You think you would get at least a break Sunday in the morning and perhaps I would have, but I was not smart enough and turned on the TV. The channel was set at NBC and so I listened to MEET THE PRESS, a show I normally like.
It took about five minutes and smoke was coming out of my nostrils and still in my Pj’s, holding a cup of decaf in my hand, I gave our dogs a quick history lesson.
Why? Because I had to. I am sick and tired of false claims and I don’t care which side it is who makes them.
I like the New York Times, and I admire many of their journalists but I would hope that in the future, they don’t send somebody who is obviously not a history buff to a show like this.
The younger generations are listening to us and they learn from us. Don’t we ever forget that!
Interesting enough, a panel full of educated people of both parties, did not react at all, when David Brown, a columnist of the NEW YORK TIMES made a big faux pas.
At 23:50 he makes a statement which is not just historically wrong, but also very arrogant and very uneducated.
He says, and I quote: We the United States of America, are the country who won World War II, we defeated fascism, we defeated the Japanese we launched that complicated THING -what he means with that is unknown to us and him I suppose.
Good grief, what is wrong with this country. Can’t we get our facts straight anymore? Seriously, our school system needs reform as bad as our immigration laws and public health care.
While the United States of America was an important Ally in World War II, there were others.
The four main Allies were Great Britain, The United States, France, and the Soviet Union but never forget Canada, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Yugoslavia, all of them fought and defeat the German Reich and its main Allies Italy and Japan.
I have never heard fake news, mainly because it does not exist, but I have seen, read and heard a lot of false news lately. This is Fox News standard and I hope it will not become the norm.
I hope one day we all -the left, the right, and the middle- will start to fact check everything -at all times. Perhaps we can relearn to think before we speak or write.
If not, we will be a nation of very uneducated people very quickly.
My apologies to THE NEW YORK TIMES and to MEET THE PRESS, who normally have a higher standard.
I had to call you out. I couldn’t help it!
Perhaps he was trying to suck up to the President. I thought you’d given up smoke from your nostrils 🙂
Given up smoking almost 5 years ago 🙂
I know 🙂
I had not seen MTP this morning. I am glad you called attention to the ridiculous and arrogant comment. I do think that if we take a general sampling of the American public we become painfully aware that “we” don’t know our history. But I would have expected someone on the panel to have made the correction! I’d like to blame Trump, he’s perhaps exacerbated our arrogance, but he isn’t solely responsible. I think there’s great evidence that in ignorance , Americans, and let’s be clear, I am an American, are frequently guilty of thinking we are the center of the universe. I hope your dogs heard you and will have learned a valuable lesson!
The fact that nobody reacted or corrected the false statement upset me the most. Are we so used to being misinformed that we just let it happen?
agreed !!
My father – and the rest of his battalion – are rolling in their graves 😳
I could go on a long rant, but would only end up making a lot of really derogatory comments.
Lots of rolling in many graves all over the world I suppose. Gosh, stuff like that drives me insane -ask our dogs, they know. 🙂
Pets are the best 💕 …. they bear witness to all our foibles and keep our secrets.
Oh boy! I recently met a very nice American who was amazed to hear that there had been British troops involved in the Far East… ‘I thought it was only the Americans fighting the Japs and the Brits fighting the Germans.’ He may even have said are you sure about this, but perhaps I am embellishing my astonishment.
It blows my mind -and not in a good way. Our school system and with that the education level is sinking in rapid speed and sometimes I wonder if they do it on purpose.
Enlightening that your system turns out people who believe rubbish like that and, more damagingly, are in a position to promulgate such falsehoods. I hope we’re teaching history better than that here in the UK. I was born in Dover 8 years after the end of WW2 and grew up surrounded by reminders of our history – but I fear that the passing of time is making us ignorant and uncaring.
I fear the same and feel I am fighting a losing battle.
I agree, but it is one we can’t afford to lose. When your alleged President can’t even get it right about 1979 things need to change!
Just as frightening is the growing complete lack of interest because people are becoming so self centered!
The lack of interest scares me.
We have much the same over here unfortunately!
Well said, Bridget! When we have leaders who keep rewriting history, the younger generations are easily misled into false thinking.
“Rewriting history” what a sad statement it is.
Well said Bridget.. <3 And wishing you a very Happy 2019 and Beyond..
Sue 🙂
Thanky ou Sue, same to you.
<3
Agree to every extent of it. And the last line took all my heart.
Indeed if we don’t think before speak, we will turn out in the bunch of uneducated people.
A great eye-opener read it is!
It was an eyeopener for me as well. I will make sure I will talk and inform the youth around me accordingly to my education and to my best knowledge.