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Friday, April 27, 2007 12:00 AM

The few. The culturally aware. The Language Corps

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  • Monday, April 30, 2007 10:16 AM

    Good ideas as far as they go

    We must always remember the truism that the military is a a part of American society. The values, beliefs, prejudices, and "cultural awareness" of Americans as a group are reflected, possibly in an exaggerated measure, in the military.

    It is impossible to think that the military can do more in terms of language study than they did in earlier social movements. Illiterate soldiers in World War I, for example, were used in Army studies to promote education and end child labor. Military desegregation was ahead, but not by much, of the general social movement bringing racial equality. The widespread civilian racism toward Japanese people was reflected by the excessive racism of the war in the Pacific.

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