Do they teach this stuff in history class?

After coming across a disturbing article explaining some science experiments we had conducted on Guatemalans in the 40's, I was interested in doing a little research about the types of things we were also accomplishing and our level of maturity as a society during that time as well. I planned to report it in stark contrast to the barbarous act we forced upon Guatemalan inmates. But unfortunately I only found some more disturbing stuff.

The original article describes a 'Sexually Transmitted Disease study" conducted by the US within which Guatemalan inmates were infected with Syphilis, in order for the US Government researchers to test the effectiveness of Penicillin. Penicillin later became a major medical breakthrough in the US aiding in the recovery of many US Soldiers in the war and began to infiltrate the main stream.

Hillary Clinton recently issued an apology for the inhumane nature and "reprehensible research" within the study. Not only were the inmates infected with the disease, they were done so through the use of prostitutes!! At this point in time FDR was president.

More about the 40's.

We pulled out of the great depression although rationing continued and the production of automobiles ceased. We experienced Pearl Harbor and reacted with declaration of war upon Japan. Later, we dropped an A bomb (or 2) over Hiroshima.

What I HAD NOT KNOWN about the situation was; with paranoia growing and spreading in the United States, we actually detained about 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent and threw them into internment camps.

"The US justified their action by claiming that there was a danger of those of Japanese descent spying for the Japanese. However more than two thirds of those interned were American citizens and half of them were children. None had ever shown disloyalty to the nation. In some cases family members were separated and put in different camps. During the entire war only ten people were convicted of spying for Japan and these were all Caucasian."

http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/japan_internment_camps.htm

Once we squashed the war with our bombs we relocated our paranoia to Russia and China and all the damn communists...and nothing like the Baby Boom to kick start the psychotically capitalist society which we experience happily today.

At least we are apologizing about something.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6903RZ20101001