Hello. Jim Grossman and I just published this essay today in the New Republic on the one year anniversary of Trump's infamous executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." Still insane after all these years.
newrepublic.com/article/2082...
When barbarians enter your land and territory, do not plan to negotiate. Build your defenses and get ready to drive them out. At universities and all over American education we need to prepare, as William James said, for "the moral equivalent of War."
As I have said, I do not intend any reconciliation with Roberts and Heritage. Not possible. But to communicate why many of us believe they are wrong to their faces. Otherwise we just talk with each other as we are doing here.
The goal with the podcast was exactly the opposite. I think it shows that. Please listen to it.
For those who hate that I did an interview with Kevin Roberts, I hope you listen to it. Frankly, he hung himself on his own petard. Most of his answers were vacuous or worse. Why not expose this rather than merely hate it. I agree about Roberts's views. Tried to reveal them. I think we did.
Trump and his enablers are calling the Iran war an "excursion." From what to what? In much of our past most American wars were not fully preemptive on the part of US as this one is. The Mexican War in 1846 yes. Vietnam certainly to an extent. Trump is a war president of, by and for ignorance.
I will soon be writing about this podcast and its highlights for the New Republic. DB
Here is a proper link to my interview with Kevin Roberts of Heritage Foundation about American history. We had it out with civility and great disagreement. DB
www.davidwblight.com/public-histo...
Please listen to this podcast I did with Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation. We debate history in America. We agreed do be civil even as we knew we would disagree on almost everything. Both happened. Roberts revealed himself and the perils of Trumpism. DB
Blight Roberts
Hello everyone. Please see and attend the next "Trump vs. History" webinar, sponsored by the New Republic. Monday, 4 pm eastern, free on zoom. I will moderate a discussion with the three great historians, Ed Ayers, Molly Worthen, Geraldo Cadava. We fight back!
www.eventbrite.com/e/trump-vers...
The emperor has no clothes and he is spreading hatred, ignorance, and corruption all around. We have to convert despair into a fighting spirit! Save the American republic!
Federal troops to Portland? Portlanders: don't take the bait. He wants a violent confrontation in order to use those troops. For now hold silent marches with muffled drums, bring flowers, sing songs of freedom, keep it all peaceful and non-violent. Confrontation will come in time.
Honor US soldiers at Wounded Knee? Take down 30 images about slavery at Harpers Ferry? Indict your political enemies in worse abuses of law and Constitutional norms than Watergate? Historians and everyone who cares - fight back! We are beyond simply saving democracy; we have to stop a TYRANT!
New op ed in this morning's New Republic about the rhetoric of "civil war" on this anniversary of battle of Antietam, single bloodiest day in American history. David Blight
newrepublic.com/article/2005...
This piece in Forbes today by Mary Beth Gasman minces no words in calling out the Trump regime and what it is trying to do to American history. Very effective essay.
www.forbes.com/sites/marybe...
Good news. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, has graciously accepted my invitation to two debates with his fellow historians about American history on the eve of the US 250th. Details of time and sites are being worked out. One likely in a red state, and one is a blue state.
Wrong link in previous post. Here is correct CNN video.
David Blight
video.snapstream.net/Play/8mJmNdV...
President Trump: Meet Frederick Douglass and his Narrative. Read!!! And do not say another public word about slavery until you get educated. Please stop insulting Americans with your unbounded ignorance.
Kevin Roberts at Heritage Foundation has not yet accepted my invitation to debate historians. If anyone has direct access at Heritage, please encourage him. The Trump History department should cite their sources and defend their arguments in public.
Trump's rant about museums: accuses "woke" curators of portraying "how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been..." The first claim is obscene, the second is simply stupid. Ignorance in the mind of a tyrant is a very dangerous thing. Historians - awake!!
Good morning. Here is the cover and all 11 essays of new special issue of the TNR by historians ighting back against Trump administration's assaults on history, museums, archives, libraries. No surrender among historians.
newrepublic.com/magazine?utm...
Kevin Roberts and the Heritage Foundation: Come out and debate historians about the current and future practice of American history. See the current New Republic. We respectfully invite you to an open, civil debate.
-David Blight, for American historians and teachers eager to fight back.
Good morning. Here is the cover and all 11 essays of new special issue of the TNR by historians ighting back against Trump administration's assaults on history, museums, archives, libraries. No surrender among historians.
newrepublic.com/magazine?utm...
See new essays in New Republic. I have gathered and edited eleven essays by historians on teaching and writing history in the time of Trump. We are fighting back! I'll be on MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell tonight at 10 to talk about the special issue of TNR.
newrepublic.com/series/67/tr...
With Akhil Amar, I just helped direct this extraordinary teacher seminar on the history of the Constitution in Philly at National Constitution Center, generously sponsored by the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute and OAH. Our comrades, the teachers, were magnificent in knowledge and dedication! Bravo!
Trump's lawyers, bound by vows of loyalty to their profoundly ignorant leader, are constitutionally cherry-picking their way to autocracy. They are patient; we citizens should not be!
Birthright citizenship: as old in England as Sir Edward Coke's 1608 opinion in "Calvin's Case," and at least as early as the Prudence Crandall case before Connecticut Supreme Court in 1834. The principle: when a government expects "obedience" it must provide "protection."
Trump's sense of triumph yesterday over SCOTUS decision on nation-wide injunctions derives from steady impulse against birthright citizenship. NO Mr. Trump, the Civil War did not end in 1969 and section 1 of the 14th is not intended only for children of slaves. We cannot allow ignorance to win!!!
An 800% increase in the ICE finding in the new budget bill out of House and now before the Senate? God help us. Trump wants confrontation; peacefully, without burning cars, people should give it to him.
When barbarians enter your land and territory, do not plan to negotiate. Build your defenses and get ready to drive them out. At universities and all over American education we need to prepare, as William James said, for "the moral equivalent of War."