Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and JusticeFrom the bestselling author of A People's History of the United States comes this selection of passionate, honest, and piercing essays looking at American political ideology. Howard Zinn brings to Passionate Declarations the same astringent style and provocative point of view that led more than a million people to buy his book A People's History of the United States. He directs his critique here to what he calls "American orthodoxies" -- that set of beliefs guardians of our culture consider sacrosanct: justifications for war, cynicism about human nature and violence, pride in our economic system, certainty of our freedom of speech, romanticization of representative government, confidence in our system of justice. Those orthodoxies, he believes, have a chilling effect on our capacity to think independently and to become active citizens in the long struggle for peace and justice. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 3
... Communism and Anti - communism 259 ELEVEN The Ultimate Power 278 NOTES 303 INDEX 333 Preface W hen this book first appeared , over a xi.
... communism in Vietnam was a threat to our " national security " led to policies that cost a million lives , including those of 55,000 young Americans . The belief , fostered in the Soviet Union , that " socialism " required a ruthless ...
... communism and promote democ- racy . " " If you want to get things changed , the only way is to go through the proper channels . ” " We need nuclear weapons to prevent war . " " There is much injustice in the world but there is nothing ...
Contents
1 | |
32 | |
FOUR The Use and Abuse of History | 48 |
The American Class System | 147 |
Second Thoughts on the First Amendment | 182 |
The Black Experience | 231 |
ELEVEN The Ultimate Power | 278 |
NOTES | 303 |
INDEX | 333 |