U.S. History: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver takes a look at how the history of race in America is taught in schools, how we can make those teachings more accurate, and why it’s in everyone's best interest to understand the most realistic version of the past.
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[@gott9712]

Imagine us Germans teaching history like "there was Hitler but we overcame him and now there is no more antisemitism" All of which would be wrong

[@mortuos557]

Wouldn't that be nice if it were a correct abbreviation of history? Would've been a way more comfortable history, and also we wouldn't have idiots vote afd...

[@glittery_cucumber]

Ironically, that's how Americans usually view the Third Reich chapter of German history.

[@lesliewu3208]

Germany is an excellent example of what you get with a few generations of self hating propaganda and it is clear you can fall off the ships on both side of this matter.

[@mortuos557]

@@lesliewu3208 we're not hating ourselves. We're just kept aware of what happened, so no one can misconstrue it without backlash. We wouldn't want someone to repeat our mistakes. The Germans alive today aren't at fault for what happened. But we inherited the responsibility to make sure that this will not happen again. That's not self hatred though. That's knowing your history and owning up to it. Someone who is just proud of the achievements of their ancestors without owning up to their failures is doing themselves a disservice.

[@ktran7282]

@@lesliewu3208 it is definitely not self hating Big news, you can acknowledge what crimes your ancestors and your country have done, remembering it on memorial days, listening to the victims who survived and their descendants and at the same time being a patriot Have you ever seen how germans celebrate their country during soccer world championship or Oktoberfest?

[@sc2_Nightmare]

Take it from a German: Knowing your own history is important, no matter how uncomfortable it is.

[@Gymnasiar]

Not only knowing about it but embracing and building upon it.

[@marekwygnany924]

Yeah, hope we'll fucking get us to not appease east europe like the brits.

[@albertalbert4333]

How very well said sir.

[@gottrance4631]

@UCRpthNj3htMjKgxVA1P4jww Agree, half the people here want to compare the US to Germany or many other communist counties who have done evil in the name of good. The US is not perfect because there isn't a perfect nation, but come on!

[@demasa]

Yeah its fantastic, you all still feel guilty for it and its pathetic. regards, the dutch

[@geekgirl_luv4262]

If you’re not uncomfortable at some point during history class, either it’s being taught wrong or you lack empathy for other human beings.

[@_nobodyxi]

Or you're just not a thin skinned idiot that does not understand humans are barbaric by nature The Germans understand that Their history is supposed to teach them of to fall to their darkest ever again

[@sylvesteruchia5263]

Uncomfortable, angry, annoyed, shocked by horrors.

[@Silvarin33]

I had no idea how egregious the slavery system was until this show, and that horrifies me, because I am white southerner.

[@phoe8523]

That is sooo true . . .

[@lordbaal4371]

I'm a military historian and I can tell you humans haven't changed much in thousands of years. We've got a shinier veneer over the top, our technology has improved, but the animal remains. It's especially apparent when you put a sword in our hands.

[@kaylaguilbault7154]

“If this is the first time that you’re learning about the only coup on American soil…” that quote aged itself 🥲

[@emilysmith2965]

“Only” is now replaced with “first”

[@jamesheaton5421]

I mean, it's still the only effective coup, the idiots at the capitol didn't really succeed at anything but killing some cops and making the republican party look like traitors, which is why they've done such a good job of pretending it never happened.

[@alanmauldin1827]

Well, that coup in N.C. actually succeeded. Trump is a losing loser who list his coup.

[@alangroskreutz235]

Only successful coup.

[@marc21256]

​@@alangroskreutz235Trump's Jan 6 coup was successful. Pelosi Jan 7 coup was also successful. The 2020 election was improperly certified. The rules say it must be certified on Jan 6. It wasn't. But Congress reconvenied on the 7th, called it a continuation of the 6th of January, and certified the election on the wrong day. Had Trump had more support in Congress, the second coup would have failed, and the first would have stood. Trump is an idiot, but don't underestimate evil by dismissing it as incompetent. It will take 100+ years for everyone alive now to die, for the emotions around the events to fall away, but history will record it as two successful coups. Because that's what happened.

[@generalmartok3990]

Complaining about Obama bringing up politics at John Lewis's funeral is like complaining about someone talking about basketball at Kobe's funeral.

[@lynnhettrick7588]

I thought the same exact thing. Do they not know who John Lewis was?!?

[@lynnhettrick7588]

And not just “someone.” It’d be like complaining that LeBron James spoke about basketball at Kobe’s funeral.

[@secularmonk5176]

When Obama brought up the filibuster, he wasn't discussing Lewis' political legacy, but crafting a new Democrat party platform. Would Lewis have supported ending the filibuster? Without it, every time the Senate changes hands, all US policy is up for reinvention ... no stability; we become Italy

[@generalmartok3990]

@Kent Horvath That's the problem. There are so many valid criticisms of Obama but the right-wingers ignore all of them because they are things they actually like, droning brown people and keeping Guantanamo open, for example.

[@gilesluver]

@@secularmonk5176 He'd certainly be all for expanding and protecting Voting Rights... something the Republicans have attacked continuously.

[@limbobilbo8743]

Here in Australia we have a similar problem. Allow me to sum it up: "And then all the aboriginal people's just dissapeared"

[@combatwombatcreations8569]

Really at my school we learned about what happened in every state from about year 9 onward Edit: We also learned about racism in America

[@erikstrasburg6411]

Funny Americans also hear something similar about Native Americans.

[@sixstringedthing]

It still blows my mind every time I remember that Indigenous Australians were classified as "part of the flora and fauna" in government documents right up until the early sixties. But then we solved racism by embracing stir-fry and kebabs. So, uh... We're all good now, right guys?

[@DanielHatchman]

Yeah the history lessons were shit in primary school. There is no reason you can't tell kids to be grateful for what we have relative to others but still properly cover all the parts of history we wish we didn't have.

[@johnmoore1495]

“They went to a better place”

[@300IQPrower]

As a texan who went to private school (as recently as class of ‘18), let me tell you the mental gymnastics are INSANE. We’re taught that Robert E Lee was a “tragic hero,” and that Andrew Jackson was one of the most “effective” Presidents in history. My personal favorite though is books that claim Stonewall Jackson was a “legendary tactician” yet in the same breath add that he died from being shot by his own men. Because he decided to _lead_ a firing squad ambush at NIGHT... _From atop his horse._

[@slimbogoody208]

U can't make this shit up

[@jasonlai1929]

Andrew Jackson died of heart failure.

[@300IQPrower]

@@jasonlai1929 Confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and US President Andrew Jackson are two different people. Both are white supremacist warmongering jackasses from the deep south though.

[@yuriichernenko794]

So let's burn america?

[@ST-LEO]

@@jasonlai1929 no one mentioned Andrew Jackson's death

[@guywhopaysrent]

I had a third grade teacher who African American and she didn’t hold back when she talked about the civil war and civil rights movement. Seeing footage of people being beaten and hosed still stick with me to this day and I’m thankful for that

[@ryanpagel426]

My U.S. history teacher in 11th grade was a college professor , and just straight up told us the curriculum text books were crap. Then proceeded to teach us about the taking of America, the slaughter of Native Americans and slavery through the years. I guess looking back I'm very thankful he did, for i didn't have to grow up ignorant to the reality that is the United States of America.

[@demonzabrak]

Now let’s be fair here. Most of the native Americans were killed by smallpox, and most of that accidentally. But yeah, our forefathers murdered the shit out of them. Sometimes with smallpox on purpose, after noticing how effective the accidents were.

[@johnnixon]

Dr. Bohlen?

[@justandhans]

The fact you got a college professor teaching you 11th grade history from a 14th grade level is amazing

[@amelia3047]

I had a teacher in high school who would call out shit in the textbook that was whitewashed and I’m so glad he did

[@twothreebravo]

In a US history course in college the professor asked the class when we got to the Civil War "Hands up, who thinks the Civil war was fought over slavery?" I and about half the class raised our hands. He then says, "The rest of you are either too lazy to raise your hands or wrong. Now tell me what you think the reasons were and I'll tell you why they're wrong." He had an entire day's lesson set up refuting all these arguments these kids had. It's amazing how much work college educators have to put into just fixing bad secondary educations.

[@PaulMatthis]

"History when taught well shows us how to improve the world, but history when taught poorly falsely claims that there is nothing to improve." Nailed it.

[@tatil8243]

One of the best quotes of the piece!

[@ErutaniaRose]

Everything is grey, and the only way we can step into the light is if we go through the darkness to get there.

[@ErutaniaRose]

@Ok Boomer Nobody has ever taught history properly because there has not been an age of great overall peace. (AkA, there was not peace because people never learned.) Humans cannot learn from their mistakes, or ancestors mistakes, if they are not willing to try. So I suggest you pick ANY two areas of the world, find some general history on them (from any time period) and figure out what they have in common. It might shed some light on what you deem to be "a bs". While you're at it, I suggest you learn some slang tips, since B.S. is never written with an "A" before it.

[@Squalla1]

@Ok Boomer Are you really so dense that you can't grasp the concept of learning from one's mistakes? Have you somehow managed to miss the famous saying "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it" your entire life? Are you _against_ teaching kids actual history for whatever reason? I'd love to hear how 99% of what happened isn't relevant. I'm sure you have an ingenious working for that which isn't at all related to being a conservative dickhead.

[@ErutaniaRose]

@Ok Boomer People do bad things because they are working with what they have and everybody has different skills, experiences, and opinions. Some steal because they need to, others steal because they want to. But, both of them have some sort of issue that needs to be addressed. If we look back at what we have, and why we have it, we can try to fix it. If we sit back, call everything bs, and live without context, nothing will be fixed. We have to learn to coexist. That is starting to happen all across the world, but great change takes time and it takes great effort. So I hope you can be apart of the change and help the world be a better place with the skills you have.

[@williamgregory1848]

Every day, this piece (sadly) ages like fine wine

[@Josh_Quillan]

What really staggers me about "the worst day in America is better than the best day in any other country" is not that meatheads say it, it's that nobody seems in any way aware of how completely untrue and toxic that is.

[@DaretoExplore]

That moron has probably never traveled outside the US. And probably hasn't traveled much inside the US either. US has the worst healthcare system in the world, on top of the racism, xenophobia, mass shootings and opioid epidemic. Even our democratic elections are being threatened now.

[@evanhoffman7995]

It's like they don't even acknowledge the possibility we could be better. To me, the most important and revolutionary part of our constitution is not representative democracy or separation of powers - it's the fact that it can be changed. The founders knew damn well that what they came up with was not perfect and shouldn't be expected to last forever, and that each generation would have to adapt it for their own needs and times.

[@Minumer]

I'll let people get away with saying that just as soon as we have universal healthcare, lmao. Bare minimum.

[@Josh_Quillan]

@@evanhoffman7995 I really don't think the ability to change your laws is particularly special or unique. Basically every country can do that. Much more critical is the will and understanding of zeitgeist required to actually use that ability to benefit the nation, which going by current evidence the US seems to lack in most practical terms. There's a murderous gun rampage epidemic sweeping the nation, cops are not keeping the peace or upholding the law, cities are ripping themselves apart because of car-dependent infrastructure and zoning like it's still 1953, nobody can afford rent, let alone healthcare... how does the political class respond? By reversing laws permitting abortion, banning loads of books and demonising trans people. Smooth recovery there.

[@michaeladkins6]

@@Minumer Holding your breath for that long is unhealthy. No charge for that medical advice.

[@nrdy2theXtreme]

"History, when taught well, shows us how to improve the world. But history, when taught poorly, falsely claims that there is nothing to improve." - John Oliver

[@jamesq.5913]

He was quoting Jon Lewis😉

[@evilspyke5760]

he should take his own advice.

[@joshuaking7470]

@@jamesq.5913 Another example of appropriation hopefully nrdy2theXtreme will correct it

[@chazdomingo475]

​@Bill Jenkins You're sad because you're white but you don't feel like you've got privilege. Maybe you should try being less jealous and petty and perhaps your condition would improve as well

[@evilspyke5760]

@@chazdomingo475 go check how well your white privilege gets you in China or Zimbabwe.

[@FNButterStrings]

"Ignoring the history you don't like is not a victimless act." Might be one of the most powerful one-liners John has ever spoken.

[@charlesearp6133]

Also ironic.

[@gethinblake4826]

@@charlesearp6133 how?

[@thelockwarden9028]

Which is impressive in and of itself. He’s given us a few doozies. That said, nothing will ever top ‘Eat Shit Bob: The Musical’.

[@DeviantDeveloper]

That's not saying much

[@223Drone]

Now Trump is trying to do that with his proposed "patriotic education".

[@dreynoso8561]

Thank you for addressing this! As a grandfather of mixed grandbabies i want to be able to teach them everything possible from history good or bad. So they can make informed choice as the grow. Im the only father figure in their lives and even though im mixed myself, white and Hispanic, im not African American and I will reach out to my friends who are for help at times. I try my hardest to inform myself to raise them right. This was just a step in my growth. Thank you!

[@sugarycloud9977]

For those of you who are a bit confused about why scientists would put in the effort to recreate some random mummy's voice; Nesyamun was a priest in Thebes, during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses XI. It is thought that him singing, or rather humming melodies played a big part in his duties for ceremonies and rituals. Imagining that his voice hasn't been heard for thousands of years on this earth, and is now "back" for us to hear, makes the work put into it seem much more worth it, at least in my opinion.

[@yokotama672]

I'm German and i sometimes feel like i was educated better on american history than some Americans were.

[@pragmaticcynicism6911]

Virtually all mandatory history education in the US is to get citizens to support the war machine.

[@kev9622]

@@blackandcold Apparently grammar isn't being taught either.

[@shiraxilonscillofyk6191]

That's probably true and this is coming from an American who's had to teach themselves history in wealthier school districts I've been to. The best history class I had was when I lived in a poor black neighborhood and my teacher taught us a bunch of stuff but the best part was that he wasn't afraid to talk about racism, slavery, the kkk, and so forth and he spoke freely. Nothing was sugar-coated. He's one of the best teachers I've ever had and he was a friend. That poor school was as cold as reality and although it's been falling apart, it's history lessons still hold true because no matter what, you can't change the past.

[@mr.cangieter8758]

You're not alone 😂.

[@nihalm2684]

I'm an Indian and it's absolutely appalling that americans are so arrogant about their own history. In our history books, we have a better understanding of basic US history than americans themselves, we learn in depth about US slavery, the US constitution, the bill of rights, European slavery, US imperialism and also a whole chapter on nazi Germany. We also learnt in depth, since I'm from CBSE, about the French revolution and it's ideals. And this is all addition to learning about our own countries history!!!

[@FriedrichHerschel]

As a german: Just imagine if we wouldn't be taught about the Holocaust.

[@elonenta3870]

As well as a German: Just imagine we would have kept all the Nazi-symbols and statues of Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels etc as they are part “our” German history...

[@juliuscaesar5197]

Are you? Looking at how Germans call every polish national holiday a fascist gathering and others saying death camps were polish I doubt you are.

[@mindaugas205]

You come to Jerusalem as tourist. In evening at bar someone mentions ww2, and you start going how hitlers vision was reasonable. *big oof meme*

[@zikarisg9025]

Ask the Japanese how much of their occupation of Asia during WWII is thought in school...

[@vincentpol]

@@juliuscaesar5197 You're hopelessly ignorant.

[@boutchie06]

John Oliver is brilliant! We’re lucky to have him.

[@weston.weston]

John Oliver's content aims right for the bullseye, week after week. We need him! Keep up the good work, JO, glad to have you as an ally.

[@hellrazoromega]

I'll never forget what my first college professor said: "Your college math professor hopes you remember what you learned in high school math, your English professor hopes you remember what you learned in high school English, but your history professor hopes you forgot what you learned in high school history." As a college history instructor now myself I couldn't agree more.

[@darknessblade98]

Ironically the only subject I was in advanced classes for is history in highschool and they did a decent job in my opinion

[@Kkidzz]

@@darknessblade98 ...an anomaly in this joke of a country's educational system.

[@veronicablake5389]

thats just plain stupid

[@HexIsme]

I have good news for you: I have zero attention span for uninteresting things, and U.S. history was completely and utterly uninteresting from elementary to high school. Finding out that a good chunk of it was white-washed bullshit is not surprising in the least, but it's certainly depressing. Though, I suppose it also explains all the irrationally proud freedom boners. Difficult to get psyched for your country when you know what evils that country has visited upon its own people. Denial is easier than accepting painful truths.

[@Beavereaver]

So you were brainwashed by your communist professor and now you’re doing the same to unsuspecting kids.

[@MrDimSumLee]

"History, when taught well, shows us how to improve the world, but history, when taught poorly, falsely claims there is nothing to improve. So we have to teach it well and continue to learn it." -John Oliver.

[@mr.stauffersnaturechannel4016]

@Gracchus Babeuf Please post a link that proves your assertion that history teachers are "nationalists." I'll wait...

