OMG-"ADDICTED TO WAR" (book) approved for use in SF schools-excellent book

[fed-up]

the article is right wing war-mongering crap, but at least it gives publicity to the book. :)

When my son first read this book at age 13 he became interested in politics. When he was painting his sign for the first Iraq war protest in SF (pic of US giving Sadam weapons straight from the book) a t-shirt seller came up to him and gave him one of his t-shirts with "These Colors Don't Run the World". I think the book is awesome and a must read for all students and adults alike. I even donated copies to our local high school a few years ago, along with multiple copies of 1984.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/03/14/cstillwell.DTL
Anti-War Miseducation in San Francisco
Cinnamon Stillwell
Wednesday, March 14, 2007

blah, blah, blah (snip)

The latest such attempt comes in the form of an anti-war textbook approved last month for use in San Francisco public schools. It was authorized by History/Social Studies Content Specialist Pete Hammer, who reviews new materials for the San Francisco Unified School District's Office of Teaching and Learning. Titled "Addicted to War: Why the U.S. Can't Kick Militarism" and originally written during the Gulf War, an updated version of the textbook is to be used as a supplement in high school social studies and history classes.

Comic Propaganda
To call it a textbook is a misnomer for what it really is -- a crudely drawn comic book filled with anti-American and anti-capitalist propaganda. The book's author, John Hopkins University sociology professor Joel Andreas, doesn't even pretend to provide a balanced view of American history. America is made out to the undisputed bad guy of the world, with no redeeming qualities and a military bent only on conquest and destruction. Conspiratorial "no blood for oil"-type themes run through the book, despite the fact that there has been no discernible oil advantage to America from its military involvement in either Iraq or Afghanistan.
The introduction of the book into the San Francisco public school curriculum comes via a donation of 4,000 copies from Bay Area peace activist Pat Gerber. With shining reviews from such leftist luminaries as Susan Sarandon, Noam Chomsky, Ramsey Clark, Medea Benjamin and Cindy Sheehan, an endorsement from the San Francisco Bay Guardian and a vigorous defense from Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval on the Fox News show "Hannity & Colmes" in January, "Addicted to War" comes highly recommended, in the eyes of the ideologically driven.
Since the books are considered a gift, their approval requires no action on the part of the San Francisco Board of Education -- not that this would have impeded the book's introduction into city classrooms. The school board has become known in recent years for its political partisanship.

[diane in sf]

1. Addicted to War is a great, fact-filled, easy to read comic.

I used quotes from it in my thesis! I'm really happy to see it in use in the public schools here--hopefully that will spread to other places!

[poverlay]

2. That's fantastic. I bought that book for my kids years ago. Never thought it would be mainstream.

n/t

[0rganism]

3. it's a good book, but Cinnamon Stillwell can kiss my ass

"the troop surge is having a positive effect"? What crap.