Roundup

Worse Than Treason

by Tom Nichols

"The majority of the Republican Party and its apologists are advocating for the overthrow of an American election and the continued rule of a sociopathic autocrat."

The Roundup Top Ten for December 23, 2020

by HNN Staff

The year's last compilation of the best opinion writing on the web by historians or about history. 

Trump Didn’t Attempt a Coup. He Threw a Temper Tantrum that Never Had a Chance

by David Greenberg

Liberals fearing the collapse of democracy can exhale. In 1974 the Watergate scandal portended a similar constitutional crisis. The panic was the same then as now, and institutions that seemed fragile then as now survived. 

New York Ban on Confederate Imagery is More than a Symbolic Gesture

by Karen L. Cox

Confederate symbols have been used by opponents of civil rights in New York; the governor's ban on displaying them on state property makes sense in light of this history.

Reflections on Vietnam and Iraq: The Lessons of Two Failed Wars

by Andrew Bacevich

Although the prospects for quickly turning around the ship seem dim, this has been an election year ending in zero, which has often signaled a turning point. The question is, in which direction. 

Cleansing Ourselves of Trumpism

by Jim Sleeper

Donald Trump's election revealed, rather than launched, the degradation of American political norms and institutions through decades of the Republicans' lurch to the right and the Democrats' abandonment of the common good. 

Biden Wants to Convene an International 'Summit for Democracy'. He Shouldn't

by David Adler and Stephen Wertheim

Joe Biden has proposed a summit of democratic nations; this would be an unfortunate exercise in dividing the world into camps of nations following the US and those opposed, without strict regard for whether those nations actually practice democracy. Instead, the authors argue, the US must lead by example: close tax shelters, put the wealthy under the rule of law, and help other nations to control their oligarchs. 

The Latest Chapter in Mississippi’s Long History of Squelching Anti-Racist Activism

by William Sturkey

The silencing of journalists and academics has always been integral to the regime of white supremacy in Mississippi. Now that new challenges are emerging to that regime, attacks on academic freedom, including the firing of historian Garrett Felber, have resurfaced.

The False Promise of Obama's 'Promised Land'

by Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins

A critique of the first volume of Obama's presidential memoir argues that the 44th President was unwilling to acknowledge the limits of the centrist liberal politics of the 1990s and unable to consider more progressive alternatives. 

The Saddest Union Story

by Harold Myerson

The recent announcement of a settlement between federal prosecutors and leaders of the United Auto Workers union presents a dire contrast to the heyday of the union, when the leadership of Walter Reuther made the union the only influential social democratic institution in American history and anchored the midcentury middle class. 

Trump is Rolling back Protections for Migratory Birds. That’s a Problem

by Kristoffer Whitney

Relaxing regulations protecting migratory birds has potentially serious environmental consequences and throws out decades of science-driven activism. 

Engaging With Trump’s Die-Hard Supporters Isn’t Productive

by Tom Nichols

"The Trump loyalists who still cling to conspiracy theories and who remain part of a cult of personality should be deprived of the attention they seek."

The Americans Who Long for Civil War: Should We Take these Big Talkers Seriously?

by L.D. Burnett

The chances that Trumpist die-hards will secede are nil. But the spirit animating this talk is still toxic and can't be ignored. 

Will the Debate over Critical Race Theory Divide the Southern Baptist Convention?

by John Fea

The Southern Baptist Convention faces a split over some leaders' insistence that the academic theories of intersectionality and critical race theory are contrary to scripture. 

Why Just ‘Adding Context’ to Controversial Monuments May Not Change Minds

by Erin Thompson

Research shows that "adding context" to monuments with problematic subject matter does little to expand the understanding of history visitors take away from the scene.

The Roundup Top Ten for December 18, 2020

by HNN Staff

The top opinion writing by historians and about history from around the web this week. 

History Exposes the Problem with Biden’s Defense Secretary Nominee

by Grant Golub

World War II demonstrated the need for strong civilian control over a military divided between multiple armed service branches, both to guide strategy and to ensure the ultimate authority of the President over the military. The nomination of a recently-retired Army general for Secretary of Defense departs from that tradition. 

We Live in a Society

by Gabriel Winant

Despite lamentations that social media have replaced face-to-face social life, those media platforms are increasingly important as sites of human contact and interaction. Anyone seeking political change must recognize this power and organize social networks to supplant it. 

How America Keeps Adapting the Story of the Pilgrims at Plymouth to Match the Story We Need to Tell

by Peter C. Mancall

The prevailing memory of Plymouth has shifted as Americans have used it as an allegory for their contemporary concerns. Most notably, the harsh religious orthodoxy of Plymouth was converted by the 19th century to stand for religious liberty, a concept the Pilgrims would have found odious. 

Years of Medical Abuse Make Black Americans Less Likely to Trust the Coronavirus Vaccine

by Dan Royles

There is a long and continuous history of mistreatment of African Americans by the American medical establishment. This legacy is responsible for many Black Americans' mistrust of a coronavirus vaccine. Good public health practice in vulnerable communities requires addressing this history.