kerkko.fi

The specter of fascist resurgence may not be far beneath the peaceful veneer of any nation. Even the most ostensibly free and open societies are not immune to fascism's lure -- including places like Palo Alto. What came to be known as the "Third Wave" began at Cubberly High School in Palo Alto as a game without any direct reference to Nazi Germany, says Ron Jones, who had just begun his first teaching job in the 1966-1967 academic year.

When a social studies student asked about the German public's responsibility for the rise of the Third Reich, Jones decided to try and simulate what happened in Germany by having his students "follow instructions" for a day. But one day turned into five, and what happened by the end of the school week spawned several documentaries, studies and related social experiments illuminating a dark side of human nature -- and a major weakness in public education.