Soviet Union, Part II

[jwoodie]

Has anyone noticed the similarity between the Soviet Union's "scrubbing" of history and and what is happening in the United States today? For example, we have been denigrating our Founding Fathers as evil slave-holding white men who profited on the backs of others. Similarly, we are removing all references to causes of the Civil War and denying any recognition of those who participated on the Confederate side.

Isn't this disturbingly similar to Stalin's revisionist history of the Russian (Red/White) civil war and erasure of political opponents from official Soviet records and photographs? Isn't it the height of historical arrogance to believe it can't happen here?

 

[Idadunno]

Has anyone noticed the similarity between the Soviet Union's "scrubbing" of history and and what is happening in the United States today? For example, we have been denigrating our Founding Fathers as evil slave-holding white men who profited on the backs of others. Similarly, we are removing all references to causes of the Civil War and denying any recognition of those who participated on the Confederate side.

Isn't this disturbingly similar to Stalin's revisionist history of the Russian (Red/White) civil war and erasure of political opponents from official Soviet records and photographs? Isn't it the height of historical arrogance to believe it can't happen here?

I don't think it's scrubbing the past away so much as putting it where it belongs--behind us, in museums and history books. Constant dwelling on the past keeps people from moving forward. Isn't that what we tell people about relationships? Stop dwelling on the past? History is history and can never be scrubbed out.
Btw, only 25 of the framers owned slaves, that is less than half of the total of the framers. Also, one must remember that these men grew up in a society that knew nothing different. Serfs and slaves were a way of life in England, and saying that, oh, but they should have known it was wrong and stop! is really ridiculous. Changing a mind is easier than changing an entire way of life and an entire population of people... not to mention that those who owned property, which they had to in order to be in Congress, had to have slaves. Paying for labor was unheard of, and those slaves were most likely in the family for generations. Plus, the first "slaves" that were brought to America were not slaves but serfs, and whites were among them.
Look at all the people who refuse to accept SSM and their thinking behind it. They know what they were raised to know... what the Bible and their Church and parents told them... instilled in them.. to believe. That does not excuse the framers or forefathers because they do not need excusing. If people are not allowed to evolve in their thinking, then we are nothing but Neanderthals and should just quit. My God, people used to think there were many Gods and made blood sacrifices... I do not see people dwelling on that. The Earth used to be stationary and flat... we do not dwell on that either. We manage to evolve past the past... this should be past as well.
Btw, some African states continue to sell their people into slavery even today.
Digital History
History News Network It s Time to Face the Whole Truth About the Atlantic Slave Trade
Slavery still haunts Africa where millions remain captive - latimes

 

[Bombur]

Has anyone noticed the similarity between the Soviet Union's "scrubbing" of history and and what is happening in the United States today? For example, we have been denigrating our Founding Fathers as evil slave-holding white men who profited on the backs of others. Similarly, we are removing all references to causes of the Civil War and denying any recognition of those who participated on the Confederate side.

Isn't this disturbingly similar to Stalin's revisionist history of the Russian (Red/White) civil war and erasure of political opponents from official Soviet records and photographs? Isn't it the height of historical arrogance to believe it can't happen here?

The US wanted to get past the civil war and the south was desperate to re-write history so they didn't look so evil. This lead to a lot of children being taught really bad versions of history that diminished the importance of slavery in the lead up to the war.

Our founding fathers are not perfect. One reason we learn history is to learn from our mistakes. When you white wash history so that you feel better about it you only lie to yourself.

This is how you can get so many people defending the "confederate flag" or the south of that era. We shouldn't assume the north was full of angels either.