Why do we have to be a military superpower? Why can't we be a humanitarian superpower? Howard Zinn More Quotes by Howard Zinn More Quotes From Howard Zinn They were not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, they were absent in the Constitution and they were invisible in the new political democracy. They were the women of early America. Howard Zinn independence political america In war, good guys always become bad guys. Howard Zinn good-guy guy war ...Surely, we must renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed. Howard Zinn blessed song america War itself is the enemy of the human race. Howard Zinn race war enemy One certain effect of war is to diminish freedom of expression. Howard Zinn expression war peace Every word you utter to another human being has an effect, but you don't know it. If people begin to understand that change comes about as a result of a million tiny acts that seem totally insignificant, well then, they wouldn't hesitate to take those tiny acts. Howard Zinn tiny results people In a two-party system, if both parties ignore public opinion, there is no place voters can turn. Howard Zinn public-opinion party two What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places--and there are so many--where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. Howard Zinn future giving people I suggest that if you know history, then you might not be so easily fooled by the government when it tells you you must go to war for this or that reason -that history is a protective armor against being misled. Howard Zinn government war lying But human beings are not machines, and however powerful the pressure to conform, they sometimes are so moved by what they see as injustice that they dare to declare their independence. In that historical possibility lies hope. Howard Zinn powerful historical lying People who have no respect for human life or for freedom or justice have taken over this beautiful country of ours. It will be up to the American people to take it back. Howard Zinn taken beautiful country Sometimes it's a short step from banning to burning. Howard Zinn burning steps sometimes Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a "free market", we have always had government intervention in the economy, and indeed that intervention has been welcomed by the captains of finance and industry. They had no quarrel with "big government" when it served their needs. Howard Zinn government historical atheist Terrorism and war have something in common. They both involve the killing of innocent people to achieve what the killers believe is a good end. Howard Zinn war believe people If you join a fight for social justice you may win or lose, but just by being part of the struggle, you win, and your life will be better for it. Howard Zinn fighting struggle winning The chief problem in historical honesty is not outright lying. It is omission or de-emphasis of important data. The definition of 'important', of course, depends on one's values. Howard Zinn data honesty lying The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory. Howard Zinn future hope thinking We were not born critical of existing society. There was a moment in our lives (or a month, or a year) when certain facts appeared before us, startled us, and then caused us to question beliefs that were strongly fixed in our consciousness-embedded there by years of family prejudices, orthodox schooling, imbibing of newspapers, radio, and television. This would seem to lead to a simple conclusion: that we all have an enormous responsibility to bring to the attention of others information they do not have, which has the potential of causing them to rethink long-held ideas. Howard Zinn responsibility simple years The democratic principle, enunciated in the words of the Declaration of Independence, declared that government was secondary, that the people who established it were primary. Thus, the future of democracy depended on the people, and their growing consciousness of what was the decent way to relate to their fellow human beings all over the world. Howard Zinn independence government people Though the Americans can be fooled, as they have been, and they can be propagandized, as they have been... But, as Lincoln said, "You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time. But you can't fool all of the people all of the time." And so hope lies in the fact that little by little, even if the American people can be fooled, even if they continue to be fooled in the 2004 presidential election, they will gradually learn, as they have learned - for instance, in the Vietnam War and turned against the Vietnam War. Howard Zinn war lying people
