Roundup

The Roundup Top Ten for February 11, 2022

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

What Happened When I Went on Joe Rogan's Podcast

by Jonathan Zimmerman

There are many reasons to lament the misinformation spread by Joe Rogan, but shunning him won't help him use his massive platform more wisely. 

Hunger Strikes are Powerful Stands Against Injustice

by Nayan Shah

The hunger strike is a potent tool of resistance when the balance of formal power is highly unequal. 

Crossing the Blood Meridian: Cormac McCarthy as an American Historian

by Bennett Parten

"One of the most striking things about reading Blood Meridian now, almost 40 years since its release, is that it anticipates some of the major historical turns of the past decades."

How Did We Get Here?

by Rajan Menon

The roots of the Ukraine crisis lie with American decisions in the 1990s to kick post-Soviet Russia while it was down, promoting neoliberal policies that led to oligarchy, and isolating the Kremlin from the post-Cold War European order instead of integrating it. 

Notes from a Grad School Survivor

by Kellen Heniford

This week's revelations of sexual harassment and institutional complicity at Harvard are striking a chord with women academics because they're not surprising. The author discusses her own experiences and the power dynamics stacked against students and survivors.

Finding Nowhere: Mapping the Future Study of Antiquity

by Stephanie Wong and Sarah E. Bond

This is a conversation inaugurating a broader discussion about considering the ancient world beyond the fragmented histories of Greece, Rome, or "the west." 

The Lazy Bear's Guide to Anti-Imperialism

by Gabriel Rosenberg

Too much of the chatter about American military intervention skips over the core problem: the massive flow of resources into the military and weapons programs creates a preference for war.

Single Origin Stories Aren't Good History

by Emily Sclafani

Origin stories, whether of idealized liberty or racism as national original sin, tie the present to the past in ways that exclude the possibilities for change that existed then and exist now.

Seat Belt Law History Shows Public Protections Don't Have to be Partisan

by Erica Westly

Seat belt laws originated in the conservative state of Tennessee, but spread with remarkable success to other states. Can this guide public policy around today's controversies like mask and vaccine mandates?

Was the Black Death Less Severe and Shorter than We Think?

by Adam Izdebski, Alessia Masi and Timothy P. Newfield

"While no two pandemics are the same, the study of the past can help us discover where to look for our own vulnerabilities and how to best prepare for future outbreaks. To begin to do that, though, we need to reassess past epidemics with all the evidence we can."

It's Black History Month. We Need to Talk About It

by Jeremy C. Young

The honest teaching of American history is under attack across the United States, undermining the goal of Carter G. Woodson, who linked the teaching of Black history to the advancement of multiracial democracy. 

Madeline Morgan Fought for the Teaching of Black History in Schools. 80 Years Later the Fight Isn't Over

by Michael Hines

Educator Madeline Morgan was one of many Black teachers who understood the connection between the social studies curriculum in Chicago and the prospects for interracial democracy in the city. 

Confronting Confederate Heritage is Necessary to Understand White Supremacy

by David Barber

Everyday social life in the Confederacy required white Southerners to close their eyes and hearts to terrible cruelty. No reconciliation today is possible without acknowledging it. 

Will the Diplomatic Boycott of the Olympics Have any Effect on China?

by Meghan Herwig

After Tiananmen Square, it became clear that American foreign policy was limited by other Asian nation's growing dependence on China. Today, as regional relations shift, will a more effective human rights advocacy be possible? 

Man of Smoke

by Jason Ridler

The task of literary biography can be made much more difficult when authors fictionalize the sparse details of their own lives. 

The Racist Terrorism and Segregation Behind "Midwest Nice"

by Aaron Kinard

The Midwest has a long history of racial exclusion that today manifests in the worst black-white inequality in the nation. "Niceness" can't be allowed to conceal systemic racism. 

Adults Support Empowering Youth – Until Youth Dissent

by Dara Walker

American youth are seldom credited for having a clear understanding of the policies that affect their lives. COVID safety walkouts are the latest example of student activism to be dismissed.

The Neil Young-Joe Rogan Affair Shows the Long History of the Music Industry

by Sam Backer

The music industry's adaptation to the streaming age (and return to profits for the big labels) is part of a long history extracting money from new technologies, including giving artists the smallest slice of the pie. 

The Economy is Good, Actually

by Zachary D. Carter

An economic historian says that the recovery from the pandemic is historically good in terms of the share of gains going to low-income workers, but the politics are not working in the Democrats' favor.