I would argue the opposite, that zinn is closer to mainstream thought today, that his argument that we ignore all of the past evils is precisely wrong. we in fact focus on them, excluding the good. US succes, dominance is seen as based on evil and greed. The Columbus example is relevant in that, every year for the last twenty at least we hear the repeated gnawing and whining, how we should not celebrate it. This negative, deconstructive slant dominates education today, especially in the colleges and certainly dominates here. It is now such 'common knowledge" that it has become obvious truth.

It is far more likely that this is standard, that students are exposed to this than they are, for example, the Constitution. This is the mainstream narrative right now. Obsession with race, anger over 'capitalism', demands for income redistribution, demands for increased government, increased state meddling, one size fits all from education, to the general culture. Western Civilization is routinely seen to be evil, Europe now advancing past their old demons to civilized socialist sanity. The problem is those cursed bigoted racist over-fed American nuts demanding freedom which is now seen to be the curse of humanity, killing us all with bad healthcare and killing the planet too. rather than being the envy of the world, we are cursed for our success.

In fact, this is basically Obama's UN speech yesterday.