Corrupting history: Howard Zinn and Robert Manne
Merv Bendle writes at Quadrant Online:
The past week has seen the death of the influential radical American historian Howard Zinn, and the call for Robert Manne to stand down pending an independent inquiry into his influential but highly controversial claims about Australian government support in the 1930s for a policy of “breeding out the colour” amongst the ‘Stolen Generations’. These two events highlight how important it is that influential academics observe at least minimum standards of objectivity in their research and writing, especially when they are dealing with extremely sensitive areas of national history.
While Zinn shares many characteristics with Manne, there is one essential difference. Zinn believes he is a champion of ‘the American people’, however much he sees them as dupes of a never-ending series of complex conspiracies orchestrated by an omnipotent capitalist ruling class. Not so with Manne, or with the many other Australian historians who follow his lead. They make no attempt to champion the Australian people or recognise their efforts to build a nation. Instead, Australians emerge from their historical writings as unrepentant and non-reflective racists who support ignorant, oppressive, and racist policies, and deserve nothing but the unrelenting contempt of morally superior intellectuals like Manne and his colleagues –a contempt they are happy to provide.
Continue reading at Quadrant Online.
The politics of all persuasions corrupt and paint out historys that don’t comply with their views.
Including Religious institutions.
All those intelligent men who were silenced excommunicated and classed as heritics until after their deaths and as world views changed to be exonerated posthumously and classed as men of foresight and not of their time.
Oh well better late than never I suppose.
Howard Zinn was quite intellectual, although at times a little off point
As an Australian, I’m ashamed to say that Mann has been correct in what he’s stated. Australia has been a despicable race which is a match to the American slavery trade but with an even more underhanded measures. One only has to look at the causes that are now being instigated on twitter, Facebook etc. to see that there is a large element of truth behind the matter.
Why doesn’t Manne just whip our backs in public to save us time? Then we could repent to the “Stolen Generations” again and he could forgive us our “carbon sins.” End of story.