Life in an American Fifth Grade: The "Math War" Game Becomes a Political Game

By Barry Rubin

Today a teacher had the children play a game called "Math War." The students were given playing cards to use for setting up various problems in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Very creative.

The teacher, who has a personalized picture of the current president in the classroom, also has a very special set of playing cards for the students to use. Each one is inscribed: "Vote Obama!" Just in time for the election.

The previous week, the students were sent on a FannieMae march for the homeless. Yes, that makes sense since FannieMae had so much to do with creating the economic crisis and making people homeless. But is it appropriate for an institution which has paid executives huge amounts to smash the economy--a symbol for incompetence and greed--to be getting schools to cooperate in laundering its image?

After all, the notorious Franklin Raines, former head of the disastrous enterprise, stole millions. Why not get the money back and give that to the homeless?