I watched the new Ken Burn’s documentary “The American Revolution”. I knew a good part of it already, but it’s still disturbing to remember just how the founders of the US weren’t good people in general. They so totally screwed over the indigenous people and the various people of color. I just feel sick.
We’ve gotten better but it could happened *so* much earlier.
















I haven’t watched it yet but most definitely will! I have ready a fair amount about the American Revolution and, of course, I’ve read Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States“. As Will Hunting says in the eponomous movie “That book will knock your socks off!” and it does! One of the chapters on American history involves the famous winter at Valley Forge and how many of his soldiers Washington had to have shot or hung because they tried to desert: over 60! of course we never hear that! Many people I’ve shared this with are completely incredulous; as if Washington weren’t a real soldier or would have hesitated to discipline his troops as any other officer in any army! But our history does, if nothing else, prove that we are just like anyone else in the world, no better, no worse, we just like to think of ourselves as “good”. Any country that willingly votes in a miscreant, felon, adjudicated sexual assault offender into the presidency has some explaining to do. We are certainly not exceptional in any way when it comes to morality.
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that reminds me of when I learned about how many soldiers were shot during WWI when they tried to desert. I have a chance to read a preview part of that book by Zinn on Everand, so I’ll give it a shot. thanks for the recommendation!
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👍🏼
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