This “Zinnification” of America is one of the most dramatic illustrations of how American conservatives have failed in the information war. Where were the smart academics and opinion leaders during these decades? They were amusing themselves to death, that’s what, and acting as if they had no ability to have an impact on public opinion. It has been disgraceful.
Here is David Prentice writing at American Thinker:
This may sound like it, but it’s not a journal of winetasting. It’s about the undue, horrific influence of a man named Howard Zinn. He became a famous, or accurately infamous, historian. Zinn, more than any other man, turned our history books on their heads, and in a way, changed the contemporary course of history. “Who controls the past, controls the future.” He excelled at this task.
He was somewhat wispy and vulnerable looking in spite of being tall. He could not debate well and he spoke slowly, as if he was in a mildly drugged high. He had a following of female students that was obvious, with lots of student rumors swirling around about his character. He was liked by the majority of his students, who like myself, wanted to take his classes. He was edgy and cool.
He was one of the fathers of the new left back in the late sixties and seventies. He inspired the SDS, coupling with them, making up many of the stories of why America was such a horrible place. The stories became his famous book A People’s History of the United States. In hindsight, it was obvious he made them up (being kind, let’s just say he slanted things), because he was a Marxist. During those years he spoke of the importance of “revolutionary thinking” in his classrooms. It’s hard to believe his influence grew so much.
Read more: American Thinker
