A Beginning - A People's History of the United States
In my search for a satisfactory history course on iTunes to cover the United States from the civil war to the present, I stumbled up "A People's History of the United States". My first employer in the solar industry introduced me to the book, so the name and tittle caught my eye. After moaning and groaning about the obscene price - $63 for an audiobook - and, of course, pondering less legal routes, I bought it.
After listening to chapter one, I can tell I got more than a bargained for. Far greater than a simple description of the US from 1492 - 2010, A People's History of the United States is an account of history from the perspective of the oppressed. The institution of history, as the author puts it, is written about the governments and leaders of the conquerers, not the vanquished. The description of the conquest of America, rather the genocide of the Americas, forces me to question my conceptions of figures like Christopher Columbus, John Smith, and communities like the Pilgrims who play such a critical role in US folklore. It also makes me question the very foundation of western society, the current influence it exerts in the world today, and more importantly, my role in perpetuating western values. Is our conception of private property, personal wealth, the divide between rich and poor, the divide between powerful and oppressed really the best way to live.
Even take something like the formation of Israel. Israel is a homeland for the Jews in part to protect them from further persecution. The formation was a response to the holocaust, a genocide conducted by the Nazi's. But if the Nazi's were the people to do the wrong, why is the state of Israel not in Europe, or on previously German soil? Why were the Palestinians pushed off their land? What role did they play and what decision were they given? I'm really no expert and welcome any criticism, but I believe the answer is none. The Palestinians were displaced because they had little to no power. I will acknowledge that the religious significant of Jerusalem played a significant role in deciding the location of the Jewish state. However, I doubt the western countries to determined the location were very keep on sacrificing a section of Europe for the Jewish state. It was much easier to displace thousands, maybe millions, of voiceless Arabs. Thus, breading the conflict as it is today. And honestly, are the Jews really happy with their choice? Even a smaller peaceful state in Europe may have been better than the constant threat of rocket attacks from Hamas.
Learning of the people killed, persecuted, or displaced in the name of "progress" fills me with a deep sadness. When stopping the book to eat dinner after the first 45 minutes, I heaved a sigh, a laugh, and questioned if I could continue. But the sadness and difficulty is productive and provides one of the most valuable things, a new perspective.
