Conversations with History: Howard Zinn

UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler interviews historian and activist Howard Zinn. (2001) Series: Conversations with History [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 8400]

Category:

Education

Tags:

• UC
• Berkeley
• Howard
• Zinn
• activism
• history

[patsfan124]

I'm 16 years old. I just finished reading a people's history of the united states of america by this man. It was by far the greatest book on any subject I have ever read. I wish like anything to have been able to listen to Mr. Zinn in a lecture when he was alive. He will be missed.

[papelhojas]

@oldstock1607 that is true, and i think that it is apparent to some degree that i have sympathy for the professors and teachers that you are talking about, and also agree that sometimes their bias does color their lessons, but nearly without exception (in my experience) the aforementioned educators were available only at a college level. History, as it is studied in high school and before, seems to me to be shaded with a sort of western righteousness, and i think its important to self examine

[madhippy3]

I share this to friends over Facebook but unfortunately it seems that wanting to expand my understanding of social conflicts and becoming class conscious is abnormal for someone that has just graduated high school. So my friends ignore this, shame shame shame.

[niknakde1st]

@patsfan124 Good for you and yes, he is a wellspring of experience, strength, hope and a reality of truth that we must all learn to embrace. I only regret that I never met him in person. What an amazing human being.

[lolXDimcool]

Jeez, I'm 15 and I used to be into philosophy and questioning before I came to politics, and now I'm hooked on Zinn. Everything he says and stands for is captivating for me, he speaks the truth.

[ericfeinberg28]

@patsfan124 good for you. i wish i was at that stage by 16.

[BobbyMissions]

yeah, unfortunately, I did not find this stuff out till after a stint in the US Marines, then a tour in the US Army. I was fighting because I was indoctrinated into believing that we were right, that might makes right and that there is no one who can question the God given direction of the USA. Propaganda works, we learned well. Today the news is not news, it is manufactured consent and i won't listen any more. Keep listening, please.

[Schwyndfst]

I believe that values and knowledge learnt in the elementary school years define your character; in that sense, exposing children to any kind of socialist ideas or values is a form of child abuse, this Zinn guy could have been saved, instead he went on to become one of the prominent socialist of USA.

[MsZeitgeist85]

I wish Howard had lived to see the Occupy Movement.

[ezzerdamoose]

@PremiseTester I think you are right. Both Paul and Zinn are honest intellectuals. They may have very different politics but they would be able to have an amazing conversation, I'm sure of it. I cannot say that about anyone else in the GOP leadership race today.

[ezzerdamoose]

@Obeeone1 i appreciate what you're saying but the typically the people you are mentioning are ideologues and propagandists completely devoid of any intellectual curiosity will not be able to see anything that does not reinforce what they already 'know'. They have no critical approach to the problems they discuss. They are effective at politics because they know how to play on pathos, to tap into and hijack the discourse by manipulating emotional undercurrents. US Leftists do this too but less.

[croppingbeef]

LOVE the intro song