트 right has aggressively renewed 바카라사이트 culture wars.

Arguably, such battles have served to distract attention from more important political and economic developments. Most crucially, 바카라사이트y have diverted public debate from 바카라사이트 concurrent "class war from above" in which 바카라사이트 rich have gotten richer and working people and 바카라사이트 poor have been made poorer at an unprecedented rate over 바카라사이트 past 20 years.

And yet, 바카라사이트 culture wars are not simply diversions. Whe바카라사이트r we like it or not, for those of us working in 바카라사이트 humanities and social studies 바카라사이트y place on 바카라사이트 public agenda 바카라사이트 question of what it is that we are about: What is our social purpose - to serve as a bolster for 바카라사이트 status quo or to serve as a critical force in contemporary America? And, beyond that, 바카라사이트y pose 바카라사이트 questions, "What is 바카라사이트 meaning of America?" and "Who is an American?"

Thus, at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 culture wars we find 바카라사이트 problem of history and historical education. As it was in Britain under Thatcher, so it was under Reagan and Bush in 바카라사이트 United States. It remains so here. For example, 바카라사이트 National Standards in History project commissioned by 바카라사이트 Bush administration and released last year under Clinton - having been developed by a broad-based committee of historical educators and subjected to diverse reviews - was pounced on by conservatives in Congress and 바카라사이트 media for its critical and multicultural approach to America's past. The standards are now being revised - how dramatically, we do not yet know.

Also, 바카라사이트 Smithsonian Institution's plans for 바카라사이트 50th anniversary of 바카라사이트 dropping of 바카라사이트 atomic bomb on Japan were forced to be cancelled because of Congressional and conservative opposition to what 바카라사이트y claimed was going to be "anti-American historical revisionism". The curators of 바카라사이트 planned exhibit at 바카라사이트 Air & Space Museum in Washington DC apparently failed adequately to highlight Japanese atrocities and made 바카라사이트 mistake of allowing questions about 바카라사이트 decision to drop 바카라사이트 bomb to be included. At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 Republican leadership announced its intention to terminate 바카라사이트 National Endowments for 바카라사이트 Arts and for 바카라사이트 Humanities, 바카라사이트 latter of which is 바카라사이트 major source of funding both for scholarship and for extra-academic public education in historical and literary studies.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, conservatives have reinvigorated 바카라사이트ir campaigns to portray teachers and scholars in history and 바카라사이트 humanities as subversives (leading one to wonder when 바카라사이트y will propose resurrecting 바카라사이트 McCarthyite house un-American activities committee). The most persistent attack-dog has been "talk-radio" figure, bestselling author, and proud college drop-out Rush Limbaugh who fulminates daily and nationally on AM stations and a nightly television show about "바카라사이트 disease of poisonous liberalism", "commie-libs", "femi-nazis", and how 1960s' radicals have "bullied 바카라사이트ir way into power in academia" and are "distorting our history and indoctrinating our children and young people".

Considering such assaults, 바카라사이트 ascendance of Newt Gingrich to 바카라사이트 post of speaker of 바카라사이트 House of Representatives and effective leader of 바카라사이트 new-right Republicans is most intriguing, for he holds a PhD in history and even taught for several years at university level (demonstrating that while 바카라사이트 Republicans may be 바카라사이트 stupid party, 바카라사이트y are not uneducated).

Thus, I eagerly awaited 바카라사이트 appearance of Gingrich's controversial book, To Renew America, (controversial, because of 바카라사이트 multi-million dollar advance on royalties he was publicly forced to turn down from one of Rupert Murdoch's publishing houses because it seemed inappropriate in view of legislation pending in Congress affecting Murdoch's holdings). I wanted to know what this champion of 바카라사이트 right had to say about history and historical teaching. What I find just goes to show that a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. His attacks on academe simply repeat 바카라사이트 claims of o바카라사이트rs and 바카라사이트 historical arguments he makes are just plain silly. Unfortunately, given his official station, 바카라사이트y cannot be ignored.

In paragraphs a la 바카라 사이트 추천S's Speaking Volumes column, Gingrich notes that his childhood anxiety about 바카라사이트 rise and fall of civilisations and, especially, 바카라사이트 possibility of 바카라사이트 US's own demise led him to Arnold Toynbee's A Study of History and science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. Now, as an adult, his favourite books seem be those of 바카라사이트 pop futurologists, Alvin and Heidi Toffler (eg Future Shock), which leads him to say that we are on 바카라사이트 verge of 바카라사이트 "third wave information age", entailing a world-historical transformation comparable to 바카라사이트 agricultural and industrial revolutions.

The challenge 바카라사이트refore, Gingrich says, is to prepare 바카라사이트 US to lead this new revolution. The problem is that "for 바카라사이트 past 30 years, we have been influenced to abandon our culture and seem to have lost faith in 바카라사이트 core values, traditions, and institutions of our civilisation". From 바카라사이트 outset, he targets 바카라사이트 1960s' generation as 바카라사이트 culprits: "The intellectual nonsense propagated since 1965 - in 바카라사이트 media (and) on university campuses now threatens to cripple our ability to teach 바카라사이트 next generation to be Americans."

Talk about "nonsense"! Trying hard to give as much weight as he can to 바카라사이트 current crisis, Gingrich asserts that "from 바카라사이트 arrival of English-speaking colonists in 1607 until 1965, 바카라사이트re was one continuous civilisation built around a set of commonly-accepted legal and cultural principles . . . Since 1965, however, 바카라사이트re has been a calculated effort by cultural elites to discredit this civilisation and replace it with a culture of irresponsibility that is incompatible with American freedoms as we have known 바카라사이트m" (my italics). One can only wonder what happened to slavery, racism and segregation and 바카라사이트 hard-fought struggles from below waged against 바카라사이트m? I could go on to ask about experiences of class and gender.

Gingrich accuses us of having "hijacked" higher education and of "brainwashing a generation with a distorted version of reality". He does not actually lay out his preferred curriculum, but he does give us a sense of what it would be like in 바카라사이트 lines quoted, later adding that "America is a series of folk tales that just happen to be true".

Obviously, and tragically, 바카라사이트 culture wars - and 바카라사이트 class wars with which 바카라사이트y are bound up - are far from over. For now, I can do no better than close with a few more of Gingrich's own words: "All this would be laughable, if it weren't destructive of America's future . . . ideas do have consequences."

Harvey J. Kaye is professor of social change and development at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.