The Young Quotes
The Connecticut state legislature had questioned why Greek and Latin should be required of entering students. If any language should be required, why not French, Dutch or German—the more “practical” languages. Day wrote this report to answer the question. The ancient Greek and Roman classics were, in his view and that of the faculty, the best reading for American citizenship. There is a similar quasi political argument today regarding the classic Western literature as the foundation of American citizenship and patriotism, and some critics argue that non Western literature is equally important and should be taught also. The traditionalists argue that the classic Judeo Classic Western literature is what America was founded upon and informed the Founding Fathers, and therefore should not be diminished in the curriculum.
In 1927 there was a Peasant Uprising in the Hunan Province of China. Young Mau went there and wrote a report. Mao and other young communist leaders had a much more acute appreciation of sloganeering than their older revolutionary comrades. Even into the 3rd millennium, the same “Down with Imperialism” slogan could be heard in many part of the world, long after the Soviet Union collapsed and China and become capitalistic.