SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: KLP who wrote (62355)8/21/2004 12:45:26 PM
From: Ilaine  Read Replies (1) of 793896
 
I was just reminded of a book written by one of my profs at George Mason, The Unpredictable Past, by Larry Levine. Levine is an old lefty but I don't hold that against him, he's brilliant in his own way.
amazon.com

This is a collection of essays about how contemporary historians and others recharacterize the past in order to make it suit the present. It's hard to say whether the people doing the recharacterization realize it, because history really is malleable. There are facts but the writing of history isn't just recounting facts, it's interpreting facts, and interpretations are always subjective. Always.

And subjectivity is always personal. Always.

Good historian are at least reliable about the facts.

And the best historians are at least reliable about subjectivity.

I wonder what Dr. Levine thinks about all this Vietnam stuff -- I don't think he'd be terribly interested in how Kerry and the SwiftBoat Vets recharacterize history, that's penny-ante stuff. The really interesting stuff is how it's being spun in, say, the WashPost.

A real historian would wait for all of the facts to come out. This highlights the natural hostility between journalists and historians. And also highlights why newspapers are dicey, even unreliable, sources for historians.
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News