What History Classes Miss

Most history classes in the West teach only the white man's history. The world that we have today involves in economic and political activity the people of all races; which makes it imperative to teach the history of non-white people as well.

Very few people in the West know about the amazing engineering, architectural and agricultural accomplishments of the Incas, who had 1000-mile pave roads through the mountains, masonry so fine as to create huge structures without mortar, or agricultural practices more efficient than the contemporary agriculture. Very few people in the West know that the Aztecs had a city of 300,000 people, built on water. Very few people in the West know that China had half the world's GDP during the Middle Ages; or about the peaceful and prosperous Pala Kingdom and Moghul Empire in India; or about the brilliant architecture and mathematics of the Moores; or about Africa's Songhay and Mali empires. I know about these things, but it is only because I bothered to educate myself on the subject. And if I had not done that and stayed with my education, I would be as ignorant about these things as Sarah Palin.

The global economy involves people of all races, which means that the history of all races needs to be taught. And I do not come to this from a politically correct standpoint – I completely reject political correctness – but rather from the rational one. The Chinese, the Hindu, the Africans and many others are part of the world's economic and political process; and the white man should be educated about these people in order to be able to work with them successfully.

There is also a merit in studying these people's accomplishments. Much stands to be learned about how the Incas were able to practice agriculture on the mountains without eroding the land or desertifying the environment. Much stands to be learned about how Tibetan Buddhists were able to achieve the amazing wisdom and personal goodness that they have achieved. Much stands to be learned about the Samurai. Learning these things enhances and enriches the Western Civilization with knowledge, leading it to its ongoing greatness.

This means the following: That history classes should include sizable and serious descriptions of the history of people who are not of European ancestry. The more this is done, the better the Western people can deal with people of other ancestries, and the better works the international economic and political process.