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NOTES ON HOWARD ZINN SPEECH
MARCH 23, 2003
ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY'S
O’SHAUGHNESSY AUDITORIUM
About The Event
Howard Zinn spoke to a sympathetic crowd
of 1000 on March 23 and covered “history and war.”
Notes About the Talk
History is a study of the past which can
tell us about what’s going on in society today.
At 18, Zinn worked in the shipyards where he became CLASS-CONSCIOUS,
and learned that “in America , if you work hard, you can make it”
was not always true. He also began to look at the events that were
occurring with the question “what part of society will benefit and
what part will not?”
History textbooks don’t tell us that the founding colonies were
divided by class lines. The American Revolution was begun as a riot
against land owners, a class struggle. Culture doesn’t want us to
think about that; presidential candidates vigorously avoid examining
conflict between rich and poor.
WARTIME IS A WAY OF SUBDUING CONFLICTS. The Declaration of
Independence was a clarion call for unity, a document in which everyone
can believe. We don’t read that George Washington had mutiny in
his ranks; some were ordered to execute fellow mutineers. Shay’s
Rebellion was a revolt by farmers, - some of them veterans of the
Revolution – against taxes that were so exorbitant that some farmers
lost their land. An army financed by the merchants of Boston foiled
their uprising. The result was a Constitutional Convention which
set up a class society. This document approved slavery and established
a procedure in which rebellions could be crushed.
LEGISLATION IS CLASS LEGISLATION. Two exceptions in our history
were the 1930s when laws set up Social Security, Unemployment Benefits,
Right to Strike, Housing Assistance; and the 1960s when Medicare
and Medicaid were created. Legislation before the 1900s benefited
railroads and landowners, and established the Merchant Marines.
An enthusiastic bombardier in the Air Force during World War II,
“The Good War,” Zinn didn’t know what was happening below when he
dropped bombs; he didn’t see a human face to the destruction. After
beginning to realize the devastation to people and property because
of war, Zinn began to question whether any war deserves to be called
good.
WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT BELIEVES VIOLENCE AND WAR SOLVES PROBLEMS.
Does war solve the fundamental problems of fascism, racism, militarism,
tyranny, and oppression? The Bush Administration is concerned about
Weapons of Mass Destruction that other countries have, but our huge
arsenal is ok. No country should have WMD.
Thousands died in three weeks in Iraq , Zinn had pictures to show
us of grieving humanity; this “should not be tolerated by people
who call themselves civilized.” These people are innocent and so
are the GIs doing this for the sake of freedom. In war nothing is
accidental and nothing is deliberate; it’s inevitable.
WHAT IS A MILITARY TARGET? In the 1991 Gulf War an Air Raid
Shelter with mostly women and children was bombed because electronic
equipment was detected there, and later it was discovered that we
were wrong. At that time, Colin Powell was not concerned about the
thousands of Iraqis who died. In this latest war, thousands died
in the first three weeks and our news does not report it. War corrupts
everyone who engages in it.
The MORAL EQUATION IS UNCERTAIN. We aren’t welcome in Iraq
. We destroyed buildings, and Iraqi citizens looted their own museums
and hospitals. War has unintended consequences. Also it is interesting
that our military protected the oil supply.
IT IS PATRIOTIC TO EXPRESS A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT. Helen Keller
is known for her ______- but what is little known about her is that
she was a Socialist and protested against war. Mark Twain opposed
Imperialism. He was against going into the Philippines in 1898;
he felt that we were throwing away our most valuable asset by sending
our troops to certain life-altering action if not death. When government
goes against its own principles, that government is not patriotic.
WAR IS NOT A SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEMS OF OUR TIME. Zinn
believes that huge numbers of people know what is happening, and
that most African-Americans are opposed to the war. All over the
world people are on the side of peace and justice. When the Justice
Department and the FBI use intimidation, we must speak up louder
than before. Protest will not die, because we are struggling to
develop the country in which we want to live. Good people will prevail.
The only magic formula is continued persistence; we may lose and
lose and lose, but then we will win.
Zinn feels he is living in an occupied country. Our beautiful
land has been taken over by a small group of people with a war mentality
and imperialistic dreams. Change comes from what people do, not
from legislation. We have a job to do; we must take our country
back.
Some Zinn Quotes
“In grad school, history is similar to grade
school except for the footnotes.”
“War is a class phenomenon; the Master Class
creates war; the Working Class makes
war.”
“We’re supposed to be smart enough to put
ingenuity to work to solve problems without war.”
“War should not be tolerated by people who
call themselves civilized.”
“War corrupts everyone who engages in it.”
“If intimidated, speak up louder than before.”
“Some countries don’t have to worry about
terrorism.”
“When government goes against its own principles,
that government is not patriotic.”
Zinn Answers The Audience's Questions
Commenting about Michael Moore’s “Bowling
for Columbine” about violence in America , he connects violence
in the streets with violence by our government. “When government
believes in guns big time, people in the streets believe in guns
little time.” Canadians don’t use violence to solve problems.
Responding to whether impeachment is practical or a dream,
he calls it healthy to talk about it but not practical yet; the
House of Representatives has to be impeached first.
Would Zinn run for president? He joked that he was ready.
The difficulty he sees in the belief that the president will solve
problems is that progress in peace and justice depends on what happens
in society.
A veteran asked how the message about DU can reach others.
Zinn thinks the Internet is a wonderful tool that has helped the
peace movement, and its communication capability can be used. And
have Mark Davidov get arrested!
Asked about how to talk with someone who disagrees and doesn’t
listen, he reminded us that some will never agree. He recounted
two times when after giving a one-hour talk, the audience unanimously
voted against war. Address questions you know is in their mind.
Example; we all think Saddam is a dictator and it will be good for
Iraqis when he is gone. What is the best way to solve the problem?
Is it a reason to go to war? He also said that during the Vietnam
war, 2/3 of U.S. was in favor of that war. Two years later 2/3 were
not, and he calls the other 1/3 “incorrigible.”
Another question dealt with the last presidential election. It was
“stolen” and since Zinn supported Ralph Nader, would this election
have been better without the third party candidates? Zinn replied
that there is very little difference between the Democrats and the
Republicans; the third party candidates are valuable to support
the truth and raise issues the two major parties avoid. “Bush is
the most dangerous president we have had since the Middle Ages.”
In the next election, the third party candidates again are needed
to raise all the important issues and to tell the truth. Zinn then
suggests the possibility of a candidate withdrawing from the race
in favor of another candidate.
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