what is it good for? see born in the usa, 16 years laterborn in the usa, 16 years later
TRANSCRIPT
What is it good for?
See Born in the USA, 16 years later
“Is War the Only Way Americans Learn Geography?”
James Hayes-Bohanan, Ph.D.Bridgewater State College
Earth Sciences & GeographyLatin American & Caribbean Studies
Massachusetts Council for International EducationCape Cod Community College
November 21, 2003
The Defining Geographic paradox of the late 20th Century
• The most connected and influential country in the world …
• …has a studied ignorance of that world
In other words …
This is ROME
but we do not know it
and we do not really want to know
AllEmpires.com
At the heart of a vast empire is a citizenry in deep denial of its
imperial status.
• High Military Spending
• A major aid donor, but not in proportion
• Geographically oblivious– Roper/NGS Survey– Highlights
NationMaster.comPrinceton Environmental Network
Importance of the Paradox
“… the country’s reserves of ignorance constitute a natural resource as precious as the Mississippi River or the long-lost herds of buffalo.”
Lewis Lapham, “School Bells”
August 2000 Harper’s
9/11
Nao a guerra
What could this man tell
you about each of these flags?
www.americas.org
Rogues Gallery
Future Targets?
See Human Rights Watch and CIA Factbook for reasons, pretexts, and apparent exceptions
Faculty Response
• Academic Freedom & Responsibility
• Respect for Difference
• … but challenge received wisdom
• “Fair and Balanced” vs. “Equal Time”
• Humor?
• My Iraq page
Duty to GIs?
“When you hear the President declare a war, it means … that you failed. You all are the civilians; you had the chance to demand that the government make a certain kind of decision. But when you fail, then they call on us.”
“Jake” – a career Special Ops soldierQuoted by Rosemary Bray McNatt in UU World
We are supposed to be educating citizens. This includes citizen soldiers.
Visit Center for Defense Information
No Senator’s Sons here
What is Geography?
• The World in Spatial Terms
• Places and Regions
• Physical Systems
• Human Systems
• Environment and Society
• Uses of Geography
www.ncge.org/standards
Major Geography Sources
My Geography Links page
• Matt Rosenberg’s About site
• Geography network (maps & GIS files)
• NASA Visible Earth
• Children Map Their World
• Graphic Maps
• Massachusetts Geographic Alliance
Map Resources
Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
• Current Interest Maps
• Complete collection of CIA sheet maps
• Maps on Other Web Sites
• September 11 Map Sites
Imagine