Blog Post #1
01/04/2019
HISTORY
What is history? History for some invokes the thought of sleep as they meandered through much of their education hardly interested in the events of the past. History is actually one of the most important subjects you could possibly take. Americans today are notorious for their lack of knowledge concerning their own history, this has cause a major systemic issue in much of today’s society and the world. Why? Well Americans happen to be the most powerful citizenry on the planet because of a freedom we take for granted, voting.
Americans can vote, we vote officials into office that control a massive powerful Army and Navy the likes of which have never been seen before on the planet. This Army is all over the world and a single vote here in the U.S can affect millions of people in nations all over the planet. Due to this reality, U.S citizens should be the most educated well informed people on the planet, maybe the most logical, or fit? Yes, U.S citizens should be, and yet we are not.
To make informed decisions on policy and foreign policy you must know what we, and other nations have done in the past. This will allow us to understand the why of actions taken by foreign powers, and not waste time attempting to enact solutions that have not worked in the past. Furthermore, knowing history can prevent harmful ideologies that historically fail, from taking root inside our borders. A democratic republic can only work as long as the average voter can think critically and has, at the very minimum, a cursory knowledge of most subjects. Most important of the many subject is history. The Quote below explains why.
“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”
―
History serves a similar purpose to personal memories. Humans grow up and are a culmination of their past experiences, this molds and shapes how they act. Everyday humans use their past experiences to shape their interactions with the world and other people. Recorded history serves the same purpose for societies and nations. If you woke up one day and forgot everything you had ever learned, would you make the same mistakes you made in the past? Yes. You would touch stoves, walk across roads without looking both ways, and be unable to function. Society works very much the same way, if the citizenry forgets (or is not taught) the history of their society they would try to solve problems the same way others had in the past. This redundancy may seem harmless but has already caused the deaths of millions in the last century alone.
Some examples of problems in the U.S caused by not knowing history are:
-The 2nd Amendment debate
–The rise of Elements of Socialism/Communism/Fascism
-Immigration
–Humanism vs Religion
–Political corruption
-Polarization of political beliefs
The answer, or at least compromise, to many of these issues can be found in the annals of history. Knowing history gives you the “why” of whats happening, it provides the context. In this blog I will stay neutral, but you do not have to. Share your thoughts in the comments and let me know what you think! Please be respectful. If you have any friends or family that may be interested in this content, please refer them to this site.
Below are some links I recommend, to get you started. Note: I am not trying to indoctrinate anyone. I am just trying to stress the importance of education! which is something everyone can agree is important!
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_2017?grade=4
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