Seven widely-used high school world history textbooks were analyzed to test the proposition that alternative political and economic systems, such as American democracy and Soviet communism, are treated neutrally, as if they are morally equivalent. This proposition has been advanced by leaders in the U.S. Department of Education as a criticism of high school history textbooks. The study reveals that six of the seven textbooks were very critical of political and economic life in the Soviet Union and of Soviet foreign policies. By contrast, five textbooks were much less critical of China, and two textbooks tended to have a rather positive view of Chinese society. The author recommends balanced treatments of different nations and their political/economic systems while recognizing difficulties of overcoming cultural biases in teaching and writing history. Public statements about the "bland neutrality" of history textbook content by leaders of the U.S. Department of Education are criticized, because they seem to discourage critical thinking and encourage one-sided views of truth. (JJP)