Universal History
History does not have two sides, despite the fact that it is often presented as such. There is only the truth and then what that truth is warped into to serve certain purposes.
In many cases, history is corrupted to continue legacies of distrust and suspicion, and a very recent example of this that is of paramount importance has just come to light.
In Israel, new history textbooks have been approved for use by the government in Arab-Israeli schools that, for the first time, “presents the Palestinian denunciation of the creation of Israel in 1948”.
Now, I haven’t written this entry to spark a debate about what took place with regards to Israel’s creation and the Arab League’s refusal to recognize the UN mandate that helped create it. The point of this entry is to comment on the fact that while Arab-Israeli children are being taught one version of history, Israeli children are being taught an entirely different version.
Despite the alteration made in textbooks that are to be used in Arab-Israeli schools, those currently in use in Israeli schools will remain the same. This, in no small way, will create greater divisions in a generation that must be viewed as crucial with regards to mending the divisions of the past.
The solution to this problem is self evident. Both groups of youths should be presented both sides of the story, and both ‘versions’ of history should be made permanent parts of the curriculum. In doing so, both will be exposed to the same information without bias, and it should be taught them as such. Only then can inroads be made with regards to mending the distrust and suspicions that have long plagued that region.
Want to bookmark or share this entry?
This entry was posted on Sunday, July 22nd, 2007 at 4:31 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
July 22nd, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Stuff like this only adds to rifts between different cultures. To hide the viewpoint of one side from the other only adds to division. When two sides have been as opposite as these, giving both sides of the story to their descendants could eventually bring an understanding that could even lead to peace. Maybe not now, but eventually.
July 22nd, 2007 at 7:37 pm
The history has always been manipulate to control mass opinion and manipulate peoples… It was true in the Old Egypt Empiers… Otoman Empiers… etc…
It happened here in Canada too!! Canadian history book has been modify, and are yet, to hide Amerindian massacer, French Canadian massacer, Acadian masacer and deporation etc…
We also have dirty hands about that, you know… Not only that region!!!
The point here is : Yes both side of the medal should be shown to people… But this is not at the elite adventage!! The elite need the power of the mass… And the best manner to control mass… it’s by begin to brain wash people at the very young age … and continue over and over…
We have to understand that if you’re not a part of the elite, you are just a muppet and have their hand in your ass…
But I think it is important that people like Matt, who see over the illusions, talk about that on blogs, TV, Radio, etc because that will help others to understand and realize their muppet state… And the more people knows their muppet state the more people will eventially remove the elitist hand out off their asses…
July 22nd, 2007 at 9:15 pm
This is why when I took history in high school we learned from 3 different textbooks: one Canadian, one American and one British. And then we spent the first week of classes discussing history textbook bias and the problems it can create, etc., etc, and then proceeded to point out those biases throughout the year with each lesson. I’m not sure if it was something all BC high schools were doing or if it was just mine, but we were lucky to have been taught upfront about this before analysing those historical events in the curriculum. It really does make a difference and it is a shame that students around the world are not given that luxury. It certainly does not help the situation between war ravaged countries or nationalities.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:05 am
Recycled garbage.
You’d think that we would have learned from our mistakes by now.
You’d think…
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:09 am
Wonderful, once again everyday I read something that pushes our thinking towards one of lies, distrust and control over what people are to think. I can’t wait till the day that thought crime is put into place at least then I will know all the foreshadowing was right.
History has always been written by the victors, only now we don’t have any clear victors and soon enough the “truth” that is being written for the young people today will be the new truth of tomorrow. Mr. Orwell, might have seen the future, too bad his date was a bit off.
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:52 am
Education should not be construed as a means by which the state may shove their own version of the “facts” down the throats of impressionable children and students, but instead should be considered a means by which children and students may be taught to question and criticize, to demand evidence and accountability.
The only citizens that can act as an effective counterbalance to the state and the corporation are those who are aware, interested, and questioning. The citizens ours and most other educational systems produce are still passive - they accept what they are told, they tune in at nine o’clock for their entertainment, and they concern themselves with the relatively shallow things in life and with managing their immediate circumstances. One’s immediate circumstances, mortgages and children being two examples, of course should not be neglected, but there is always time for thought, for inquiry, for the seeking of truth.
The true shape of democracy will not be seen until the people awaken en masse and challenge the corruption and complacency, the stealthy seizure of our freedoms and our representation, the incompetence and treason of those in whom we have put our trust. By ‘awakening’, however, I need not suggest violent, armed rebellion. In a country where a democratic framework already exists, and the laws have not yet been made into instruments of oppression, protest and challenge can still be made without spilling blood.
But, it all begins with education. If people are taught that they can change the world, then they will. If they are taught the same old lies, the half-truths, the stale facts without being given the skills to question them, to challenge them, to change them, then they will never know better.
