Politics | Texas Board of Education Texas Board of Ed Is at the Forefront of 'History Wars' Anti-intellectualism is spreading, writes Thomas Frank By Rob Quinn Posted Mar 17, 2010 8:55 AM CDT Copied University of Texas students rally before a State Board of Education meeting in Austin, Texas last week. (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett) The Texas Board of Education's push to put a conservative spin on the state's textbook standards shows that the culture wars are becoming history wars, writes Thomas Frank. The board backs up decisions like ordering textbook writers to replace the word "capitalism" with "free enterprise" with anti-intellectual, anti-liberal hyperbole, Frank writes in the Wall Street Journal. The "history wars" are spreading with conservative populism, Frank writes, noting that Dick Armey told a recent press conference that the only people who believe Alexander Hamilton advocated a strong federal government were ill-informed modern professors. "You can't hold history off by projecting upon it simple fantasies of your own virtue," Frank writes. "Not even the holy hand of the Texas school board has that kind of power." Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Supreme Court ruling is a big blow to Planned Parenthood. Report an error