a-peoples-history-of-the-us-review
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2016
An amazing book.
Reading the book helped me understand why the US is experiencing difficulties in "perceived righteousness" today. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to change the World for the better.
Howard Zinn is a benevolent hacker: the kind of hacker I would like my children to be, and why not: all children to be.
For me, Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States hacks history and defines a problem and offers a solution:
1. The problem: a one-sided patriotic history enslaves the masses,
2. The solution: a bottom-up, humanistic history empowers everyone and opens the doors for future reconciliations among different communities.(1)
At this critical juncture of human history both are relevant not only for the US but rather for our race.
A one-sided patriotic bias in history: at what cost?
1. hides wrongdoings and the associated guilt,
2. serves as the first line of defense to deflect current & future criticisms for the past & current mistakes,
3. tampers data gathering, silences questioning & divergence of opinions,
4. reduces communication among communities,
5. defines “the patriotic” and increases the chances of populating the armed forces,
6. defines the other: “the unpatriotic,”
7. increases insecurities,
8. evokes fears (of retribution, etc.)
9. can be misused to justify violence against “the other,”
10. builds a common memory for the masses, builds their egos so that these egos can later be exploited,
11. allows the word “culture” to be used as an equivalence: American culture = being American; (2)
12. a politician can mix these facts to incite emotional reactions of the masses and eventually reach a higher number of votes in a predetermined direction, inexpensively,
13. at school, in the media, in speeches of politicians, and during different rituals (starting with reciting the pledge of allegiance and singing of the national anthem) the patriotic history is repeated and reinforced. Under these conditions, the masses learn to repeat what is given to them. They shun away from questioning further. Their concept of free-will is replaced by a misplaced trust. They learn not to deviate from the norm: they are enslaved and are not even aware of this enslavement.
Many words lose their meaning: “a more perfect Union” “Justice” “secure the Blessings of Liberty,” “democracy.” A higher degree of cynicism and later a deep feeling of helplessness ensue. There are costs to the individual, the family, the society. Since many worldwide look up to the US morally, the use of one-sided patriotic history in the US produces world leaders who imitate bad examples. Consequently, Humanity pays dearly.
A bottom-up, humanistic history empowers everyone:
1. can eliminate ignorance,
2. can eliminate convenient forgetfulness,
3. can eliminate arrogance,
4. improve self-esteem, communication, & understanding
5. can reduce violence,
6. can empower the individuals and the masses: psychologically and economically and thus improve the quality of life,
7. can help the path to sustainable peace.
Among the different communities, the wounds are real. A one-sided history often does not address all of these wounds. Denial freezes any possibility of a reconciliation. A reconciliation process would pass through an acceptance of a historical wrong doing.
In time, mankind may realize that what Howard Zinn has started may be the building blocks of sustainable peace.
As a new year starts, I wish upon all of us: nations, creeds, ethnicities, etc. our very own Howard Zinns.
(1) In the US, these communities can be whites, blacks, American Indians, Mexicans, WASPS, Catholics, Jews, Moslems, Chinese, Japanese, etc. In Turkey, where I am from, these communities include the seculars, non-seculars, Alevites, Armenians, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, etc.
(2) Most of us are led to believe that “being” American/WASP/Jewish/Moslem/... is a “culture;” we almost always have these attributes thanks to coincidences; i.e. we are born into these “states;” how can a state that is largely a coincidence, be culture? I would suggest that only what is done through our free-will is deemed culture. Interestingly worldwide, the education systems, the media, and politicians use and propagate the word “culture” to imply largely a static state, rather than the result of a willful action.
Howard Zinn is a benevolent hacker: the kind of hacker I would like my children to be, and why not: all children to be.
For me, Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States hacks history and defines a problem and offers a solution:
1. The problem: a one-sided patriotic history enslaves the masses,
2. The solution: a bottom-up, humanistic history empowers everyone and opens the doors for future reconciliations among different communities.(1)
At this critical juncture of human history both are relevant not only for the US but rather for our race.
A one-sided patriotic bias in history: at what cost?
1. hides wrongdoings and the associated guilt,
2. serves as the first line of defense to deflect current & future criticisms for the past & current mistakes,
3. tampers data gathering, silences questioning & divergence of opinions,
4. reduces communication among communities,
5. defines “the patriotic” and increases the chances of populating the armed forces,
6. defines the other: “the unpatriotic,”
7. increases insecurities,
8. evokes fears (of retribution, etc.)
9. can be misused to justify violence against “the other,”
10. builds a common memory for the masses, builds their egos so that these egos can later be exploited,
11. allows the word “culture” to be used as an equivalence: American culture = being American; (2)
12. a politician can mix these facts to incite emotional reactions of the masses and eventually reach a higher number of votes in a predetermined direction, inexpensively,
13. at school, in the media, in speeches of politicians, and during different rituals (starting with reciting the pledge of allegiance and singing of the national anthem) the patriotic history is repeated and reinforced. Under these conditions, the masses learn to repeat what is given to them. They shun away from questioning further. Their concept of free-will is replaced by a misplaced trust. They learn not to deviate from the norm: they are enslaved and are not even aware of this enslavement.
Many words lose their meaning: “a more perfect Union” “Justice” “secure the Blessings of Liberty,” “democracy.” A higher degree of cynicism and later a deep feeling of helplessness ensue. There are costs to the individual, the family, the society. Since many worldwide look up to the US morally, the use of one-sided patriotic history in the US produces world leaders who imitate bad examples. Consequently, Humanity pays dearly.
A bottom-up, humanistic history empowers everyone:
1. can eliminate ignorance,
2. can eliminate convenient forgetfulness,
3. can eliminate arrogance,
4. improve self-esteem, communication, & understanding
5. can reduce violence,
6. can empower the individuals and the masses: psychologically and economically and thus improve the quality of life,
7. can help the path to sustainable peace.
Among the different communities, the wounds are real. A one-sided history often does not address all of these wounds. Denial freezes any possibility of a reconciliation. A reconciliation process would pass through an acceptance of a historical wrong doing.
In time, mankind may realize that what Howard Zinn has started may be the building blocks of sustainable peace.
As a new year starts, I wish upon all of us: nations, creeds, ethnicities, etc. our very own Howard Zinns.
(1) In the US, these communities can be whites, blacks, American Indians, Mexicans, WASPS, Catholics, Jews, Moslems, Chinese, Japanese, etc. In Turkey, where I am from, these communities include the seculars, non-seculars, Alevites, Armenians, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, etc.
(2) Most of us are led to believe that “being” American/WASP/Jewish/Moslem/... is a “culture;” we almost always have these attributes thanks to coincidences; i.e. we are born into these “states;” how can a state that is largely a coincidence, be culture? I would suggest that only what is done through our free-will is deemed culture. Interestingly worldwide, the education systems, the media, and politicians use and propagate the word “culture” to imply largely a static state, rather than the result of a willful action.
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