A Power Governments Cannot Suppress | Howard Zinn | Great Companion to A People's History

A Power Governments Cannot Suppress | Howard Zinn | A strident call to action

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A Power Government...

	A Power Governments Cannot Suppress Howard Zinn City Lights Publishers, 2006 - 308 pages average customer review:based on 19 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Great Companion to A People's History

This book of short essays frees Zinn from the strictures of conventional history writing. Of course, A People's History is anything but conventional in its approach, yet it stills follows a mostly chronological narrative of history. Here, Zinn's tone is much more engaging and personal. He talks about historical figures that inspire him--Eugene V. Debs and Phillip Berrigan, for example--and relates them to struggles going on today. He puts the Iraq War and the war on terror in context with other conflicts in our history, and he discusses his own war experiences in many of the essays. He also makes clear the role that the media and popular culture play in perpetuating myths of American exceptionalism and "good wars." Overall, though, one is inspired by Zinn's optimism and hope for the future, despite everything stacked against us. This is a brisk and compelling read. Zinn is a national treasure.

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A strident call to action

Written by historian, playwright, and World War II veteran Howard Zinn, A Power Governments Cannot Suppress is a scathing attack against America's political and ethical failings, using examples of atrocities America perpetuated in history - from massacres in Vietnam to abuses of Chinese immigrant labor workers to complicity in the genocide of East Timor and much more - to add context to current ills such as the extended toll of the war in Iraq. "There is no certainty as to what would happen in our absence [in Iraq]. But there is absolute certainty about the result of our presence - escalating deaths on all sides." Zinn is firmly anti-death penalty and decries its usage as well. Of especial interest in A Power Governments Cannot Suppress is the author's denouncement of a disturbing tendency to compartmentalize the Holocaust, to forget the millions of non-Jews that were executed along with 6 million Jews, and worse, neglect the occurrence of modern acts of genocide thereby betraying the memory of victims of the Holocaust genocide. A strident call to action, speaking out against governmental and human misdeeds, and vociferously encouraging the reader to stand up and take action..

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Thoughtful, entertaining, challanging

Zinn is usually well worth reading. His essays provide short clear opinions incorporating history well. History is not neutral, as he reminds us. Engaging his ideas should help sort out one's own more clearly whether close to his or not. You have to respect someone who is Jewish, a civil rights activist, a Bombardier during the war who has the intestinal fortitude to critique his own roots and experience.

The short essays range from World War II and the Holocaust Memorial to activism. None takes long to read, all are worth thinking about. Zinn remains something of an optimist despite our national malaise and dumbing down of debate today.

It is a pity that this and other valuable books are effectively `censored' out of circulation by the several national book store chains in Malls (Hurray for Amazon!) Thinking and debate suffer accordingly.

His "People's History of the United States" is a classic because of word of mouth reputation and can now be found widely. He edits a series that has been started including "Darker Peoples" focused on recent history of the "third world."

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A Power Government Cannot Suppress

Great essays. Zinn gives a unique point of view we can all learn from. Sometime I wish he was a bit more positive because his message is that well intentioned individuals can make a difference, and that message is positive and powerful.
I'd love to see Mr Zinn on CNN and the other cable news shows!

reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4

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