so I'll get a little philosophical here. If we agree that History indeed is, and even more importantly
, was written was winners, then your premiss of learning from history to question the authorities today actually kills itself. you can't hope of achieving anything or much from reading the history as you havw all agreed in above posts it should be considered faulty and untrustworthy.
however, if you do take such a consideration to be true, then what from all the information we know today or have experienced during our lives should be considered true and trustworthy? do we believe in and to those who were on loosing side? do we believe their version of history, no matter if they are "lost causers", "Nazi sympathizers", "socialist" or whatever? isn't the history of a loosing side written by its supporters defunct even more than that of the victors? as Livy said "
vae victis" or woe to the vanquished. the history of the "vanquished" has one inherited and terminal flaw no matter whose it is. it often looses itself in explanations how the "vanquished" were actually better then the victors, how they held to their principles, lived by the highest morale standards and were defeated only because the victors couldn't/wouldn't understand them and were driven by some evil forces that care nothing of a common fellow.
we certainly do live in a world where "few" or some are deciding the fates of many (billions in this case), but that is in human nature. through history (we so question now) there were followers and there were those who followed. people like Rockefeller got what they have now, mostly by their own hands. the first Rockefeller started with few oil rigs and soon expanded. true, he didn't cared about the way how he expanded (short of murder) but who can say that other couldn't accomplish as much. today, there is actually no reason you or me or anyone should believe that you can't do something in the world because few are running it. brainwashing our young ones? seriously, if we were so brainwashed, then debates such as this would be nonexistent or they would be forbidden just like many other things (as was mentioned earlier). educational system is flawed, don't get me wrong, but today you have more than enough sources to gather intel from various places and make your own mind. I fail to see how "privatization of schools" could improve things. if that would happen everywhere then indeed we would have the vae victis situation, or you think that someone should watch private schools what they teach our young ones? and who has enough sources to do that? I can think of only one candidate - the government.
now, to close this rant of mine. there is actually nothing stopping any of us to rise as high as Rockefeller or the other guy that was mentioned, and when we reach that height to actually change the system from its core. are you willing to do that? would you dare to venture into the "devils" lair of ultimate power and wealth and still claim that you will indeed change the things when you get there? or would your resolve melt away as power and wealth would settle in? don't be to judgmental of the people who have much or in the eyes of the common man: everything...
He who has it all is not a fortunate man, fortunate is the one who need little
p.s. I didn't mean to offend anyone with this post, so please don't state a flame war or something like that because of it. I merely expressed my views. and although I don't necessarily agree with the views of the posters above, I do respect them and I don't seek to change them. so please treat my own views in a same way...
regards