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. |
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... tion by others . " Rome had been disorderly , and Cesare Borgia decided he needed to make the people " peaceful and obedient to his rule . " Therefore , " he appointed Messer Remirro de Orco , a cruel and able man , to whom he gave the ...
... tion [ which called for unconditional surrender ] the basis of the study regarding these terms . ' 1142 Barton Bernstein , a Stanford historian who has studied the official documents closely , wrote , This message , like earlier ones ...
... tion among the scientists , protesting in advance against the dropping of the bomb , arguing that " a nation which sets the precedent of using these newly liberated forces of nature for purposes of destruction may have to bear the ...
... tion here . ) And the next sentence explains why : " Throughout history , warfare , representing only the most organized technique of aggression , has been endemic to every form of society , from hunter - gatherer bands to industrial ...
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 |