Those rascally Republicans are at it again!
In his latest bid for immediate attention, Oklahoma State Senator and US Senate Candidate Nathan "Sweater Boy" Dahm and his big-boy beard filed Senate Bill 1102, which would require Oklahoma social studies courses to include “at least 45 minutes of instruction” about the evils of Communism.
The bill was apparently inspired by disgraced former president Trump’s declaration of November 7th as Victims of Communism Day, which is sandwiched by 364 days of Victims of Unchecked American Capitalism Day.
Here’s his rationale, courtesy of KFOR:
“It’s been more than 100 years since the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and Lenin’s formation of the first communist government,” Dahm said. “Since that time, communist regimes throughout the world have murdered more than 100 million people and subjected countless more to unthinkable atrocities. We must ensure our citizens understand the brutality of these regimes and the real danger they pose to our freedoms and lives.”
That's nice and all, but isn't communism already taught in public schools? Plus, as a take no prisoner capitalistic society, don't we already do a pretty good job demonizing communism?
When confronted with these facts, he casually ignored whatever was said and continued on his pointless rant:
“Through false promises of equality and liberation, communist regimes throughout the world have systematically robbed their own citizens of their fundamental rights of religion, speech and association,” Dahm said. “Those who spoke out faced persecution as political prisoners, and many were killed in state-sponsored purges. We’re all familiar with the saying that those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. If we ignore this lesson, we risk our very republic.”
"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it," says the authoritarian alt-right beard boy who wants to overthrow the results of a national election.
We’re constantly warned of the illicit dangers and utter evils of forgetting American history—with the exception of, of course, Indigenous removal, slavery, and so on—with lawmakers like Dahm believing that children should be indoctrinated about the evil's of communism, lest they repeat the same Yankee-doodled mistakes as the Russians, the Chinese and, worst of all, the Californians.
But, with the exception of teenagers trying desperately to shock their parents by hanging a hammer and sickle flag on their door—because fuck you, mom and dad!—the communist threat and its supposed dangers are pretty far removed from the American psyche as we’ve already become so entrenched in absolute capitalism; if you ask me, that’s already a win in your corner, Dahm!
But, I guess unless it’s got Trump’s seditious thumbprints on it—already far more dangerous than any hammer and sickle—that doesn’t make a difference and, soon enough, children will be forced to learn an additional 45 minutes of anti-communist theory once a year that could be better spent doing something more educational, but I guess saying that make me a communist.
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