If we lived in a culture that really taught history, Americans would be less vulnerable to government deception.
That's the view of historian and political activist Howard Zinn, who spoke at Storrs on Sept. 26. The lecture was co-sponsored by nearly a dozen University groups.
“If you know history – that is, orthodox history – you'd know how many times presidents have lied to the public,” he told the audience that packed the Student Union Ballroom.
Zinn, a professor emeritus in the political science department at Boston University, is a legendary American liberal.
He is perhaps best known for his book, A People's History of the United States, which presents American history through the eyes of those he believes are outside the political and economic establishment.
His talk, “You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: Equality in America,” is also the title of his memoir.
Zinn said Americans need to “interfere” with the government. “With a war going on and kids going hungry, you can't pretend to be neutral and detached,” he said.
“We're in a situation today where a small group of men have taken over the country. They have gotten us into wars. They've taken the wealth of this country and squandered it on military actions.”
Zinn said it is not human nature, as some believe, to become involved in wars.
“You have to work at it,” he said. “One reason they get away with it is there's no free press to do the job. An independent press scrutinizes and investigates what the government is doing.”
He charged that the news media play the role of “yes men” to the government, instead of doing what a free press should do in a democracy. Continued.
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