RIP Howard Zinn

RIP

My GF just gave me "a peoples history" for my bday. Im mos def gonna start reading it. Did anyone catch the special where a bunch of actors and musicians read excerpts from his book?
 
I read A People's History... in the Summer between 10th and 11th grade as a requirement for AP US History, it changed my life, it has affected what I believe today. I was aware that racism, discrimination and poverty existed but reading his book not only revealed how vast it was but how insidious it was and that the narrative of rugged individualism, the belief that everyone's wealth or poverty was and is decided entirely by that person's virtues or lack thereof, was not only false but it seemed to be most readily accepted by those whose poverty was explained away by this narrative. The nation that we live in is a society that is not only unfair but that has convinced those who are the victims of its injustices that they should just accept it and that sad reality was made clear by the fact that the working class, the poor and minorities have the lowest voter participation rates. It is as if the myth of rugged individualism is making the poor and minorities self disenfranchise themselves because tehy beleive they are unworthy of deciding who governs them. Professor Zinn's fine work in the deconstruction of history, caused me to read more books like it and soon I was an avowed socialist and one who realized that the truth must be sought, all of our conventional norms and ideas were flawed and deserved scrutiny and what people, like myself, do is explain what we see to the masses who allow themselves to be mentally held in chain of undeserved feelings of guilt and self hatred and blame.

That spirit of passion for the truth and public policy caused me to study social and behavioral sciences in college and to focus on politics and policy. Ironically, that socialist passion instilled in me by Zinn and other deconstructionists led me to economics that was taught from an Austrian perspective, it persuaded me that the market or rather a general absence of coercion, save for that which is needed for the protection of life, limb and law, in our economic life is the best way to create wealth and to ultimately defeat poverty. However the stark realities that drove me to socialism and to a life of inquiry into social science and policy, still remain, there is still poverty in this country and around the world and not only is it accepted as an inescapable fact of life it is most commonly seen as a permanent fixture among the poorest.

As a result, I realize the perfect society is one that would balance the need to move wealth from the very richest to the very poorest in order to ensure that no one lives in poverty. An ideal society is one that will take the market route if it can greatly expand the amount of total wealth and it should embrace the socialist policy when redistribution will minimize reduction in the total level of wealth in society. In order for that sort of society to be realized, that myth of rugged individualism, that wealth or poverty are linked to virtue and never to chance or to structural discrimination, must be abandoned. If it is, we can have a very wealthy society and a very just one.

Thank you professor Zinn for being the one who was such a significant part of what has become a life long intellectual odyssey. May your works be a corner stone of a society so wonderful we can still only scarcely imagine it today.

Rest in Peace Professor Howard Zinn.
 
Posting for later to read Rex reply. Im on my phone now so it's to much. RIP my teacher always talked about him a few semesters ago. I need to hit the library and check this out.
 
RIP...

We had to read A People's History for my AP US History class, that was easily one of my favorite "textbooks"...
 
Read "A People's History..." in one of my history classes as well. One of those eye-opening books that really change your perception about what you've been normally taught.

R.I.P.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

NikeTalk was created as a way of giving back to both the sneaker enthusiast community and to the greater global community of which we are all a part.

NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom