Incidentally, historical revisionist movement is not just prerogative of Japan. For the last 20-30 years, the role of Judeo-Christian emphasis, especially "dead-white-old-men" are de-emphasized from the US history. With the political-correct zealot as it is, there has been whole lot of parents who prefer to home-school their children in this country to instill what they believe are important.
So what do you think is not being instilled in American schoolchildren these days? Judeo-Christian values? The dead-white-men canon? I beg to differ. Judeo-Christian values are being taught as they should be in an academic setting: as the basis of much of Western culture. And a survey of world history (including non-European history) and non-dominant American cultures hardly constitute a refutation of the Western canon; e.g., Shakespeare is still, by a huge margin, the most taught writer in English classes. Finally, ethics are being taught based on its philosophical and logical moorings, emphasizing the universality of certain principles and mores across all religions and creeds.
Political correctness is annoying, I grant you, but please don't use the term to generalize and denigrate the many positive developments in US/European discourse in the last half-century. The expansion of Western knowledge to encompass non-Western cultures and modes of thought, the leveling of the playing field to allow everyone to participate in the conversation--these things are good developments that should be recognized and respected.
A lot of people use the terms "political correctness", "revisionist history" and "Judeo-Christian values" as codewords for their distaste for gays and lesbians, Roe v. Wade, feminism, and affirmative action. I find this particularly prevalent among my fellow Korean-Americans, for some reason. I don't know if it's the higher penetration of evangelical Christianity into the Korean community, or the larger percentage of 1st or 2nd generation immigrants among Korean-Americans, but we tend to be far more conservative than other Asian immigrant groups like the Chinese or the Japanese.
And this bothers me. It bothers me that my sister, who was able to succeed in academics and in her profession because previous generations of civil rights and feminist pioneers paved the way, is more than happy to partake in the fruits of their sacrifice but refuses to extend those fruits to gays and lesbians. It bothers me that my brother-in-law, whose career has clearly benefited from the diversification efforts spearheaded by previous generations of African-Americans, feels that it's OK to then turn around and claim that diversity efforts are not necessary (because he doesn't need them anymore).
And it bothers me that these reactionary attitudes are normalized by hatemongers like Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly so that people think it's OK to discriminate against and dehumanize other human beings. I am not watching these talking heads out of context. Television IS their context, and the vitriol they spew serves only to promote dissension, misunderstanding and distrust in our society, by allowing people to conveniently forget that we are all in this together, that what hurts my neighbor also hurts me. This is NOT normal and it's NOT OK, and can't be swept under the rug by pointing out that liberal people have spokespeople on TV, too. Beck, O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh are NOT the conservative counterpoints to Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann; David Brooks and George Will are. No, Beck, O'Reilly and Limbaugh are like the Michael Vicks of the political world, goading their viewers to bite and tear at the rest of the country, consequences be damned.
