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| Which America Are We? |
Don’t get me wrong. I really like learning about our
past because, for me, life is all about people and their stories, what they
faced, how they overcame their challenges, and importantly, what happened after
all the winning and losing was over - how they lived their lives.
You might have been among the few to have a teacher who
understood that people stories are a lot more interesting than memorizing war
dates and endlessly repeating, glossy, truth-avoiding myths, like the “history”
taught by authoritarian regimes, such as Nazi Germany, Mao’s China, FOX news,
or high school history class.
I've come to learn that “history”, as taught by “zealots” of all persuasions, always
favors the writer’s distorted beliefs – written purposefully or
subconsciously steered – to favor or manufacture
a positive spin for them.
That’s why I have found it refreshing to read Maj. Danny
Sjursen’s American History for Truthdiggers series, posted on truthdig.com. The first six parts are
linked below. The segments are short, well written, enlightening and not the
history I was taught in high school. Please check them out.
A U.S. Army officer and former history instructor
at West Point, Sjursen, served tours with reconnaissance units in Iraq and
Afghanistan. He has written a memoir and critical analysis of the Iraq War,
“Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge.” He
lives with his wife and four sons in Lawrence, Kan. Follow him on Twitter at
@SkepticalVet and check out his new podcast, “Fortress on a Hill,” co-hosted
with fellow vet Chris “Henri” Henrikson.”
American History for Truthdiggers
- Original Sin
- Roots in Religious Zealotry
- Whose Empire?
- Were the Colonists Patriots or Insurgents?
- Independence and Civil War (1775-1783)
- Whose Revolution? (1775-1783)
Just for Fun: Peabody's Improbable History - Surrender of Cornwallis
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