Ad_Captandum
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2013
- Messages
- 468
- Reaction score
- 184
- Location
- Britain, Mother of Civilisation
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Socialist
Hello everyone.
It crossed my mind a few days ago that a shocking number of people don't seem to know or care much about the history of their own country, let alone the world. This, to me, is lunacy -- I love history, and I can't get enough of it.
To me, history is the story of where humanity has been, how we got where we are, and even where we're going. It is vitally important to understand history to understand politics, philosophy, law, or really any other element of our society.
So I put the question to you, Debate Politics. Are you history buffs? Do you go out of your way to learn more about history? Do you think it's as vital to understanding politics as I do?
Or am I living in the past?
History is in a three-way tie for my favorite subject.
And yes, History is fundamental to having a grasp on politics, otherwise, you're not doing it right.
............doomed to repeat it.
The full quote is "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Surely this would be a strong support of more historical learning in schools?
I totally agree. What are the other two in your triumvirate?
Hello everyone.
It crossed my mind a few days ago that a shocking number of people don't seem to know or care much about the history of their own country, let alone the world. This, to me, is lunacy -- I love history, and I can't get enough of it.
To me, history is the story of where humanity has been, how we got where we are, and even where we're going. It is vitally important to understand history to understand politics, philosophy, law, or really any other element of our society.
So I put the question to you, Debate Politics. Are you history buffs? Do you go out of your way to learn more about history? Do you think it's as vital to understanding politics as I do?
Or am I living in the past?
The full quote is "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Surely this would be a strong support of more historical learning in schools?
Does Sergio Leone's work count as "western history"?I'm more enamored with ancient (before western civilization) history. But I do appreciate American western history.
Does Sergio Leone's work count as "western history"?
So long as its not the watered down highly sanitized History I was taught. But there's slim chance of that happening.
Have you ever read Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James Loewen? If no, I definitely recommend it.
Me in a museum is like a kid in a candy store, I find history intriguing. That being said, I also find myself ashamed to be part of such a self-destructive, pathetically greedy species.
Hello everyone.
It crossed my mind a few days ago that a shocking number of people don't seem to know or care much about the history of their own country, let alone the world. This, to me, is lunacy -- I love history, and I can't get enough of it.
To me, history is the story of where humanity has been, how we got where we are, and even where we're going. It is vitally important to understand history to understand politics, philosophy, law, or really any other element of our society.
So I put the question to you, Debate Politics. Are you history buffs? Do you go out of your way to learn more about history? Do you think it's as vital to understanding politics as I do?
Or am I living in the past?
I totally agree. You have to have an understanding of history in all its perspectives and facets, good, bad, and both.
You need to know that the United States has lost plenty of wars. You need to know the United States has won plenty of wars, too.
You need to know about the genocide of the Indians, but you need to know about Civil Rights, as well. You need to know that the US Civil War was as much about slavery, despite what revisionists say, as it was about states' rights.
But you need to know other stuff too! You, as an American, need to know about the English Civil War, Parliamentarians vs. Royalists. You need to know about the French Revolution.
You need to know that the Soviet Union really did win World War II, and it's okay to admit that, because it doesn't make Stalin any less of a monster to acknowledge it. You need to know that the United States commanded its troops not to loot Beijing when the British were auctioning off the Forbidden City's treasures. But you need to know that the Americans tortured people in Abu Ghraib, too.
I think it's really, really fundamental to understand that every country has done good and bad. That's not a nice way of saying America needs to know it's done some ****ty stuff -- I think most Americans know that. What I also want Americans to know is that Russia and the Soviet Union also did lots of really great stuff.
History's the story of everyone, and it must be told right.
Hello everyone.
It crossed my mind a few days ago that a shocking number of people don't seem to know or care much about the history of their own country, let alone the world. This, to me, is lunacy -- I love history, and I can't get enough of it.
To me, history is the story of where humanity has been, how we got where we are, and even where we're going. It is vitally important to understand history to understand politics, philosophy, law, or really any other element of our society.
So I put the question to you, Debate Politics. Are you history buffs? Do you go out of your way to learn more about history? Do you think it's as vital to understanding politics as I do?
Or am I living in the past?
The Red Army certainly shouldered the main burden of ground war against the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, but the US 8th Air Force destroyed the Luftwaffe and in coordinated attacks with Britain's Bomber Command crippled German industry. After 6 June 1944 the western allies occupied about one third of German ground power, and the units that Hitler threw into the Battle of the Bulge were not available to stop the Soviets in the East. Sometimes overlooked, Red Army logistics relied heavily on US-made trucks. And finally, the USSR played virtually no role in the defeat of Japan. That was US work, with modest assistance from the Brits.eace
While I'm not particularly interested in debating who won World War II (because it does come up SO often -- and it's always left with: Yep, the Soviets did the dying, the Americans did the buying, and the Brits did the flying), I would like to point out a little-known theatre of the war:
The Soviet Far East. It was the Red Army that defeated the majority of the Japanese Army, and captured the entire Kwantung Army in Manchuria in 1945. While the US took care of the IJN, the Red Army, mixed with China, the British Empire, and Asian partisans were the main forces against the Imperial Japanese Army.
In fact, some historians think that the reason Japan surrendered when it did was as much because they were scared the Soviets would invade as the atomic bombings.
Fascinating, huh?
Edit: Wikipedia seems to think that the Soviet Air Force engaged and destroyed more than 70% of the Luftwaffe. Do you have any evidence that this is incorrect?
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