Monday, August 24, 2020

LEARNING HISTORY IS HARD, SO WE REPEAT IT

 HAM A TON
 
Not all reviews are "in."
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Broadway’s Hamilton and the Willing Suspension of Reality-Based Moral Consciousness
(Elizabeth Keyes at Counter Punch.org)

"...Despite the incredible degree of media hype surrounding the show, even prior to its 2015 Broadway debut, I remembered reading a number of strongly argued and intensely passionate negative reviews of Hamilton for profound historical distortions.  These reviews particularly showed up on one of my favorite political websites, CounterPunch."


Skip “Hamilton” and Read Gore Vidal’s “Burr”
(Andrew Stewart at Counter Punch.org)

"...As an antidote to this propaganda, I highly recommend to readers the excellent 1973 historical fiction novel Burr by Gore Vidal. Kicking off his Narratives of Empire cycle, Vidal traced the history of our American imperial project back to the Founders and delivered a genius diagnosis in the form of a post-modern historical novel with wicked sense of humor. Many would argue that it is perhaps Vidal’s finest work, though I wonder if his book on Lincoln fits that category as well."


Thomas Jefferson: Architect of Indian Removal Policy
(Alysa Landry at Indian Country Today)

"...Jefferson first wrote about Indian removal in 1776, 15 years before he was president. Frustrated by growing conflicts between settlers and the Cherokee, Jefferson, then at work with the Continental Congress, reacted harshly.

“Nothing will reduce those wretches so soon as pushing the war into the heart of their country,” he wrote. “But I would not stop there. I would never cease pursuing them while one of them remained on this side of the Mississippi.”

In 1803, two years into his presidency, Jefferson was more succinct. He outlined his administration’s policy toward Indians with two objectives: “The preservation of peace” and “obtaining lands."


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On Contact: Teaching of history as indoctrination
(On Contact with Chris Hedges)

"On the show this week, Chris Hedges discusses the teaching of history as a form of indoctrination with Professor James W. Loewen. Loewen’s book is: Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. His new book, a memoir, is: Up a Creek, with a Paddle: Tales of Canoeing and Life"

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For an alternate view of American History, read the full text of Howard Zinn's brilliant 

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