[@syok4929]

@@mr.stauffersnaturechannel4016 Your reading comprehension hahahahahahah

[@Stu98765]

@Gracchus Babeuf Because 22 people locked in gitmo is equivalent to the almost 1 million in China's camps? I don't agree with what's going on in gitmo but the US isn't harvesting people's organs and locking them up for applying for a passport. Acting like it's fine to commit genocide because another country has 2 dozen people locked up is about the stupidest thing I've heard in a while.

[@k33k32]

I often think, "In order to create a more perfect union...." those words from the preamble of the Constitution remind me that they weren't perfect - neither are we; but we can work to make things better all the time.

[@Bombadillio]

Speaking truth to power with incredibly raw wit and wisdom once again. Thank you John Oliver and Team

[@twopheat7888]

This episode should be required curriculum in all schools in the US.

[@generaltso6914]

So much worse 2 years later!! June 2023 and book banning is rampant in red states to reduce Black History

[@lorihannon-theaker7531]

Best quote ever: “ History, when taught well, shows us how to improve the world, but when taught poorly, falsely claims there is nothing to improve.” John Oliver, 8/2/2020

[@nighttrain1565]

"Ohhh you know, you know the, the, the THING!!" :Joe Biden.

[@johnmichael_]

Such a great quote!

[@walrussquirrel4332]

@@nighttrain1565 Person. Man. Woman. Camera. TV. Business failure who went bankrupt 6 times. Soon to be ex-president. Future inmate.

[@nighttrain1565]

@@walrussquirrel4332 why do libs feel the need to turn everything into slam poetry 😂 shes ded, Sheeeeeees DED.. Dedy ded ded

[@JackZeroZ]

This is deeply problematic. You don’t teach history to brainwash people with agendas. It teach history because it is what happened. It should not serve any political goals.

[@adrianquintanilla850]

This says it all. “History when taught well, shows us how to improve the world, but history when taught poorly, falsely claims there is nothing to improve”. - John Oliver

[@chacecrowell3638]

Exactly how I'd describe the teaching method the left is promoting except their version leans more heavily on the 'things won't/can't improve' than 'things have greatly improved'. I'll pass on guilt-trip teaching

[@matrixphijr]

Chace Crowell You sound like that father. Maybe get some blackout curtains and a good pair of sunglasses and lock yourself in your room so you won’t have to deal with the horrible leftist world anymore.

[@Peter-qz3sn]

@@chacecrowell3638 Teaching the flawed history of America is not guilt-tripping. Nobody wants or needs you to feel guilty about your countries history, but the damage of pretending like everything was awesome is harmful especially to the people who have historically been oppressed. Things have changed and they will continue to but as john said nothing is linear, despite American progress, there was still nuance withing the story of America and pretending like it's black and white (or simple) only serves to make people feel good and that is not the job of history.

[@Iris-hx6ox]

@@chacecrowell3638 Party tribalism drowning in its own Kool-Aid won't improve things either. You should take those blinders off because you can't see the forest for the trees.

[@letitrip5139]

@@chacecrowell3638 you are certainly entitled to your interpretation. I think the left accurately states that things haven't improved as much as a lot of people think they have and if we are honest about that we can become the America we pretend to be

[@inakingston8849]

(From Germany) I am really happy that at my school we had a very good history teacher - our school director - who had his own story about enlightment about the holocaust. We spend nearly 3/4 of the tenth class for this topic. And yes, it is horrifying, inhuman and more than uncomfortable. But I have to know about it to condemn it. It wasn't me who did this, and all I can do about is to be better than the history of my country. (And let's be honest: That's no sooo difficult.)

[@athenasuperheldin1017]

As a German myself. We do learn about the Holocaust but we unfortunately don’t learn about German colonialism and the atrocities that were committed in the colonies.

[@sarahwatson3192]

Im Native Canadian… we’re a footnote in Canadian textbooks. At least we were when I graduated in 2015. Legit all that’s taught here about native Canadians is that their are 3 groups in Canada. The Iroquois, the Algonquin and the Inuit. The only reason my seventh grade class knew that residential schools were real was because my Teacher made sure she kept several books written about survivors and families in the class. And the first time I found one of those books I cried, I finally felt seen and my teacher made sure that when I chose to do my weekly book report on one of those book that everyone in my class understood that what I was saying occurred, it was true and it happened after Anne Frank’s Diary was published. I’ll always remember that teacher because she never once called me an Indian, told me I was exaggerating, or that my beliefs were made up. She stood up for me and made sure my voice was heard in that class.

[@komuc]

Fellow Canadian here. Just want to let you know that Native History has been incorporated into staff training as I recently joined a municipal government. It certainly cleared up some misconceptions I’ve had for years and helped me to understand more where Canadian society, as it is now, came from and the need to continue teaching this history to others.

[@oldmanriver1955]

Australia has national curricula for English, Math, Science, Geography, History, etc, for Kindergarten to Year 12. The commonality makes national mobility much easier.

[@brianneporchak3023]

Canadian here. I'm not sure if it was due to the proximity to Ipperwash, or how recent the murder of Dudley George was, but I remember having several teachers spend months focused only on the culture of various Indigenous communities across Canada, only to end with the several week gut punch of colonization and residential schools. All I remember learning in Grade 4 history was how awful the feudal system of England was, and the systematic genocide of Indigenous peoples and their cultures by the newly forming Canadian government and its continued abuse through to the present. I did also find that some teachers preferred to focus on American slavery, like they could hide our crimes behind those of our neighbours, instead of showing how awful both tragedies were and are.

[@Allouette-1337]

This is horrifying, but I want to assure you that as a class of 2018 graduate, where I was, our education was much more complete, including the horror of the residential schools, the Indian Act and the 60s scoop. I live on treaty 1 land, in the homeland of the Metis people, so maybe that helped, but I want to promise you that things are bad, but they are getting better, slowly.

[@grantwardo]

"History, when taught well, shows us how to improve the world. But history, when taught poorly, falsely claims there is nothing to improve." Beautiful

[@michaelshusterman324]

Truth

[@ZhangtheGreat]

But see? That's exactly how those in power want it taught, because if we want to improve _our_ situations, they see it as a threat to theirs. Since they're in power, why would they want to change anything?

[@bazzfromthebackground3696]

I had a history teacher sophomore year, who opened our first class with an anecdote. "History is written by the winners; winners aren't always good." He then spent our entire year subverting our textbook. I remember almost everyday of that class.

[@azaleaacevedo5124]

He sounds awesome!

[@haroldsneed]

Awesome! One less confuse American.

[@taakotuesdays]

he sounds incredible

[@SMunro]

Realy? Mathematical analysis of egyptian history based on hieroglyph development: valianttheywere.blogspot.com/2020/08/linguistic-archaeology-commonly-used.html

[@ericschnautz6603]

Even though that quote is really old and that teaching style is common, that's still cool that you got a teacher like that. Wish my teachers were better.

[@timothycaver3768]

John, I think what you’re doing with this show is simply outstanding. I have no idea how broad the reach is but I get choked up sometimes listening to you break down the flaws and the lies and cover-ups in this country that are killing the little people. While you may be a lone voice in the wilderness at times, I know people are watching and learning. I’ve learned a ton from your shows but if one white person learns (and changes) from this episode, you should be forever proud of the impact of your platform. Bravo young man. Bravo..

[@rustyreturns9754]

This tape should be shown in every high school in America.

[@soulslikefan6760]

I remember in high school my teacher got pissed when we got to the civil war in the new textbook. It claimed it was because of states rights. He stopped the class for 2 days to make it clear it was because of slavery. He was a vet, and he was proud of his country, even the horrible parts. He said that pretending we had no issues was an insult to everyone who ever tried to make the US better. Although we still never covered juneteenth.

[@TheRandomeer]

As someone who just graduated with a bachelors in US History, I've never been taught of Juneteenth either before this year.

