FakeNews7NY

73. McGraw-Hill Education

Textbooks are the primary vehicles by which students encounter and internalise the historical experiences of their nation and the world. As a major publisher of education materials in the United States, McGraw-Hill Education (hereafter MH) occupies a significant role in shaping how history is framed and taught. Yet, as several examples illustrate, the decisions made by MH in wording, framing, omission and emphasis have at times produced inaccurate or misleading representations of historical facts, raising concerns for educators, historians and parents.

One of the most widely discussed criticisms was the treatment of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery in America. In 2015 a mother in Pearland, Texas, flagged a caption in a MH 'World Geography' textbook that read: “The Atlantic Slave Trade between the 1500s and 1800s brought millions of workers from Africa to the southern United States to work on agricultural plantations."

This phrasing of enslaved Africans as 'workers' implied voluntary immigration, suggested labour was paid and minimised the forced nature and oppression of slavery. This in turn shapes student perceptions. MH subsequently acknowledged that the language “did not adequately convey that Africans were both forced into migration and to labor against their will as slaves.” Although the publisher updated the online version and offered corrective options for print copies, concerns lingered about remaining print editions and the delay of some replacements.

The Japanese government asked MH for the removal or revision of passages in one of their textbooks referencing so-called 'comfort women' which described the procurement of women for military brothels during World War II by the Japanese Imperial Army. MH refused to accede to the request. This episode, while not strictly a factual error, illustrates how textbook publishers are drawn into the contested terrain of national memory, narrative control and the selection of historical facts themselves. The push to revise the language highlights how respected publishers may be pressured from domestic or international actors regarding what version of history is told or omitted.

Historians argue that textbooks published by large firms, including MH, frequently suffer from deeper structural issues. As one analysis in The Atlantic observed: “The textbooks teachers rely on so heavily are prone to flaws … sometimes they are fundamental distortions of the contexts leading up to many of today’s most dire social ills.” In other words, inaccuracies may not solely consist of isolated typos or wrong dates but also the ways in which causes and consequences are presented, what is emphasised or omitted and how language choices encode ideological perspectives.

What is at stake extends beyond mere factual accuracy. Textbooks perform more than the transmission of dates and names: they shape civic identity, moral reflection and understandings of power and justice. When a textbook minimises slavery or the treatment of enslaved Africans, it implicitly downplays racial injustice, structures of oppression and the consequences for descendants. When another textbook becomes subject to governmental pressure to alter the narrative of its wartime role, the question of memory and accountability looms.

MH has defended its editorial process, stating that it engages with expert authors, consultants and educators and that it aims to 'minimise bias, reflect a balance of perspectives and include up-to-date scholarship.' Nonetheless, recurring controversies reveal that even major publishers are vulnerable to distortions, omissions, outdated language, or politically contested content.

What problems arise from relying on one publisher to produce all textbooks for secondary or tertiary studies? Can we be sure we are getting accurate information? Do you see the potential for corruption when one company has most of the control? Are there parallels with Big Pharma and Montesanto? What do you perceive to be an inherent danger in digitising reading materials?

Time for Episode 73 of THE GREAT UN-BRAINWASHING, brought to you as always by the lovely and talented Claudia! ENJOY!!!

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72. Hive Mind

The psychological concept of the Hive Mind is a collective consciousness in which a group of people become aware of their commonality and think and act as a community, sharing their knowledge, thoughts and resources. Originally derived from observations of social insects such as bees and ants, the term has evolved to describe human group behaviour in contexts including politics, social media, crowds and online communities. At its core, the psychology of the hive mind examines how individual cognition transforms within a collective and what this transformation reveals about conformity, identity and social influence.

The hive mind is characterised by the coordination of multiple individuals who, through shared attention and mutual influence, begin to think and act in unified ways. This process is not merely metaphorical. Social psychologists have long observed phenomena such as groupthink, in which the desire for harmony within a group overrides critical evaluation, leading to poor decision-making.

A study by Irving Janis on groupthink in 1972 revealed that cohesive groups, such as political cabinets or corporate boards, can suppress dissent and amplify consensus, mirroring the synchronised behaviour of hive organisms. The psychological underpinnings of such behaviour lie in the human need for belonging. As social animals, humans derive safety, identity and meaning from groups; thus, conformity and cooperation become adaptive traits, even at the sacrifice of individuality.

One of the most influential frameworks for understanding the hive mind is social identity theory. Developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the 1970s, this theory posits that individuals derive their self-concept from group membership. Once individuals categorise themselves as part of an “in-group”, they tend to adopt group norms and view outsiders with suspicion or hostility. This cognitive shift reduces individuality and enhances group cohesion, producing the kind of unified behavioural patterns associated with hive-like thinking. In digital spaces, where individuals cluster around shared interests or ideologies, the dynamics of in-group identification are intensified by algorithms that filter and reinforce collective preferences.

The rise of social media has arguably created the most evocative example of the hive mind. Online platforms amplify collective emotions through mechanisms of social contagion (#11), where the expression of ideas, outrage, or enthusiasm spreads rapidly through networks. Psychological studies have shown that exposure to emotionally charged content increases the likelihood of sharing, thereby reinforcing the collective emotional state of a digital community. In this sense, platforms like X, Telegram, or TikTok serve as real-time laboratories for the hive mind, as they are the spaces where individual cognition merges with the collective through dopamine loops (#19) of attention, imitation and validation.

Yet, the hive mind may not be inherently destructive. Collective intelligence can also produce outcomes that exceed the capabilities of any individual member. Research in cognitive science has demonstrated that diverse groups, under the right conditions, can outperform experts by aggregating independent judgements in a principle known as the 'wisdom of crowds'. This positive aspect of the hive mind emerges when group members maintain a balance between independence and interdependence, allowing collective problem-solving without succumbing to conformity.

The psychology of the hive mind illuminates a paradox of human cognition. The same mechanisms that enable cooperation and shared purpose can also lead to conformity and mass delusion. In the digital age, understanding these dynamics is essential for sustaining healthy discourse and individual critical thought. The hive mind reveals both our greatest strength and our deepest vulnerability: the tendency of consciousness to blur at the boundaries between self and society. Can you see where this is both evident and problematic in our movement?

Here we go with Episode 72 of THE GREAT UN-BRAINWASHING, brought to you as always by the lovely and talented Claudia! ENJOY!!!

Replay From Last Night...

What if the event was real…
…but the story surrounding it wasn't?

This week on Back To Light, we're pulling back the curtain and looking at what happens when evidence, interpretation, and narrative don't necessarily tell the same story.

Episode 21 — FALSE FLAGS
The Story Behind the Story
Tonight • 8:30 PM EDT

https://rumble.com/v7ex6kk-episode-21-false-flag-the-story-behind-the-story.html

Link to full Playlist...
https://rumble.com/playlists/M3TYOMiC43I

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