Putin’s Friend Profits in Purge of Schoolbooks

[uhnope]

Source: NY Times

MOSCOW — The purge began in late winter. One by one, hundreds of textbooks that Russian schoolchildren had relied upon for years were deemed unsuitable for use in the country’s 43,000 schools. The reasons varied, but they shared a certain bureaucratic obstinacy.
...
Then there was the case of the colorful math textbooks published by a decorated educator, Lyudmila G. Peterson, cashiered for using characters from popular foreign children’s stories. Illustrating math problems with the likes of Snow White, Eeyore and Owl, in one expert’s decisive opinion, was “hardly designed to instill a sense of patriotism” in young Russian minds.

By the time the school year began this fall, the number of approved textbooks for Russia’s 14 million schoolchildren had been slashed by more than half. The summary winnowing by the Ministry of Education and Science upset lesson plans, threatened the livelihoods of nearly two-dozen small publishers and left principals, teachers and parents puzzled and angry.

There was, however, one standout winner: A publishing house whose newly appointed chairman was a member of President Vladimir V. Putin’s inner circle, Arkady R. Rotenberg, a judo sparring partner from Mr. Putin’s St. Petersburg youth. The publisher, Enlightenment, survived the education ministry’s culling almost untouched. “I have never seen such a level of cynicism and chaos before,” said Vladimir A. Peterson, who manages the publication of the math textbooks developed by his mother.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/world/europe/putins-friend-profits-in-purge-of-schoolbooks.html?_r=0

[SoapBox]

1. Crooks, criminals...

And brainwashers.

A fine example of why VOTING is so important.

[louis-t]

2. Maybe the new books can have Pootie-Poot and Stalin

on the covers. Because that has worked out so well.

[albino65]

3. This shouldn't be shocking

We tolerate the figurative and in some cases literal book burning that is orchestrated by some school boards across the United States. We have our own flavor of Nazism alive and well within the bible thumping, conservative community.

[Tikki]

4. Now we can see why so many repugs and cons luver putin...He is their man of brainwashing the masses.

No diversity, no free thought, all dictator...kook brother's dream.


Tikki

[freshwest]

8. But, but.. Bold, decisive, patriotic, polite!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024620592

There's a video on that thread in which the Faux Noisome Stench says Obama doesn't see the USA as special. But we know when he says exactly that, the 'Obama is Romney because he says America is 'Exceptional' from some on the left.

But he's speaking about a hard to maintain value, because without the voters believing in Equality, it all fails. He's not talking about 'Might Makes Right.' PBO has said directly that 'Right Makes Might' with good ideas, not military force.

The GOP supports the former view of politics, they are all about force on those who dissent with their power and MIC might, not about ideals.

[jwirr]

5. Once upon a time we would have been on him for this but now we are just a bunch of hypocrits if

we do. We tear pages out of text books, we revise history we do not like and we refuse to talk about science half of the time. So how can we say anything?

[geek tragedy]

7. Who do you mean by 'we?' nt

[jwirr]

11. The USA. I realize that it is individual states but we are all in this together. I cannot point a

finger at Russia when my own country allows the same.

[Adrahil]

15. More hair shirt politics

Maybe YOU won't say anything, but I will. Screw Putin and his new Russian empire.

[jwirr]

16. Saying something makes not difference if you have not respect in the world community.

[El Shaman]

6. Hmm,

looks like they are using the Texas model.

[blkmusclmachine]

10. The Texas model is more extreme. A bunch of Christian Dominionists sit on Texas' school board,

rewriting history to their extreme, dangerous, hard right, rightwing world view.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. A classic kleptocracy

[davidpdx]

12. Given that his buddy is publishing the textbooks

that will also make it much easier to control the content. They might as well stamp "Kremlin Approved" on each textbook with Putin's signature.

[sulphurdunn]

13. Sounds like the Russians are taking pages

from our own billionaire education reform playbook and Pearson PLC, but they still have a long way to go before the can play like the American league.

[bemildred]

14. The NYT's intense interest in corruption in Russia is well known.

Now if only they were as interested in corruption here.