[@TheMulToyVerse]

I do get the actual point, and it’s a truly great point... but I snickered like an asshole when I read the “proud of his country, even the horrible parts” I know it was meant to paint the picture that he is proud of his country even after factoring in/despite the horrible parts, but yeah... momentarily came off as “proud of his country (overall)... proud of the horrible parts” Again though, I get what the message actually was. Sounds like he is a good teacher for making sure you and your classmates were better informed than the textbook would have left you

[@TheMulToyVerse]

David Smith CA education from the heart of the Silicon Valley... I couldn’t tell ya if any of my history classes covered Juneteenth... if any of them did I’ve long since forgotten, and if they didn’t then I couldn’t tell ya that either All I know is that I first started hearing/seeing the date show up online more and more about 5 years ago and while it’s good that I’ve become aware, people are still only ~generally~ aware of it and what it means I’m a perfect example of that. After hearing it mentioned and circulated online for roughly 5 years, it wasn’t until *this* year that I finally saw anything about it commemorating the whole “2 years after everyone else” aspect of Texas being told that they couldn’t keep slaves anymore... I can only imagine the levels of playing dumb that must’ve happened in ~that~ exchange Texas: Wait, whaaaa? Really? No, no... we totally didn’t know that had become a thing; I mean we knew they were *talking* about it but the memo must’ve gotten lost on the way here. For realsies we never got the letter *~slowly closes drawer with open letter dated 2 years prior~* Oh of course, right away... I mean, we were about to free them anyway cause we were getting tired of waiting for ~YOU GUYS~ to make the first move... well yeah, it’s clear you beat us to it NOW, hahahaha, but I mean, that letter getting lost in the mail and all... *~locks the drawer with letter in it~* 😅

[@kissit012]

Slavery was a bargaining tool that was used during the war to get slaves to switch sides and help the North win. The same promises were made during the revolutionary war and many times in between. Slavery didn't even end with the emancipation proclamation, only certain kinds. Lincoln himself said in a speech in 1858: "I have said a hundred times, and I have now no inclination to take it back, that I believe there is no right, and ought to be no inclination in the people of the free States to enter into the slave States, and interfere with the question of slavery at all." He was not an abolitionist. He admittedly used the same tactics as manipulative slave owners against them for his own profit. Many northern fighters owned, and continued to own slaves even after the war. It was not about slavery, it was just a convenient rallying point to get what they wanted. The economic shift that happened after the war made the north rich and debilitated the south, whereas before it was near the opposite. Just like methods used to support the initial war on drugs made it about race, but it was really about economics. Or planned parenthood arguments surround abortion, but are really about womens rights and autonomy.

[@forthesakeofsanityandsuch9331]

Still better than mine, who was really the gym teacher but took the role of us history teacher 'cause we were short, and taught us nothing but wrestling stats, all about his "great wrestler" son and had us read at random (he admitted this once) from the textbook intermittantly (this was my Junior year of HS!)

[@Redandranger]

"History, when taught well, shows us how to improve the world. But history, when taught poorly, falsely claims there is nothing to improve." THIS should hang on the wall of every classroom in America.

[@lauranetta6015]

not only America, everywhere around the world.

[@astrowolvez]

And it teaches that if you dare say there can be improvements then you must hate america.

[@imbabarra]

Cant argue there..

[@juho5282]

@@lauranetta6015 I don't think there is any other truly democratic country that sugarcoats their history as much as Americans. There might be others but it's definitely not the norm.

[@gunsandroses896]

@@juho5282 agreed. Down under, we were taught that yeah, the Brits really f*cked up with Indigenous Asutralians.

[@tegantalks9612]

I’m Canadian and recently there has been a push to learn more about the horror of the residential school system. As hard as it can be to hear, it’s important to learn about.

[@marianamalfaro]

Thank you! There is so much to unpack, ... and more and MORE... lets keep UNPACKING.

[@mrnice4434]

German History taught as an American History: Hitler build nice roads and lost a war.

[@guybeauregard]

...and look how Germany has gotten better and better!

[@gaspardking]

Spot on

[@phoenix5054]

Also known as the War of Russo-Anglo-American Aggression, when a bunch of cowards ganged up against the great Aryan nation.

[@dunklerKurfurstDesDeepstat]

@@guybeauregard look up: Marshall Plan

[@hermannabt8361]

@@phoenix5054 true, except the term 'Aryan' wasn't used after 1935.

[@sherylhoward4831]

Growing up in a red state, I was extremely lucky to have a history teacher who "went by the book " as required but added many things that were left out or whitewashed. He required "extra reading" and we discussed topics instead of just lecture. Some parents threw a fit, but he backed up everything he said and luckily wasn't fired. He inspired me to keep learning. I thank God for that man!

[@charlidog2]

Don't thank a god, thank him (the teacher).

[@sherylhoward4831]

@@charlidog2 Did when I graduated. He's dead now.

[@darksteelyurius]

@@sherylhoward4831 Sorry to hear that he passed away. I had a similar situation only my teacher got fired which kinda lead to me looking up stuff on my own after I graduated.

[@sherylhoward4831]

@@darksteelyurius I just wish that more kids would encounter something like that and use their teenage rebellion to ask,"what are they not telling me? And look things up.

[@emilyarmstrong83]

@@sherylhoward4831 I'm with you on that. I didn't even realize racism still existed until college. Like, I grew up in a majority white state and rural state, but STILL. It shouldn't take going to college to cotton onto this crap.

[@maryschiller5990]

Absolutely fantastic! Love your shows John, and your lovely wife is a hoot! May you both continue sharing your magic for years.😙

[@alanasda7705]

“History, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do. It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations.” - James Baldwin

[@TheFoundnoname]

it is illegal to deny that the holocaust happened here in germany and it is impossible to not learn about it at least 2-3 times in school. we don't sugarcoat it to make sure something like that can not happen ever again. due to this, national pride is low here, but we work to build a better future. we don't dwell in the past, but it is important to know it to move forward.

[@AstolfoBestWaifu1]

As a German person, I think our way with dealing with the past is generally good. But I do not think denying the holocaust should be illegal, I think a person has the right to deny facts and be retarded, there are exceptions, like when you would tell something untrue (without evidence) about another person that would hurt him etc. But saying that the holocaust didn't happen, in itself isn't a problem. You can say that because you are misinformed, and just saying that doesn't really pose a problem. Yes most people who do are nazis, but if I look at the principle behind denying the holocaust, it is no different from just deciding if someone has the right to deny facts, and indeed someone should have the right to do so. As for the history part, I think it's good the way it is, in my school we spent 1 and a half years dealing with the holocaust, which was enough time, to look at everything that happened in enough detail, and also be aware of different things like populism, how propaganda works etc.

[@celiwhaaat6285]

Viktor I think it’s good, that it’s illegal to deny the holocaust. Because as you said most people who deny it are (neo-)nazis and if it wasn’t illegal they would have it way easier. Right now they do it by giving different reasons to why the war started (->revisionism) and saying that the other European countries had the same level of hostility towards minorities. That’s hard enough to fight, but if it was legal to deny the Holocaust that fight would get infinitely harder..

[@samijohn207]

@@AstolfoBestWaifu1 I understand your point of view about having the right to deny facts, but I think this instance would be the one exception to that situation, cause the sheer brutality of the whole thing warrants such a case.

[@hdsempro62]

To me as a German the national pride thing is just... Different. What good has blind national pride ever done? Saw hatred and cause wars. But I am proud of some things, of how we look at our own history and teach it for example, that's not only something important but also something ongoing. I feel like people are proud of being German, but for other reasons than just "Germany is the best country in the world, blablabla, more for things that are actually positive and mean anything for the present or even the future.

[@waszyrowski]

national pride is not a bad thing my Gerry friend. You country's contribution is more than wars you fought - take some pride in your country's accomplishments.

[@darnedhercules]

"History, when taught well, teaches us how to improve the world, but history, when taught poorly, falsely teaches us that there's nothing to improve." The best line I've ever heard about why really learning about history is so important, especially in this day and age

[@CanalPSG]

I beg to differ. Around 1920, Communist Russia investigated why the French Revolution failed. The answer was, that the Revolution was hijacked by a charismatic head of the army, who could empower the soldiers with brilliant speeches, and in the end stole all the power: Napoleon Bonaparte. In the USSR, there was such a person too: Leon Trotsky. Thus, the communists took their lesson from history, and tried to improve the world by supporting the less charismatic Stalin. This shows it is bad to trust a history book for lessons for the future.

[@ksahnimdl]

CanalPSG so your argument is that communism failed because of Stalin? That is not only incredibly reductionist, but also untrue.

[@CanalPSG]

@@ksahnimdl That was not what I was saying. All I can say is that throwing away Trotsky was not beneficient for the success of the Revolution.

[@cowpercoles1194]

History needs to be taught accurately, with a dedication to truth and integrity, and as little bias as possible, to best identify where the problems actually are, and openly discuss how to solve them. You can also teach history poorly to exaggerate injustices or spin a false narrative, to cherry pick data to prop up a political agenda that is assumed to be true. Case in point, saying that because all Americans don't learn about the 1920s Tulsa riots is proof that there is all-encompassing white privilege and that an invisible undercurrent of system white racism exists in everyone, all the time, even if they are personally racist. Just because this particular horrible event isn't universally taught (I actually did learn about it in high school back in 1986), doesn't mean that white people aren't taught about Jim Crow or that racism is wrong. Usually, history classes teach about lynching, without lingering on specific events due to lack of time in the school year. Also, textbook companies shy away from hyper-controversial content to sell the book to school boards, and then teachers can add more controversial topics that aren't in the textbook (both black and white school boards don't generally approve purchasing books that will cause local political fights).

