We Need Today's Historians to say "That was then, This is today..."

[Blackhatjack]

The changes that have occurred in the last ten(10) years are fundamental and in many cases so widespread and subtle that people are forgetting what we had in comparison to how things are today.

Historians traditionally have had the advantage of studying a period of time in retrospect, reviewing documentation, interviewing witnesses, knowing what followed that period in order to put things in perspective.

We sorely need of our present day historians to compare life in the United States ten(10) years ago with what we have today so that people can see what we have lost, and what we are likely to experience in the future.

This has to happen now, today. Why? Because this government and the MSM are busy "re-writing" our history with each passing day. We will never have an accurate view of this time period and the changes that occurred if these historians do not step forward today because even as we ponder this course of action, public documents are being pulled from public view, libraries are being stripped of government information, agency information that has traditionally been open to public review is hidden for "security" reasons, freedom of information act requests are routinely ignored and denied, courts seal documents and do not allow citizens to even hear the reason for their order since the government is allowed to make their arguments in secret, use of the state secrecy act is making it impossible to determine what corporate spying on individuals is taking place on behalf of the government, and when Bush leaves office he will take all of his presidential papers(which are owned by the people) and stick them in his presidential library under seal away from review by historians.

A "that was then, this is now" comparison would be startling to some people --to see what we have given up in citizen constitutional rights and what rights the government has usurped.

Do we want our country back and our constitutional rights restored? Our patriotic historians, this is your time! You may be our best chance at taking back our country. Where are you? Please report for duty!!

[bryant69]

1. IT wouldn't work

I have a masters in history - and this idea seems nonsensical - I would say that archivists are our best hope not historians. Keep ahold of the primary documents and future historians can sort it out - allow the primary documents to be destroyed, and they will be up a creek.

For one thing we would disagree on what 1996 was really all about. For another we would disagree on how exactly things have changed since 1996.

How tight was Republican control of the Media in 1996 vs. 2006? Seems like there could be a wide range of disagreement on this issue.

How corrupt were our nations election boards in 1996 vs. 2006? I don't know if this was even an issue in 1996.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. I completely agree with you

The OP shows very little awareness of the problems and practices of writing histories.

[Jed Dilligan]

3. I think demographers, sociologists, and environmental scientists

will produce more shocking evidence of change than people combing the archives.

[bryant69]

4. Well yes and no

I don't know about Environmental scientists, but obviously sociologists and demographers will be using those archives as well.

And at any rate any tool that helps understanding should be welcomed.

Bryant

[Jed Dilligan]

5. What would a demographer or sociologist want

with classified documents? I guess if you were doing a study of governmental activity. My point is that social, economic, and environmental forces at work today are probably more interesting and influential than the recorded actions of the government.

[bryant69]

6. I guess I have a more expansive view of archives

Population data, for example, or census data is part of the "archives" in my view.

I will note that History is more than political history. Political History is important and useful, but there is also economic history, social history, intellectual history (my forte, sort of) and so on and so forth.

Bryant

[Blackhatjack]

7. So closing EPA libraries, and hiding govt reports on a variety of issues

...cause you no heartburn? Go try to do a report on this country's nuclear arsenal today and see how many documents are now missing which were available 20-30 years ago.

And by the way, nothing makes a document more or less useful for analysis just by slapping a "classifed" label on it. The number of documents withheld from public view today is exponentially greater than just 10 years ago.

The recorded actions of government agencies are essential to understand why our government works the way it does. For example, after Katrina you would look at the pre-Katrina govt evacuation plan for New Orleans to analyze what the govt did and why. But hey, the govt cannot find a copy of the evacuation plan today. So lacking that critical report, it is impossible to know what the govt's position was, if it was followed or not, and how the planned use of resources may have contributed to the eventual disaster that cost thousands of lives.

Archivists and Historians are essential to a transparent govt. Those who ignore accurate historical records tend to be vulnerable to the same mistakes in the future.

[Jed Dilligan]

8. No argument there

Your OP seemed to imply there was some sort of smoking gun out there that would sway the public. I think the public is more open to information about itself--its increasing impoverishment and environmental vulnerability.

[Blackhatjack]

9. The original point was ...

...we are in the midst of changes that will erode what it means to live free in a democracy under constitutional law. People are not aware of how much things have changed in the last ten(10) years, and how much less free we are today than ten(10) years ago. Plus, those perpetrating these changes are also "re-writing" history as they go along, by putting out false statements/propaganda about what they are really doing and at the same time hiding more and more evidence that proves what they are really doing.

Does anyone believe the "Clear Skies Act" is in fact designed to improve air quality? or is it to protect the industries polluting the environment which gave huge campaign contributions to the Repub Party? There are govt reports that have been written by respected scientists which show the real deterioration of the environment since this act passed, but those original reports have been hidden, editted, and in many cases rewritten to say the exact opposite.

We need those who rely upon accurate govt records and reports to step forward and point out not only the change in the environment but the withholding of govt records which would prove conclusively that our govt is lying to us.

If free speech is burdened long enough, people will eventually forget what it was like to have free speech in this country. Historians help us to measure changes in freedom in this country. Take for example the civil rights movement, women's right to vote, etc. Without having the access to govt reports and documents Brown v. Board of Education would not have happened, and segregation would have continued for an indefinite period of time under the "separate but equal" doctrine of public education.

We as a free country are like the frog being slowly boiled to death, and someone with credentials and facts needs to state the obvious before it is too late.