The right-wing re-invention of “US Independence Mythology” is possible because:

(a) Most Americans have terrible grasp of history. Recently, National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 20 percent of fourth-graders, 17 percent of eighth-graders, and 12 percent of high school seniors were proficient in history. If you don’t know facts from fiction, you are liable to believe in any lie peddled by a politician.

(b) The lack of a standardized, peer-reviewed, public education curriculum. Let’s face it: the US education system is in the toilet. In a recent survey on belief in evolution, the US scored lowest out of all OECD countries except Turkey. Such profound ignorance cannot pass muster in China or Korea. I cannot help but think that there is an ulterior motive behind the religious-right’s campaign to defund public education. Namely, it allows churches to have free license to re-invent scientific and historical facts to fit their world view, which cannot otherwise happen under compulsory public education. I do NOT for a moment believe parents in middle America (without religion) could vote against their own childrens’ interests in support Koch’s platform. When our classrooms teach lies (political propaganda), whereas Asian classrooms teach facts, guess who will be 21st century’s winners?