[@Newt0rz]

@@CanalPSG Dude, it's way more complicated than that. Trotsky's handling of the invasion of Ukraine and later Poland was considered a disaster. Stalin initially got the blame for it, but the moment Lenin died, Trotsky's closest ally, Stalin turned it around on him. No one knows for sure why Trotsky was incapacitated at the time, but he didn't retaliate until it was too late. Stalin was a shrewd manipulator, he outplayed Trotsky. Had nothing to do with 'charisma', or how liked either was in the party.

[@ayenul]

“The only coup d’etet ever to take place on American soil” Ah, I can see this episode was produced in the Before Times

[@WooShell]

TIL that here in Germany I learned more about American history than most Americans know.. and that this show probably provided more history education to HBO viewers than their federal school system.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

The US doesn't have a federal school system. States are given near unilateral authority to design their school systems however they like.

[@SondreGrneng]

"the worst day in America beats teh best day in any other country" That's something that could only ever have been said by someone that has never been outside the country.

[@kiereluurs1243]

He probably could not point his own country on a map.

[@orlock20]

It also depends on when it was said. For instance, the average person in the U.S. was wealthier by 1820 than the people living in Europe at that time. Also the 1940s and 1950s saw better living in the U.S. just because other rich countries were rebuilding after WW2.

[@brock5946]

@@orlock20 Is wealth the indicator how a country is doing or is there a bigger picture?

[@orlock20]

@@brock5946 If Europe was a state in the U.S., it would rank between Mississippi and West Virginia in terms of wealth per person. Those two states are the poorest states in the U.S. Europe also has high taxes and small militaries yet their debt per GNP is as bad as the U.S. or worse. It's so bad in France that when the government tried to raise taxes again, the population revolted in the streets for over a year and the tax never happened. With nothing to cut and no extra taxes, it's debt is just going to balloon. The UK is so poor that over 1 million patients last year were treated by unqualified personal. It also had to sent patients to France for surgery. Germany is so poor it doesn't even have a functional military since the money went to paying pensions. That's why there is so much fuss about the U.S. military leaving Germany.

[@sebastianwallin3726]

@@orlock20 Wealth also depends on how you measure it. I bet you measure wealth at all times by USD. That way you will always favor the country that owns that currency. Also some of the international banks for currency exchange is American owned and hence scews the exchange rate from American perspective. If you look at gdp for European countries you will see that by this measure 2014 was far harsher than 2008. Even though we in Europe experienced no recession in this time period. The explanation is the change of value by currency. If you were to measure the economies of EU and US by euros the economies would look different.

[@JunesGo]

"the worst day in America beats the best day in any other country" As a Scandinavian I find that statement hilarious.

[@TheWolfsnack]

As di I...a Canadian....

[@thexenosaiyan]

@@TheWolfsnack as do I, an American

[@SheilaR.08]

As an American, I find it bile-inducing. Mortifying.

[@pluckybellhop66]

@Trollby Covington Wtf does that mean

[@colmcorbec7031]

I do agree. Hear hear!

[@godonlyknows13]

History is taught, almost without exception, from the perspective of "great people," heroes of history, who push history forward through great acts. In reality it is by the will or the passive acceptance of the masses of common people that history is truly made. As it is the people who truly hold the power in society. And when you learn the people's history, not just the history of "great men," you learn not only the truer representation of history, but of the POWER housed in the hands of the people. And nothing is more dangerous to established power structures than a people aware of their own strength, ready to demand their will be taken seriously by the elite.

[@sairabaig3118]

I'm going to binge it later when I feel not so mentally broken.

[@weston.weston]

@Saira Baig: I completely understand. I know it is extremely well done but I am not emotionally ready to watch his housing discrimination video yet. I don't have the emotional energy, especially when you need to interact with the world with grace and positivity.

[@fretboy5028]

"History that ignores white supremacy is a white supremacist's version of history." Thank you, JO, for this sentence.

[@jace399]

By that standard then you would also agree ignoring the history of the Arab slave trade is Islamic supremacy??

[@1994CPK]

74% percent of American slave owners were Jewish or held Jewish ancestry.

[@humanbeing5918]

Isn't that the opposite though? History that emphasizes white supremacy is a white supremacist's version of history. I think white supremacists would rather talk about how whites have been superior throughout the history rather than hide it.

[@jozroz2165]

Jace Irrelevant whataboutism. Americans should learn the visceral details of American slavery first. When that's common knowledge amongst all the citizenry, then you've earned the right to judge others.

[@gailbolton4891]

@@1994CPK I really doubt that is even remotely true.

[@Galimeer5]

"Changing an America that doesn't want to be changed" is the most concise description of history and politics I've ever heard

[@CribNotes]

Clever word twists are not truth by mere default. Sorry.

[@brianbrush5107]

@@CribNotes It's truth by way of the facts

[@ieatcake33]

A lot of this is culturally ingrained into society, and changing something cultural usually requires multiple generations. That’s why racism didn’t just disappear 50 years after MLK

[@AquarianSoulTimeTraveler]

Juneteenth doesn't make any sense that could be any date from the 13th through the 19th!!! This new universe version sucks! Goddamn madela effects!

[@DreDayBoogie]

@@AquarianSoulTimeTravelerYea i need a universe where white ppl never left the caucus mountains

[@danielabramovitch328]

I remember seeing this bit and recognizing that textbook from my 4th grade. I even remember the "How can this be true?" feeling from all those years ago when reading the passages about slavery not being so bad. Those passages let some kids point to the book and say, "See." If that's all someone learns, then they grow up wondering what all the fuss was about. When those of us who learned more try to point out what crap we were taught, some folks get upset. Of course, back then many people didn't seem to look critically at stuff like "Gone With the Wind". They really worked to keep us separated.

[@Blackread]

"The worst day in america beats the best day in any other country" The hubris in this statement is off the charts.

[@MedTech37572]

“The only coup to take place on American soil”...that didn’t age well.

[@PeterWake]

Beat me to it.

[@anthonymacconnell8817]

The only successful coup maybe works better

[@vgverog]

Both from white supremacists at that.

[@grnmjolnir]

Although, I guess maybe technically both were Putschs.

[@christianmaroon8807]

Just came to the comments to say the same thing lmao

[@PONR2006]

I wish there was a second part to this about US history that talked about US's view of its own foreign policy.

[@ShauntSerelu]

The US's foreign policy has always been: "there's only America and places that are soon to be America"

[@buddhafyre]

I read a great book on that subject....Killing Hope; CIA Misadventures Abroad

[@Anon-on1cw]

The CIA would pop him if he tried.

[@jsrodman]

The US's .. let's say erratic .. foreign policy is easy to mock, but hard to summarize in concise and neutral manner. We have a reasonable number of writers and speakers who are fairly realistic about the roots of US foreign policy and the results of modern US foreign policy. However they're very actively attacked by other people more deeply invested in US exceptionalism. Let's say I don't expect public school curriculums to adopt an accurate and thorough teaching of the topic any time in the next 40-50 years.

[@dylananderson310]

Give it a week

[@Sachaannstarart]

The laugh you gave me at the end of all the heaviness was much appreciated! 👏🏽👏🏽

[@lancewhiteeagle3203]

Great segment, and information that needs to be out there! I would love to see the show revisit American history and talk about the lack of Native American information.

[@HyBrithe]

I am an ignorant 45 y/o white male from the Midwest. I coughed uncomfortably a little at Joy talking about George Washington, as far as I knew he freed his slaves too but not under what conditions. The knowledge available today is more prevalent than what I had in school. It's uncomfortable for white people to hear the awful truth of what has happened to black people in American history and I believe as a defense mechanism, many white people distance themselves from that history. My Grandparents were immigrants and didn't own slaves, I treat black people fairly, I live in the North, I can talk to a black person in the eyes... etc. But my grandmother who is still alive once told me she was upset in the late 80's with all of the "colored" TV shows that were on. While I admit my ignorance to the plight of black people and their history, I hope that I can continue to learn and gain wisdom from these events.

[@sarahgraves571]

I appreciate your honesty and transparency. That is how change will happen as we open our minds to the truth, our hearts and minds know the next steps to correct the injustices then and now.

[@dantatadangote4700]

If only there were more White people like you 🙏 thank you for being candid ❤. It's not about assigning blame but more about bringing reconciliation so as to move forward stronger together as a nation.

[@Silburific]

You sound like a good person. The thing you seem to realize, that more white people need to, is that acknowledging that racism exists and is baked into the foundation of the US as a whole is _NOT_ a personal attack on all white people.

