I would also add that there are historical narratives that helped shape this “greatest greed equals greatest good ” story that IMHO underlies a big part of where we are today. I have often wondered why , until the Sanders campaign , America had such a hard time even using a word like “socialism”. Seemed there are plenty of examples of [mostly] Nordic states that had some element of “social democracy” that still nurtured entrepreneur wealth accumulation. A part of the reason? -the early Red Scare days set an agenda in higher education – California universities saw out right purges of profs who dared drift too far left. Communist Party members were forbidden to hold state jobs

Lest you believe, as I did , that this is just some ancient morality play that has no bearing on todays world, it is noteworthy that the attempt to rescind that law was only made [ and barely passed!] in May 2017…. such a ‘level playing field’…..

…others 1984ishly use the phrase “critical thinking” to support and work for the incorporation of denial of the truth…

You don’t need to move on to specifying climate change in that context. Refer to Betsy DeVos’ testimony in which she gave fake statistics* on charter school graduation rates in order to bolster her claim that charter schools were succeeding**.
* Fake in this sense: investigations showed that the schools she discussed had never met the graduation requirements state schools were held to, and to which their charter holders agreed to meet, and so made up their own metrics for public disclosure in order to make themselves appear good. Those metrics are recognized by none of the governing boards.
** She has discussed charter schools she supported in Detroit for their role in improving the lives of, and expanding educational opportunities for, children there. But: those schools performed below the levels achieved by public schools on the state mandated assessments (which are, to be honest, almost completely worthless, but they are mandated by our Republican leaders) and fell behind in other ways as well.
In fact, those Detroit schools closed (bankruptcy) this past spring and stiffed teachers and staff (not administrators though) out of over 3 months worth of pay.

Even though her comments on these schools were completely false, contradicted by facts easily available to anyone to find, the right here in Michigan continues to hold those schools up as great examples of what an “independent thinker” like Mrs. DeVos can do.

In teaching college students for many years, I can attest to the difficulty that many seemingly normal young adults have with solving two-step problems. I was shocked and amazed.

Re: “… base public-school curricula on the Bible and eliminate classes on critical thinking.”

Be aware that although some of these sorts of people have come out against critical thinking courses, others 1984ishly use the phrase “critical thinking” to support and work for the incorporation of denial of the truth/reality of global warming (especially anthropomorphic G W) and biological evolution in public school curricula. To bolster such alt truth, Several GOP-dominated states now have laws on the books allowing teachers to use alternative books etc. to point out the defects in the scientific conclusions about such subjects. In 2017, the conservative GE-denying Heartland Institute sent unsolicited packets of climate change disinformation to 25,000 teachers. See the National Center for Science Education website for specifics about the disinformation campaign.

The idea that America should have a two-tiered education system, with trade schools for the many and a well-rounded, academic education for the few, has a long history. A good source on this is Left Back by Diane Ravitch. I’ve quoted elsewhere the words of 19th-century education reformer Louis W. Rapeer that the purpose of academic studies is to “accentuate class distinctions and fit an aristocracy for awing and ruling the masses.”

A similar attitude seems to drive the modern movement to base public-school curricula on the Bible and eliminate classes on critical thinking.

This article can be dismissed. Anyone with a half-functioning brain who supports Trump, as this writer-hack apparently does, is in serious need of medical attention IMHO. Forget the supposedly ‘fake news’ that Trump endlessly rails on about; the very real news of him and his kleptocracy is enough to confirm anyone’s worst fears. He has loaded his deck with unqualified corporate lobbyists and anti-environmental morons. That is a fact that even this imbicilic POTUS can’t hide. Indeed, under Trump the US is a global laughingstock, as his puerile tweets are endlessly reported around the world. In the past the US has been alternatively admired, reviled, scorned, sympathized and pitied; now it is a running joke.

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/frank_miele_editors_2_cents/20171230/column_a_finger_in_the_dike_holding_back_the_fake_news