What’s a more detrimental commentary in American Studies?

[Person Man]

Which is “worse”?

And don’t say Lost Cause is a Nothingburger. I had a classmate in law school tell me on Election Night that The Civil War was simply a war of industrialization and economics and had absolutely nothing to do with politics, individual rights, or constitutional powers. He “mansplained” it to me because he said he was a history major from Oregon State and I only had 4 or 5 History classes from the Wyoming. It was incredibly stupid when someone intervened to break up the argument.

[Ferguson97]

Lost Cause because it’s not true and actually being taught to kids.

[Torie]

Nothing wrong with teaching theories. I was pleased to read about the tariff theory for Southern secession, as an example of how the mind sometimes works to try to put more benign veneers on unvarnished evil. And I am interested in learning more about critical race theory. Heck, some of it might have merit, and even if I end up believing, to go to the hyperbolic extreme, that it is all an attempt to create an alternative universe, to poison people's minds, that is still a learning experience. I also have more faith in the common sense of people to see through BS than some here and there and maybe everywhere, may have.

I do think all of this is probably over hyped. Much of our opinion maker class seems to get off on fomenting hysteria.

Oh, I started reading the book below, which may have some nexus with critical race theory. Aside from the merits of the author's point of view, it is very well written. I can savor that even if it does not have much more to offer.

https://www.amazon.com/Caste-Origins-Discontents-Isabel-Wilkerson/dp/0593230256?asin=0593230256&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1

And what do people think critical race theory is, and is there any consensus about that? If we don't define our terms, one does not get very far in having a worthwhile discussion. That has been my experience anyway.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Nothing wrong with teaching theories. I was pleased to read about the tariff theory for Southern secession, as an example of how the mind sometimes works to try to put more benign veneers on unvarnished evil. And I am interested in learning more about critical race theory. Heck, some of it might have merit, and even if I end up believing, to go to the hyperbolic extreme, that it is all an attempt to create an alternative universe, to poison people's minds, that is still a learning experience. I also have more faith in the common sense of people to see through BS than some here and there and maybe everywhere, may have.

I do think all of this is probably over hyped. Much of our opinion maker class seems to get off on fomenting hysteria.

I have a theory, it's that gravity actually works in reverse and pulls us all up to the sky, but we're so fat that we stay on the ground anyway.  It's called GMA's theory of anti-gravity.  We should teach this to kids because it has just as much truth and evidence as the "lost cause" theory.

The southerners told us why they were going to secede, when they seceded they told us why they did it, they continued to tell us why they wanted to stay seceded while the war was happening, and after the war the big thing they complained about was the reason they seceded in the first place.

The Lost Cause "theory" didn't really catch on until the early 1900s.

[Torie]

Nothing wrong with teaching theories. I was pleased to read about the tariff theory for Southern secession, as an example of how the mind sometimes works to try to put more benign veneers on unvarnished evil. And I am interested in learning more about critical race theory. Heck, some of it might have merit, and even if I end up believing, to go to the hyperbolic extreme, that it is all an attempt to create an alternative universe, to poison people's minds, that is still a learning experience. I also have more faith in the common sense of people to see through BS than some here and there and maybe everywhere, may have.

I do think all of this is probably over hyped. Much of our opinion maker class seems to get off on fomenting hysteria.

I have a theory, it's that gravity actually works in reverse and pulls us all up to the sky, but we're so fat that we stay on the ground anyway.  It's called GMA's theory of anti-gravity.  We should teach this to kids because it has just as much truth and evidence as the "lost cause" theory.

The southerners told us why they were going to secede, when they seceded they told us why they did it, they continued to tell us why they wanted to stay seceded while the war was happening, and after the war the big thing they complained about was the reason they seceded in the first place.

The Lost Cause "theory" didn't really catch on until the early 1900s.

If your theory gets traction out there, the kids should know all about it. One important lesson to learn is that the word theory is not a synonym for truth. And not all theories are created equal. You would be making an important contribution in that regard.

[Ferguson97]

Nothing wrong with teaching theories. I was pleased to read about the tariff theory for Southern secession, as an example of how the mind sometimes works to try to put more benign veneers on unvarnished evil. And I am interested in learning more about critical race theory. Heck, some of it might have merit, and even if I end up believing, to go to the hyperbolic extreme, that it is all an attempt to create an alternative universe, to poison people's minds, that is still a learning experience. I also have more faith in the common sense of people to see through BS than some here and there and maybe everywhere, may have.

I do think all of this is probably over hyped. Much of our opinion maker class seems to get off on fomenting hysteria.

I have a theory, it's that gravity actually works in reverse and pulls us all up to the sky, but we're so fat that we stay on the ground anyway.  It's called GMA's theory of anti-gravity.  We should teach this to kids because it has just as much truth and evidence as the "lost cause" theory.

The southerners told us why they were going to secede, when they seceded they told us why they did it, they continued to tell us why they wanted to stay seceded while the war was happening, and after the war the big thing they complained about was the reason they seceded in the first place.

The Lost Cause "theory" didn't really catch on until the early 1900s.

If your theory gets traction out there, the kids should know all about it. One important lesson to learn is that the word theory is not a synonym for truth. And not all theories are created equal. You would be making an important contribution in that regard.

This is a ridiculous take, if I'm being honest.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Both should be banned from being taught in public schools

[Torie]

Both should be banned from being taught in public schools

Assuming the summary below is accurate, what is so horrible to exposing students to the CRT construct? Heck, at least some of it comports with what may well be reality imo. The whole thing seems to have become a political football, and I am suspect not many really out there on the fruited plain even know what it means, assuming it has some cohesive meaning.

Yeah, those who criticize the theory on intellectual grounds, should have their day in the classroom too of course.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/critical-race-theory

[GeneralMacArthur]

Both should be banned from being taught in public schools

Assuming the summary below is accurate, what is so horrible to exposing students to the CRT construct? Heck, at least some of it comports with what may well be reality imo. The whole thing seems to have become a political football, and I am suspect not many really out there on the fruited plain even know what it means, assuming it has some cohesive meaning.

Yeah, those who criticize the theory on intellectual grounds, should have their day in the classroom too of course.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/critical-race-theory

We should teach it to kids the same way we teach the "stabbed in the back" myth as a cause behind the rise of Hitler.  As a fraudulent, ahistorical myth that bad-faith actors used to whitewash their nefarious agendas.

[Person Man]

Both should be banned from being taught in public schools

Assuming the summary below is accurate, what is so horrible to exposing students to the CRT construct? Heck, at least some of it comports with what may well be reality imo. The whole thing seems to have become a political football, and I am suspect not many really out there on the fruited plain even know what it means, assuming it has some cohesive meaning.

Yeah, those who criticize the theory on intellectual grounds, should have their day in the classroom too of course.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/critical-race-theory

We should teach it to kids the same way we teach the "stabbed in the back" myth as a cause behind the rise of Hitler.  As a fraudulent, ahistorical myth that bad-faith actors used to whitewash their nefarious agendas.

People need to know what these myths are so they can recognize them. Anti-anti-racists like Ben Shapiro and active racists alike have nothing to lose by not restricting intellectual freedom and free speech accordingly.

[WindowPhil]

Critical race theory is based around facts. It just uses the dumbest and scariest sounding  terminology like they're trying to make it as easy to fearmonger as possible.

Lost Cause is harmful pseudoscience with nothing true about it at all.