[@zackosborn1731]

Your not ignorant or inherently evil just for being white and being raised in a white county. Ever wonder how the Africans in Liberia fared vs. The ones that got to stay here? Save your white guilt and self flagellation, you nor your grandma did anything wrong.

[@zackosborn1731]

@@Silburific How is it baked in? Can you show me the law or amendment passed that did this?

[@elgordo2162]

"If you are not ashamed of your country's History, you do not know it"

[@gregorytyson995]

Time makes bigots of us all.

[@nerfherder4284]

@@gregorytyson995 That statement is weak. It implies that people weren't bigots until the world changed and made them so. Until we all take personal responsibility for our own bigotry in the now, nothing will change. Racists aren't victims of time.

[@NewGuy2534]

Tell that to Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Seattle, Portland and New York. I think they are taking that shame just a tad bit too far.

[@Mayotauros]

Why be ashamed for something I didn't participate in? I can be ashamed of the injustice now.

[@yyjpyy]

@@nerfherder4284 I don't think the comment you're replying to is trying to make racists the victim. It underlines how, even you feel like you're progressive and fair among your contemporaries, it is very much possible that eventually your views will sound bigoted and backwards.

[@rustyreturns9754]

Yes, John is an immigrant. Yet, he seems more well versed in American history than a vast majority of the native born. Yes, his research staff is amazing; yes, I’m sure he did not know American history in the detail this and many other shows exhibit. However, now we ALL know. John learned, then taught us. I’m so grateful!

[@kaydirling]

Immigrants have to learn way more about US politics and history than is demanded of native born citizens, sadly.

[@alangrant3259]

Thank you John.

[@twothreebravo]

When I was in the 7th grade (35 years ago) I had a history teacher who when he taught about the Civil War he explained "When you get to high school they're going to start to tell you it wasn't about slavery, that it was 'more complicated'. Don't listen to them, push back against that nonsense, it was slavery." He also taught us about Juneteenth. We were white in a basically all white rural/suburban district. This knowledge has served me well and helped me to always dig a little deeper whenever I read about things and try to be objective

[@lenalongbottom80]

mad respect to that teacher.

[@maryrosekent8223]

twothreebravo Having teachers who love to impart knowledge is such a rich experience. You’re lucky!

[@naturalbeautyfoods512]

I had a similar teacher in 4th grade. I'll never forget the day she taught us this. I'm 40 now and I still find it surprising when I read comments from white people reacting so defensively to the truth. I wonder what their teachers taught them, or should I say "didn't" teach them.

[@BreanaP]

Was absolutely taught (in rural Georgia of course) that the Civil War was specifically fought for "States Rights." Nevermind the fact that the South was fighting for their rights to own human beings 😑

[@GamerdevilPro]

As a German it's mind-boggling to hear how history is taught in the USA. We are getting taught how important it is to know about history in order to not repeat it. Learning about the horrors of WW2 and the whole buildup to the 3rd reich is the most important part we are getting taught in school and we do so for multiple *years*, often accompanied by visits of memorials, concentration camps and reading literature (notably the diary of Anne Frank which we read in 7th grade) and newspapers of that time. There are still things that we can improve here about our history lessons, especially the more recent history but the difference in quality to the US is astonishing.

[@PIlotrcm]

If America did to the Confederacy what the allies did to Nazi Germany at the end of WWII, we wouldn’t be having these conversations. Reality is the racist south was left to fester and take over that area again. A very real and domestic terrorist group, the KKK, came about and was never snuffed out immediately.

[@adamtattersall6232]

We were on the wrong side - Patton

[@fastinradfordable]

News flash. Germany also has taught kids incomplete history. Hell. Just 80 years ago.....

[@mojoman2001]

Americans learn that German history, too.

[@emilsinclair4190]

@@fastinradfordable just 80 years ago.... 80 years is a long time.

[@qthedancer4711]

This segment is superb. ❤

[@dndx0527]

This remains one of my favorite LWT pieces during the Void era and it also gave me one of my favorite quotes: "history when taught well shows us how to improve the world but history when taught poorly falsely claims there is nothing to improve."

[@daniellecouch2122]

One of the best episodes. Still crying. I"m almost 50 yrs old and trying to relearn history. Much love to John Oliver and the writing staff of Last Week Tonight.

[@glynnismajor]

Right? I'm almost 43 and from Louisiana. I've learned a lot of "trapped in the closet history" from a particular account I follow on Instagram but this episode is so important that it became an instant favorite. If I were a teacher- my students WOULD HAVE TO WATCH THIS.

[@WildwoodClaire1]

Right you are! I consider myself reasonably well-educated in American history, but that is due to personal interest, and LITTLE THANKS to the white-washed, often subtle but sometimes explicit, racist nonsense I was taught as a child growing up in Tennessee. For example, I was well into adulthood before I ever heard the name Emmett Till, or anything about Tulsa or WIlmington, NC, and only recently learned about "Juneteenth." Yes, even now as a recent retiree, I am STILL learning about things hidden away in our jumbled national history cellar.

[@glynnismajor]

@@WildwoodClaire1As a kid I thought Juneteenth was also called James Earl Ray day as well because of the racists I was surrounded by. The first person who ever told me that was a police officer.

[@emilyb.8219]

My mom is 57 and she's been working hard the last few months especially to relearn history. It's inspiring to me when older adults are willing to acknowledge they've been wrong or misinformed for decades and do their best to rectify it. So many just double down on what they've always known, no matter how off the mark it is.

[@mihaimoldo]

If you're interested watch this further : m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWXGmqqgfbt7j8k There are a couple of books mentioned throughout the video and they seem worth your while.

[@meadowrae1491]

As an American I get this constant feeling that I'm being gaslighted by my entire country. I just don't understand how or why people can believe the obvious lies we are being told daily.

[@walrussquirrel4332]

Because they want to. It's beyond absurd how many adults in the US are mentally still children who need fairy tales to help them sleep at night.

[@meadowrae1491]

@Hillary Clinton Let's start with the simplest; that we are the greatest country on earth. Greatest at what, exactly?

[@Grybster]

1. Because It goes against many peoples interests (not only political but also financial) 2. Because lies such as these are easier to swallow and do not endanger comfort zones of many MANY people 3. Because if a lie is repeated many times, it eventually becomes the truth ( and if the lie is within one's comfort zone then it will not only be protected but even defended from ANY attempts to change it)

[@cyclone5354]

Bill Jenkins I’m tired of people and Americans like you whining about this nation and saying it’s not legitimate and then living on it and making money. F off unless ur leaving if it’s illegitimate

[@fastinradfordable]

Cyclone5 Go tell some native Americans their claim to North America going back ThOUsANDS of years is invalid. They owned every inch of this land while most white people hadn’t even made up the second book in Christianity.

[@dw5749]

God bless John Oliver

[@TuxedoMaskMusic]

THIS IS MY FAVORITE EPISODE EVER! NO CONTEST!

[@zaynab-to-a]

True story: my mom is black, and she grew up in a really bad neighborhood with gangs and roach-infested apartments, but she did really well in her school and ended up being the second (my aunt is older than her) person in our family to ever go to college--software engineering. College was where she learned that dinosaurs were not fictional.

[@thatsagoodone8283]

Thanks for sharing! A really funny, believable and inspiring yet somewhat sad story. Cool that your mom impoved her life that much!

[@kristyna.kocianova]

Your mom sounds awesome! So happy that she got this far :)

[@Julia-lk8jn]

That is one cool story, thanks for sharing. If I may ask, when did your mom go to college?

[@TheDoorspook11c]

Sounds like yall are from Texas! Seriously. Check the ed curriculum in TX.

[@Deladus]

I have a former coworker in their late 30s or maybe 40s who did not believe dinosaurs existed. Also, she did not believe in outer space.

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

"Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor." --James Baldwin

[@wild-radio7373]

WORD! ♡

[@Rebecca-qx1et]

Absolutely correct!

[@mimosakura795]

Very true, sadly most can never grasp that fact. And being poor means you'll always have to work 3 times harder to make it.

[@Ulyssestnt]

Man those are true words my friend..

[@camelopardalis84]

Tell me about it. Paying x amount for a pair of shoes once a year instead of twice as much every five years ...

[@AmareeshGupta]

Bless you John

[@deegarrison2335]

Thank you John! So true and thoughtful!

[@oliverboisen7475]

Sometimes I feel like non-Americans actually know more about American history than Americans themselves

[@t0n0k0]

Oliver Boisen 💯

[@Vaderi300]

You're not wrong in that feeling.

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

I am a proof of that statement...

