265: Howard Zinn and his partisan take on American history

P&C drink and review Sunny Little Thing from Sierra Nevada, then discuss Howard Zinn and his partisan “history” books.

Zinn was a 60s leftist and one-time communist who wrote a “people’s history” of the United States, which has become way too influential, especially in the educational system. This anti-American propaganda has been used to poison young minds against the U.S.A.

One big problem with Zinn’s focus on American sins is that there’s no sense of proportion. E.g., “as compared to what?” When we evaluate the past, we have to measure people against their contemporaries, not against our 2022 view of what a perfect country should be.

Also, he is clearly re-interpreting American history from a Marxist perspective, but then pretends he is simply telling the truth and setting the record straight.

Zinn can write any book he wants, and, in fact, it’s useful to have a Marxist perspective on history. But it’s going too far for this narrow, partisan, anti-American view to be taught to our children, and it’s a crime that it’s used in schools.

Zinn doesn’t want to promote reform. He wants revolution. He can say what he wants, but he has no place in our education system.