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:32 am
Unfortunately this is not the only example of this manipulation of history. One of the most difficult lessons I had to learn whilst pusuing my degree in Historical Archaeology was that history is completely subjective. While I agree that there is only one truth, there are a million different lenses through which people view this truth. It doesnt matter if the event took place last month, last year, 10 or 100 years ago. Even primary sources used are subjective and then subjectively interpreted to be included in history books as fact. Though your entry references a contemporary example from overseas, there are many many pertinant examples in North America as well. For example, George Washington is always hailed as the founder of our country and included in the saintly forefathers - but no history books taught in elementary, middle, or high schools include his very deliberate plan for genocide. And though times are changing to the point where many no longer hail Columbus as the illustrious ‘discoverer’ of North America - popular retelling of history doesnt mention how he writes in his journals about the indigenous peoples of the continent as being “docile” and they would “make great slaves”. My point is that though it is terribly unfortunate, schooling worldwide is an excellent vehicle for promoting nationalism. No one would argue that people are most impressionable as children, and this is the time to get them. The same holds true in Israel, Pakistan, the USA, Canada, and many many other countries.
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:38 am
“History is a set of lies agreed upon” — Napoleon Bonaparte Its so true, but necessary when trying to win a war, which is judged based on the opinoins held by those not fighting.
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:03 pm
That’s right!! History is always completely subjective…
Like James told… Mr. Orwell was right… But I think he was much more right that we think… In 1984 all the people are extremely poor… much more poor than us… Yes I know that half of the planet todays is much poor than the people in 1984 Orwell’s story… But This is the point!! The people in 1984 are all poor except the elite… In the real reality the elite found that it is better to let peoples think that they are not so poor… Their are people that are really much more poor than us, so we have to shut up because we are relatively rich… But all that is manipulation… Their is enough money and resource for all on the planet to be relatively rich, but the elites act on the international economy and resources to maintain economics groups : a lot of really poor people, a lot of moderate rich people (us) and a really small part of really really rich people (… the elites…)… By maintaining these groups, the elites people keeps the economic supremacy because really poor people group are too poor to do anything because they burn all their energy to just fight for a part of bread and a cup of water for their family… The moderate rich group (us) do nothing because they have to work 25 hours a day to keep their position in the group because, if not, they will rapidly get down in the really poor group…
The common point here is that all people of really poor group and moderately rich group are really really busy but the really rich group aren’t… And this is the trick… Keeping poor people busy and do propaganda to let this people think they are not so poor by using entertainment like TV shows and professional sports…
Elite, organize entertainment TV shows like Hockey games, cheap soap and talk show etc… Why do you think?… To occupy people brains and let people think that all is possible… When the elites occupy people brains, people cannot think about real things… And what are real things…
The fact that we only are puppets and are manipulated by the elites that have their hands in our asses…
Like in Orwell 1984… I really don’t know what humanity could do to stop the manipulation of the mass by the elite…???
July 24th, 2007 at 8:40 am
“who controls the past now, controls the future, who controls the present now conrtols the past” - 1984
July 24th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
I haven’t before taken issue with your analysis, Matt, because we are generally on the same page. I agree with the sentiment expressed here, but I can’t agree with the intro. It jus isn’t so simple as there being a universal truth. History is perspective on past events and there is a multiplicity of lens. Discussing history is discussing many approachs to the events of the past and testing each against the factual matrix we understand to have happened. It is a complex and diverse discipline.
What troubles me and is reflected in your post, is that there is no critical eye applied in explaining past events; facts are assumed on a selective basis; and decisions are made on”teaching” based upon a singular lens. In this way “history” becomes a propaganda tool and is invalid and lacks intellectual rigour.
The change in Israel appears to be a small step forward, but that depends upon the content and the depth of the discussion. There is too little information upon which to evaluate it.
My bottom line is this. History is a discipline and its study is an imperative human endevour. There is no “truth” in understanding events, only perspectives. The challenge is to learn from many perspectives and the challenge to scholars is to develop those perspectives. Misuse use of information and scholarship for contemporary purposes insults all of us as rational, thinking human beings.
July 25th, 2007 at 7:49 am
I completely disagree, history may have been altered by the opinions and objectives of those writing it, but in the end, there is always an objective reality to what happened. When the sun rises someone may say that it came up at 5 AM and another say 5:05 AM, one of them may be right, or they may both be wrong, regardless of how much they argue, there is only one true answer.
July 25th, 2007 at 8:06 am
I think what’s Munroe trying to tell it’s that yes it always exist universal truth be each human or group of human never now the universal truth… Because he or they never have a complete and global vision of the matter, so the reality is always modified by their own filter (which he called Perspective or Lens)…