You've possibly heard of Pol Pot. You probably know that Iran has committed crimes as has Hezbollah and Hamas. In other words you know of the atrocities committed by enemies of the state. Do you know of the atrocities committed by friends of the state? A panel discussion regarding East Timor from 1992 begins here and I think it remains quite relevant. Amy Goodman's account of one massacre, one of the rare ones ever witnessed by western journalists, is absolutely riveting. Her and Allan Nairn appear to have exhibited such shocking bravery it's almost unimaginable to me. Watch and learn the history that should be prominently taught but is in fact ignored.
Why taught prominently? Not because I hate America and want to bring it in to disrepute, but because the first atrocities you should become aware of are the ones that you have the most responsibility for. Those are the types of atrocities you can control in the future. Our primary concern should be our own mistakes and secondarily we should discuss the mistakes of others. Germany does not shy from teaching the history of Nazism and the holocaust. Germans know these things very well and this has contributed to the fact that Germany today is such a peaceful and great country. Knowledge of these types of incidents can contribute to America's future greatness.
2 comments:
Jon -
Nothing to do w/ this post. But I am curious if you've watched Through the Wormhole on the Science channel.
I would have liked the show to have gone more in depth on some of the segments but liked it overall.
No clue about it. I seriously haven't watched TV in months. I might be totally cured of it. Even sports.
Post a Comment