[@michaeltheundeadmariachi4494]

@Binky D'Eath only if you live in either, China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, or North Korea

[@ditsugh]

yupp

[@Random-Saurus]

Imagine history books in Germany teaching about the Holocaust like that... "Germans have always been very efficient, so they made an agreement with Jews and other minorities and even political opponents, who were eager to work for the great Reich. They were given the opportunity to build their houses on a camp ground where they would live and work together as a community; mining, working in factories, cooking or making lamp shades and knive sheaves... But some of them were lazy or vicious, so they had to be punished accordingly. Some Jews couldn't work because they were too old and fragile or still too young, so they were sent to a different kind of camps with great sanitary installations where they would live together happily ever after."

[@ruairiodonohoe2533]

Ikr

[@JanChrissD]

As a german, i am so greatfull for the strong democracy we have. Writing, selling ore promoting those kinds of schoolbooks would be a hatecrime here.

[@PuddingXXL]

This!

[@rickgiles7955]

Wow, u hit the nail on the head

[@camotee1680]

In Japan, their history books told them that the Pearl Harbor incident was in retaliation for having Tom Cruise as the Last Samurai instead of Chuck Norris. And every time they apologized, they were just using government funds to have a celebration of sort

[@tobiasglendenning7966]

History isn't just a timeline of events, history is our inquiry into the stories of the past. By not asking difficult questions, ugly questions, dark questions of the past, then you are ignoring history, you are ignoring not just what happened but why and how they happened.

[@stephansteohanlarsen7457]

One planet One people One love One destiny 🌍

[@sassyalbatross2933]

I grew up in Illinois were I was taught that Native American were “functionally extinct” despite being indigenous myself all the way trough high school. Illinois wanted to make sure I felt like a fool so when I said I was native my second grade teacher said “ok so how about you play the pilgrim today” and when I said I didn’t want to be the bad guy she said pilgrim were the good guys who taught native how to use technology. My teachers in high school made me come in, in full dress just to laugh at me along with my classmates and talk about how my culture was “silly”. The same teacher who called manifest destiny amazing because now we had Disney land. Total bullshit. It doesn’t surprise me that in talking about white supremacy you left natives out because when talking about the redskins changing their name almost every news channel said natives were “waiting” for years. We weren’t waiting.

[@WildFyreful]

I'm so sorry your teachers did that to you. That's fucking gross of them to do that! D:

[@Antonio953digit]

You're absolutely right, native americans were wronged just as much as black americans. Unfortunately, history is written by those in power but they do not own the truth

[@darthknightwingphoenix2081]

I'm so sorry.

[@TheRiptideRaptor]

Sassy Albatross Where in Illinois?

[@casucasueq4479]

Grief shouldnt be a competition.

[@footballamateur123]

In college I majored in economics, and my senior year I took a class called "The History of the American Economy." When we got to the chapter on slavery my professor said "I don't really like teaching this chapter because it makes me uncomfortable, so we're going to just skip over it." That's all we talked about slavery, in a course on THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. We then spent the next couple of weeks talking about the economic impact of the Civil War, without once mentioning what the war was even being fought over or how reliant the south was on slave labor.

[@HasJel131]

Sheesh

[@experimentsinliving4302]

Sounds about right. One thing I've learned in college is that going to college doesn't guarantee an education.

[@barryallen871]

That's a shitty professor. Every professor I had loved talking about the controversial stuff.

[@OjaysReel]

WOW!

[@kk8490]

Yikes

[@emilegrenierrobillard372]

Years after , im still haunted by the dad who asked his kids been taught ''worst Day in america beats best day in any other country''. I'm not american. Even for twice my salary in quebec I would want to live in the US. Even for 4x my salary I would not want my little baby growing up in the US. You really think your live is so much better than a day in Montreal? In Paris? In Vienna? Nobody in the west is looking toward the american dream anymore with anything more than fear, disgust and pity . Please heal. We still need our american friends. This message was written from the terminus of the underground railway. Montréal, Québec.

[@lanskandal1181]

18:30 "The only coup on American soil" Ahh, but not for long.

[@michaelpreller4025]

"The worst day in America beats the best day in any other country." Holy hell, that is some next level delusion right there.

[@PanicbyExample]

like you could never just have a nice day if you're another ethnicity... like you could never admire a sunrise anywhere else on earth... so hard to imagine the context where that's the goal

[@valentinethompson2449]

Not even if you're a victim of those worse days.

[@waggishsagacity7947]

michael preller: It's delusion if one believes in it; a lie if one knows it not to be true. I suggest that it's the latter. Agree?

[@hinglemccringleberry8193]

Say that to anyone living in Chicago or detroit, and to someone living in Stockholm

[@EricDannerW]

Would be easier to know that this isn't true if Americans had enough vacation to experience other countries. Not a 5 day sprint through Europe, but a multi week trip where you had actual time to meet people and exchange ideas and feel it out.

[@irferf]

"the worst day in america beats the best day in any other country." this is quite literally propaganda.

[@vatolocosforever803]

You people will find an excuse anywhere no matter how deep it is to

[@Stjerneskibet]

And so incredibly wrong :-o

[@sarap6055]

Exactly. The same exact sentence used to be written in books in the communist Albania. Smh

[@NealMaingot]

Ya right! In your fkn' dreams!

[@pastorofmuppets8834]

Makes for great recruiting for sending off the troops to do your dirty work though

[@davidhull1481]

I realized part way through this that I had seen it before. I watched it again anyway, because we can’t hear this message too often. History doesn’t stop, indeed, and we haven’t come near to fixing the problems caused by slavery.

[@DrUrlf]

Germany has learned a bunch of super important lessons from reflecting on it's darkest history and teaching about it intensely. The US didn't go that route yet but when it does a lot could change for the better, especially socially and between different societal groups.

[@jesusdiscipledon1499]

“Meehhh” - Ramses II, c. 2000 AD

[@christianking341]

2000 BC?

[@steffen3382]

Oh man that glorious quote made my day!!!

[@jesusdiscipledon1499]

@Piecemaker1975 It was a joke. Ramses II was the most Egyptian sounding mummy name that came to mind and the likes agree. Facts aren’t important. It’s 2016 AD.

[@jesusdiscipledon1499]

@Christian King He may have said “meeehh” in his day but I was referring to the last sound he technically made when they forced the air through his 3D printed air cavity. There’s also a joke that this will he seen in thousands of years when “2020 ad” would be relative hogwash. So just go with a general “c. 2000 ad”. The Egyptians didn’t do everything in 3000 BC. But they sure seem to have done everything circa 3000BC. You aren’t wrong. You just aren’t left.

[@bogdanh635]

More like 2020 AD

[@captainawesome0711]

"The Constitution isn't a KZbinr who just learned that it's not cool to do blackface for 15 years" is the hardest roast of Shane Dawson I have ever seen

[@whish67]

I highly recommend D'Angelo's video analyzing his entire history of horrific things Shane Dawson's done. It's a brilliant analysis, but it's so terrible. Oliver barely mentioned a quarter of it.

[@captainawesome0711]

@@whish67 HUGE FACTS! I don't get how people were a fan of him tbh, I haven't enjoyed anything he's put out since I've developed my brain outta middle school lol

[@whish67]

@@captainawesome0711 I've never really watched him, only saw him in FineBros stuff like MyMusic and JESUS CHRIST what a mistake that was

[@captainawesome0711]

@@whish67 My main experience with his content was back in 09-10 when I was 11. I thought his shit was funny at first because it had bad words and was edgy. I remember my mom sat me down and explained the issue with blackface when she saw me watching one of his videos, I mean at 11 you dont have much of an idea about what minstrel shows are Gotta MyMusic was the shit back in the day tho, they got me into Jacksfilms so I'll always love them for that. I think the Fine Bros have matured much more than Shane in the past decade. itll be interesting to see how their channel does compared to Shane's over the next few months, I have a hunch that the Fine Bros might do better because their content isnt attached to them as much as it is their shows... their face isnt their brand unlike Shane

[@whish67]

@@captainawesome0711 I'm so proud of your mom for being able to talk to you about that! There's another video analyzing what Shane does, they called Parasocial Audience Grooming. It's a much more psychological analysis of the dangers of his content, how it attracts young viewers, and the danger it causes. Also I LOVED MyMusic, I rewatched it recently and it's generally still really fun. It's funny, I thought Indie was insane when I watched it when I was little, but when I rewatched it, I understood all of his references lmao.

[@avianna7738]

I think it’s important to add a footnote or slide to this video to keep it up to current events seeing as how it was created and aired BEFORE the following event: It should definitely inform the viewer of the additional ATTEMPTED coup on January 6, 2021 so that upon hearing the old version of the video, a viewer does not dismiss that event as not being a coup in any way.

