tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896336562539866758.post177137660955362457..comments2024-01-09T01:14:01.156-08:00Comments on Patriots and Peoples: The Place of DemocracyJames Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896336562539866758.post-80530688259163623232009-08-12T16:50:11.971-07:002009-08-12T16:50:11.971-07:00Thanks Mark. I agree that Johnson's work is be...Thanks Mark. I agree that Johnson's work is better history than Schweikart and Allen. However, if Zinn's work is slanted to the point of grossly distorting the American past, pairing it with Johnson might be a tad unfair. As examples of distorted history because the narrative is driven by a presentist political perspective, <i>Patriot's</i> and <i>People's</i> match up well.<br /><br />I am puzzled by your choice of terms to define Johnson's <i>History of the American People</i> as "pro-American history." Doesn't that imply Zinn's is un- or anti-American? Didn't <a href="http://markinspokane.blogspot.com/2009/08/remember-when-dissent-was-patriotic.html" rel="nofollow"> you object</a> to this language when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used it to describe protesters? <br /><br />I prefer the terms liberal and conservative, or left-wing and right-wing if I want a slightly pejorative connotation, to pro-American and anti-American.James Stripeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896336562539866758.post-48773669094750351762009-08-11T10:36:42.321-07:002009-08-11T10:36:42.321-07:00Great blog -- glad to see such comprhensive work b...Great blog -- glad to see such comprhensive work being done. I think your project re: Zinn and the Patriot's History book is pretty good. I've got a copy of Patriot's History, and while I very much want to like the book, I find that I don't much care for it because I don't trust their research. You point out a couple of problems with their research -- I could give you several more. I much prefer Paul Johnson's book History of the American People for a pro-America history. I think his work is a much better balancer to Zinn's work overall. <br /><br />I'll definitely give you a shout out over in my blog. <br /><br />Cheers!Mark D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05000893614655251587noreply@blogger.com