June 08, 2004 at 1:11 pm

History, Truth, and the Quote of the Day...

Except for my Bus Proverbs, I’m not usually big on “Quotes of the Day.” This one stopped me dead in my tracks, though…

“The “history” assumed in this argument is so radically and uncontroversially false that it is hard even to comment.”

If you want to read what he’s referring to, go here.

In recent years, I have begun to surmise that we all live in a cloud of what we think “history” is. From the supposed past proceedings of our world (as we have read in history books or heard on the news) to those that we have fabricated on our own (whether because of our own ideological dreams or even something we may have seen in a movie), we judge our intake based on ideas and recollections that may not be true at all.

I don’t know if I am trying to make any other point than that our “histories” may need closer inspection sometimes. I do know that the tendency of humankind is to hide from the truth — even if by trying to find “truths” of another sort.

I wonder how any of us ever have coherent conversations at all…

Digg This Story |

Save This Page

No Trackbacks

Trackback Link:

Please enable javascript to generate a trackback url

Comments (3)

I think we need to be very careful that we are not revising history. Hitler was a ruthless dictator. Just because the reason we went to war was that the US being attacked doesn’t change the fact that because the US got involved Europe was a better place after WWII. If the US did not get involved in WWII or would have lost on D-Day the world would be controlled by the Nazi’s. You have to look at ALL of the facts on WWII beyond why we went to war but also the good thereafter. (Berlin airlift and Europe democratic and the world a safer place) Notice I said safer rather than safe.

» Comment by Doug Hensley () , on June 09, 2004 at 10:11 am

Another interesting thought is that how a government responds to an action many times is influenced by the constituancies of that government. People in 1920-1940 (approx.) were largely isolationist and pacicifist. The government knew that it would be political suicide to support WWII at that particular time. (Although the military through lend lease support Britain in 1938-1945) It wasn’t until the US was attacked that America was fully supporting the Allies in WWII.

» Comment by Doug Hensley () , on June 09, 2004 at 11:09 am

How many lives would have been saved if the US would have entered the war earlier while Hitler was weaker? No one will know. Question which I don’t have an answer. If a war is inevitable and your country is a third party. Should the third party country get involved to shorten the war thus saving human life?

» Comment by Doug Hensley () , on June 09, 2004 at 11:16 am

Commenting has been permanently disabled. Please use the Contact button above.

Welcome to the new look of Tim Samoff // Weblog!

Contact Form Disabled

Enter search term(s) and hit enter:

Categories

Archives

Support Me

Donate:

Support Them

Syndicate

June 08, 2004 at 1:11 pm

History, Truth, and the Quote of the Day...

No Trackbacks

Comments (3)