PERSISTENT CRITICISM OF THE BROOCLYN

PERSISTENT CRITICISM OF THE  BROOCLYN

By: Devi Risnawati

(Introduction)

Howard Zinn is a great man.  With his critic he want to change biased of inventor America.  He is not God and he doesn't claim to be. He only asks his readers to see what power is- who has it- how do they use it- how do they get away with using it to destructive ends? That is what Howard Zinn does. This paper offers a critical insight/perspective on Howard Zinn’s article entitled “Speaking Truth to Power with Books”. 

(Summary)

 “Speaking Truth to Power with Books”; its to see how well a good book that always give worthwhile influence into the reader marrow. Book will heighten soul and his idea. Its also will enlarge knowledge of  the reader. Reading book represent seeking of best source to obtain knowledge because is on file . Book have deeper impact to the reader compared to other sources in obtaining knowledge. Sometimes, activity read book bring revolutionary change share view someone. Like way of approach to different Columbus among view angle of Howard Zinn and of Samuel Elliot Morrison.  Howard Zinn made an extraordinary invention with him debut book A People's History of United States fits into contemporary historical studies.  This book is about  historians that are not monumental in orientation, but focus mostly on ordinary working people, women, or ethnic and racial minorities and their associations that were originally excluded, subordinated, overlooked, or ignored.   A People’s History of the United States is one of book which has maked a controversi in the world.  Its because in his book, he made a statement that Christopher Columbus isn’t inventor of America and so many people from other country dissagree with it, especially for genuin citizen who was born and grew up there.  They beliefe that Columbus is an inventor of America and Zinn is just nonsense. 

There are several basic points that Zinn wrote on Columbus, whom we ridiciously percieve as the hero/the discoverer of America.

First, while A People's History serves as a good starting point for learning about the seedy underbelly of American history, it is at best highly incomplete and, taken as a whole, grossly inaccurate. One particular point of concern is that Zinn, in his inversion of heroes and villains, does some whitewashing of his own.

Second, Zinn opened the truth who is America discover by.  Not Columbus!

When  Zinn explanation of the New World begins with Columbus who like every other settler in the New World was driven by the (evil) profit motive. “Behind the English invasion of North America, behind their massacre of Indians, their deception, their brutality, was that special powerful drive born in civilizations based on private profit.” This malicious view of people who often came to the New World to escape persecution in the old, who sometimes championed the rights of indigenous peoples and who mostly attempted to live peacefully alongside them is characteristic of the extreme anti-European, anti-white, any American prejudice of this book. The idea that the Indians who themselves were “invaders” by Zinn’s standards (they came on a land bridge from Asia and exterminated the then native peoples) somehow owned the continent is a much a fantasy as the idea that they were simply passive victims of the settlers. Zinn’s account omits the unprovoked aggressions of the Indians on each other and on the settlers. But then doing so, would spoil his leftist melodrama.

Third, Theory First, Facts Second.  provides the single-bullet theory of history that provides Zinn with his narrative thread— “The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle.” It is the all-purpose explanation of every subject that Zinn covers. On other hand, why study history when theory has all the answers? Yes, theory has answer but fact hasn’t!

(Critique)

There are three points on Columbus that are neglected in Zinn’s articel;

First, When fact and theory clash, the ideologue chooses theory. Time and again, A People’s History of the United States distorts or simply ignores the truth to make the facts, or the alleged facts, or the invented facts, fit the theory that justifies his “social aims.”  And I guess that Zinn's own admission that the information in the book is his own opinion and biased and not based in fact doesn't leave you scratching

Second, “cruelidity and disillusion”.  As Mr.  Daniel J.Flynn was an inspiration to me, he showed the negative side on all Howard Zinn’s point of views and things he would mention in history books. He saw Howard zinc a pro-communist, is a man that “plagued with inaccuracies and poor judgment” he does not have the will nor should he be a famous writer whom critics are American history. Much of his opinions amongst history in the United Sates are never well back up.

There is a much needed writer who has the courage to actually put out the truth and mention every little aspect of the things we went through in the past times.   Zinn “Forget about all men are created equal, forget about liberty and the pursuit of happiness, America’s founding can be reduced to the pursuit of exploitation and profit. Well maybe for academics with lifetime subsidies and rock stars with drug-fried brains.” It is not just self minded but also very true. It something like this man who should be replaced and very much remembered for are sake to learn the truth about are history.  Flynn’s critique of Howard Zinn is at best a wildly speculative and a far reaching attempt to disparage both his reputation and his account of history. Zinn boldly proclaims that A People’s History is a “biased account” indicating that he has no “trouble with that because the mountain of history books under which we all stand leans so heavily in the other direction”. As an intellectual scholar, Mr. Flynn should be capable of considering alternate viewpoints and be able to follow the rational position that Mr. Zinn represents. His claims to prove otherwise are lacking credulity in every sense of the word.

            Third, he didn't tell the whole story. He never claimed to tell the whole story. He even admits that the whole story can never be told. He even offers to tell you that he is only telling you the history of the United States from the voices that don't usually get heard.

(conclusion)

            After reading the Zinn materials that were assigned to us in class, its obvious that Zinn does have a built in mentality of how America is/was. His vocabulary offends in now way, and the way he illlustrates the topics are done very well to the point where it makes you want to read more , but… It isnt my nature to believe anyone or anything that continuosly shows one side. Zinns sounding to be as regarding as America as nothing but Bad. Another anti american, living in america. Seems a bit contradictory considering how if someone really disagrees with how america is or is disgusted by its history, then why stay here?

In conclusion, there are two basic points that can be concluded from Zinn’s article; first, Zinn claim that Columbus isn’t inventor of America.  But he didn’t explain whose the real inventor by. If Zinn is a moslem, maybe Cheng Ho or Khashshash bin Said bin Aswad  would be an inventor that Zinn write in his book.

Second, book have deeper impact to the reader compared to other sources in obtaining knowledge. Sometimes, activity read book bring revolutionary change share view someone. A People’s History of the United States is one of example that book have a power to change people mindset.  

Furthermore, many people will claim Zinn is exaggerating the truth or just plain lying. However, in almost every argument that claims this they base it on what the dominant culture has recorded as America history.

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Paige, Gleen D.  2002.  Ilmu Politik Global tanpa Pembunuhan.  Center for Global Nonkilling.

Stefoff, Rebecca.  (2007).  Howard Zinn:  A young people’s History of the United States.  New York, seven stories press.

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