My Recommendation to Read:

Over the last five years, two of my favourite left of centre slogans that have been floating around are:

Why is OUR oil, under THEIR soil?

and

Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism since 1492

(with the accompanying image of armed First Nations Warriors)

I've encountered these slogans in a variety of places since the attacks of 9/11 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I can't say that I disagree with their sentiment ...

Having said that though, I just finished a book that puts some substance behind the left-of-centre slogans such as these. Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, is a fascinating read. Even if only a tiny portion of the book is irrefutable, it is still a scary read.

Zinn outlines how small special interest groups, mainly with economic interests, have controlled the power and wealth of the United States, and have redefines not only the history, but the reality of that nation and its people. The book is a broad accounting of our southern neighbour's long and stories history told, not from the perspective of the people in power, but from the perspective of EVERYONE ELSE.

I found the latter chapters explaining and detailing the first Gulf War simply chilling ... change the dates and drop an 'H' from president Bush's name, and you could be listing an account for the current Gulf War ... moreover, change the dates and the place names for the section on Vietnam, and you could be detailing much of the current war in Iraq as well ...

Zinn's book is a painful reminder that those who do not know their history are condemned to repeat it ... the painful part is the simple realization tha tmost of the "History" we are doomed to repeat is never known in the first place ...

Find it. Read it. And let me know what you think ...