I'm going to explain something because I hear this kind of response from conservatives that are still clinging to some nostalgic view of the past. They think that the indoctrination we see in government education is something new. That is is a conspiracy of the left alone. The don't realize the commonality between the left and right. They don't realize that the past was far more Marxist than they have been told.

This is a common response that misses the point. Of course there are anti-patriotic messages being pushed. Of course there are Marxists ideals being promoted in government classrooms. This is not the point. The point is that so called public education is not primarily for the improvement of the individuals. Its primary function is conditioning and training the masses to behave in certain ways. Because most people have no clue about the origins of government schools in the US and the reasons behind that, they have this naive view that if we could just reform them we'd be OK. If we could just vote in the right board members we'd be good.

Indeed government education is run by statists. Some are more Marxist than others. Many would reject this classification but that's mostly a show. When you look at the university systems they are dominate by leftist ideology. Even the right wingers in it are statists as well. Here's the thing though. Its a system. These people believe they are doing "god's work". They believe in democracy. They believe in whatever they believe. The objection conservatives make is to CONTENT. They want to indoctrinate the children with their message. When a conservative starts complaining about government schools I often bring up the history of schooling. They reject it because they know a teacher and they were a good person. I do as well. Again, this misses the point. There are many well meaning people that are a part of larger system that produces results they don't even realize. I can point to good teachers and bad teachers. But in many cases the best teachers quit due to frustration with the education system. They usually do so because they are being forced to do things in ways they do not agree with.

The government education system in the US when you observe it is like a factory. It re-enforces obedience, compliance, and a schedule above all else. It discourages individual thought and expression. In the past if someone was in a classroom and was anti-war (maybe from a left wing angle) they would be shut down. They were against the status quo. Now education's direction has changed. Now those that express anti-establishment views are shut down but they are coming from a different angle.

This is the beauty of the system as it stands. It pits left vs. right but no matter what. The state wins. So, don't get distracted by the current outrage about teachers. The whole system is rotten. It is beyond reform. Those that run it are coming from it. They believe in it. Many private schools are little better.

Here's the point.

~ Malcom X

I recommend watching this short video on the origins of government education in the U.S.

Why should patriotism be taught at all? North Korea, Russia, China do so, and these are the countries you probably don’t want to live in, or?