[@williamchalker9364]

Thank you, Mr Oliver!

[@RJ-he2ns]

Americans: They can't erase our history! Also Americans: We should just ignore this part of our history.

[@Skytho]

and this "part" is about 80% of the relevant bits

[@WolfenX4]

This. RJ is what we call over here, a golden comment 🥇

[@TimStamper89]

In my school in Britain we were taught about the trans Atlantic slave trade l. The horrendous truth of it and also balanced with the understanding that it wasnt as simple as europeans turned up and went kidnapping people but rather there was existing slave trade they expanded upon and that many many slaves were sold by Africans to europeans. It also then emphasizes the fact that it was made worse by the fact the way slavery was viewed was different and the "efficiency" of europeans led to the horrendous slave ships weve all seen diagrams of. Was half a year and it didnt even cover it all. Such a complex issue and yet it seems america just glosses over it

[@Heathcoatman]

Not just ignore, rewrite. In the American South a large percentage of the children are still being told by their parents and teachers that the Civil War was fought over States' Rights, which allows them to continue their 'Lost Cause' narrative. What they do not teach in Rural America is that certain states were so worried they were going to lose their slaves that they wanted to preemptively fight to hold on to slavery. The South didn't secede because they thought they might get taxed unfairly or because they weren't being represented fairly, it was because they wanted to keep slavery. Period. This "Lost Cause' myth will continue to plague our nation, it's being passed down with fervor, and when we try to remove statues of traitors and those who fought to own other people, it's the 'Lost Cause' myth that makes racists show up to protest carrying torches and chanting "Jews will not replace us". www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/lost-cause-definition-and-origins

[@Heathcoatman]

@Matthew McDonald LMAO!

[@rachelmcdonough1506]

As a history teacher, it took me a long time to finally watch this because it hits incredibly close to home. So many people have accused me of "leftist brainwashing" for wanting to tell my students the truth about history.

[@xiala_]

It’s not leftist brainwashing, it’s the ugly, unpleasant truth. It’s our history whether we like it or not. And as a student of teachers like yourself, I am grateful to have not been shielded from it. I am grateful to not be ignorant. To be ignorant of how not just the best, but also the worst of our nations past... Of how it has had its grimy hands all over our nations present and therefore its future... Nothing could be more unjust. We learn history to grow from it. To see how it has affected the present. To know what needs to change. So, ultimately I appreciate history teachers like yourself and my own. I would be ignorant to the reality of our past and present otherwise. Thank you for your honesty, Rachel.

[@Laeiryn]

Made year 1 French students do posters on ex-French colonies and after our walk around for everyone to look at each others', one kid frowningly said, "I'm starting to get the impression that the French were the bad guys." Just a few steps from there to "...oh crap, my own empire is just as bad, isn't it?"

[@gordonjones9658]

🗣Rachel McDonough Stand Strong 💪🏾🤜🏾🤛🏾👌🏾

[@michiganscythian2445]

I have a BA in history and people often tell me that I only learned liberal history in college and that “they only taught you what they wanted to teach you.” Uh... do you know anything about university level history beyond survey courses? Primary sources, lots and lots of primary sources. Most of my college research was on horse husbandry during the high Middle Ages and I spent most of my senior capstone course reading 17th century Dutch tax laws and the Dutch were pretty darn capitalist during that time. I know a few professors were left leaning but didn’t really interfere with our research beyond “are there enough sources on the subject?” or “make sure you address the opposing argument”

[@metalDCM8]

Racists: facts don’t care about your feelings.

[@railrodemike]

Living a few miles from a military base, military library's and museums and relatives that liberated the concentration camps. History just part of life.

[@jrlmbert]

No bulshit, I did some time in Texas about 20 years ago and this is what we ate on three special days: on July 4th we had hamburgers and hot dogs, on Cinco de Mayo we had tacos, and on Juneteenth we had fried chicken, no bulshit.

[@georgegeisert4329]

My school decided to SKIP the chapter covering "Discrimination Against African Americans" because they deemed it to be "less important" than other chapters like "Leisurely Activities of the Last 1800s". Depressing

[@zackclark1425]

Typically

[@msjkramey]

@Kerstin Muir um, actually mayonnaise took off in the 1700s, so us white people were eating moist sandwiches while being racist at our picnics, thank you very much

[@detrockcity3]

oh, it's just that leisurely activities in the late 1800s already includes discrimination against African Americans

[@msjkramey]

@Patrick J Mims exactly! Our ancestors were monsters but they had condiments at least! (On a serious note, what OP said is effed. We need to get our priorities straight)

[@salvagemonster3612]

Nope didn’t happen

[@jointy33]

As a 30 year old german I want to add that I will never forget my visit with my school class to the concentration camp Buchenwald. I stood in a room as a child where the dead bodies were being rounded up and stacked before burning them. Even the loudest, most irresponsible ones in our group shut up during that day and believe me, it didnt mess with us, it didnt darken our minds, it didnt make us hate the country we lived in, the country I grew up in, the country it is developing itself to be, as we all write our own history. What it did do is broadening my horizon, making me aware for injustice and hopefully gave me the courage, shall I ever face these horrors no matter how big or small to open my mouth and speak out.

[@orlock20]

But it didn't stop the Chinese from building their own recently in north west China.

[@hansfranz8795]

Oh Buchenwald, ich kann dich nicht vergessen Weil du mein Schicksal bist Wer dich verließ, der kann es erst ermessen Wie wundervoll die Freiheit ist Oh Buchenwald, wir jammern nicht und klagen Und was auch unser Schicksal sei Wir wollen trotzdem "Ja!" zum Leben sagen Denn einmal kommt der Tag, da sind wir frei

[@jennifermcgoldrick6323]

@orlock20 chinese grade school kids don't visit those concentration camps 🙄 Stop pretending you don't understand just so that you can bring up another terrible action by humans.

[@muhammedatta666]

And today students should be taught how race hustlers like Ellison and the Dems caused the loss of tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions in property, due to Dem propaganda. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJnaqXqwjrplqtU In other words we have not learned much since the blatant misrepresentation of the actual, full, interaction of rodney king and police.

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

One can be a proud citizen of his or her country while acknowledging its crimes. I think maybe that pride might be best represented, for America, by Hendrix's interpretation of The Star Spangled Banner. It was obviously done out of pride but one can't help but to hear the turmoil. Maybe that's not what the apolitical Jimi Hendrix intended but good art often transcends its original meaning.

[@essiebessie661]

1964. Even PhysEd classes skewed perceptions in games for kids. I remember the game “hawk, dove, and little Chinese boy” that we were taught.

[@ananysinghbaghel9531]

Such a good episode,wish it was in the real studio

[@janitorzack2214]

" History repeats itself cause no one was listening the first time. "

[@chantingzhang]

At this point I am not even sure if people are listening the second or third time either......

[@ahmadghosheh3104]

No one ever listens to history, here or any where in the world,

[@itachi019]

Preach

[@Gorgeousbronze1]

Basically LOL

[@MoonsickStridor]

Actually, I think this show provides evidence that history repeats itself because it wasn't even ACCURATELY TOLD the first time.

[@stephenkane1074]

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” ― George Orwell, 1984

[@yourhuckleberry6757]

Funny... We're still celebrating European genocide and st Patrick's day.... Why isn't it The 1492 project... There's history there that's been covered up... What was happening in Spain... Who is Columbus anyway....

[@iBallz_]

... but George Orwell died in 1950? Did he went back to the future? :P [ ...I know that this is just the name of his novel from 1949.. I am just having some fun here =) ]

[@TH-hy9kr]

Textbook editing and censorship scares me badly as well as all the cancellation culture of both the left and the right. They're both terrible groups of people.

[@andronalin658]

@@spacewooly actually, it's from Testify and in that song they're quoting Orwell

[@TH-hy9kr]

@@iBallz_ it's a great book. Highly recommend it. It's amazing how we just keep failing to get better and continue to cycle through similar/same stuff despite because we refuse to teach real history and learn from it. I've been trying to steadily unlearn my U.S. elementary and secondary school history to learn the truth. We paint all the people as perfectly behaved god-like beings instead of flawed people who were trying, by their standards of the day, to do what they thought was right. We're they great? Heck no! Can we learn to be better from them? Yes. What will kids learn about our time 100 years from now? We are slightly enlightened monsters, but monsters still.

[@pumpthewater419]

We must teach truth no matter where it leads or it will never be truly behind us.

[@antigone2]

Even when I feel dispirited, Last Week Tonight keeps it possible for me to breathe!