Rewiring history..

[magicjuan]

There seems to be an overt trend at the moment to wipe out elements of history just because it doesn't fit in with current morality and political views.
This isn't a new phenomenon, it was always done by conquering hoardes to eradicate cultures, the library at Alexandria is the biggest known occassion, but more recently too with the Taliban destroying buddhist monuments, the destruction of ancient sites across Iraq and Afghanistan, by both sides, and now with the pulling down of confederate 'monuments'.
Do we allow the past to stand and instruct and to learn from? Or do we eradicate, sanitise, to be forgotten, only to see the mistakes repeated further down the line?
This has been mooted closer to home with suggestions on renaming streets in Liverpool that were named after slave traders. It wouldn't stop the historical fact that our city grew and benefitted from slavery.
Why the need to 'rewire' history?

 

[tim gabbott]

 

[bicycleheader]

There seems to be an overt trend at the moment to wipe out elements of history just because it doesn't fit in with current morality and political views.
This isn't a new phenomenon, it was always done by conquering hoardes to eradicate cultures, the library at Alexandria is the biggest known occassion, but more recently too with the Taliban destroying buddhist monuments, the destruction of ancient sites across Iraq and Afghanistan, by both sides, and now with the pulling down of confederate 'monuments'.
Do we allow the past to stand and instruct and to learn from? Or do we eradicate, sanitise, to be forgotten, only to see the mistakes repeated further down the line?
This has been mooted closer to home with suggestions on renaming streets in Liverpool that were named after slave traders. It wouldn't stop the historical fact that our city grew and benefitted from slavery.
Why the need to 'rewire' history?

Well I guess simplistically the history will always be written down and recorded, so you could say taking down statues and renaming streets dedicated to slave traders is simply choosing to no longer publicly acknowledge them and doesn't eradicate the history of an event or of a places origins and evolution. Just a thought upon reading your OP.

 

[.....!]

Throwing the baby out with the bath water.

 

[ijjysmith]

Remember when Ash said Hitler was alright really?

Great days.

 

[bicycleheader]

Throwing the baby out with the bath water.

you can keep the bath and all!

 

[coollino]

Re: the confederate statues - statues are seen as a way of a celebration/respect etc so taking them down is't re-writing history. I think statues are very weird anyway, a bit too 'cult of personality'.

 

[sageyefc]

* rewriting

 

[Connor]

 

[zzr45]

Remember when Ash said Hitler was alright really?

Great days.

You knew what he was painting but you were never blown away by it.

 

[SerenityNigh]

There seems to be an overt trend at the moment to wipe out elements of history just because it doesn't fit in with current morality and political views.
This isn't a new phenomenon, it was always done by conquering hoardes to eradicate cultures, the library at Alexandria is the biggest known occassion, but more recently too with the Taliban destroying buddhist monuments, the destruction of ancient sites across Iraq and Afghanistan, by both sides, and now with the pulling down of confederate 'monuments'.
Do we allow the past to stand and instruct and to learn from? Or do we eradicate, sanitise, to be forgotten, only to see the mistakes repeated further down the line?
This has been mooted closer to home with suggestions on renaming streets in Liverpool that were named after slave traders. It wouldn't stop the historical fact that our city grew and benefitted from slavery.
Why the need to 'rewire' history?

I'm no history expert, but removing confederate monuments is probably different than "rewriting" written historical accounts or destroying temples of worship. When states like Montana, which was created in 1889--24 years after the end of the Civil War--and occupies a territory with marginal geographic association with the Civil War (Dakota Territory contributed two companies to the Union war effort), have confederate monuments, then it's clear the issue of confederate monuments is cultural, not "historical."

But concerning the the Greeks and Buddhists, I could care less unless they've got oil to be drilled and extracted.

*I added the links above for historical emphasis

 

[magicjuan]

I'm no history expert, but removing confederate monuments is probably different than "rewriting" written historical accounts or destroying temples of worship. When states like Montana, which was created in 1889--24 years after the end of the Civil War--and occupies a territory with marginal geographic association with the Civil War (Dakota Territory contributed two companies to the Union war effort), have confederate monuments, then it's clear the issue of confederate monuments is cultural, not "historical."

But concerning the the Greeks and Buddhists, I could care less unless they've got oil to be drilled and extracted.

*I added the links above for historical emphasis

Posted somewhere this morning, regarding the erecting of the monuments. All monuments are symbolic. Removal is rewiring (nb not rewriting) i.e. taking away direct links into cultural histories, and their symbolism and representation, this tends to prevent questioning or examining historical events.
History is written by the victorious, allegedly, but everything is conquered at some point and changed. But that is natural development and progress, this all seems a bit agenda driven.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Lot of positive replies
Nothing negative considering the live wires on this site
Down to earth replies
I'm neutral on this subject

 

[Jamiednm]

We don't live in a utopia, and every country has their scars from history. We should keep reminders of them in our towns and cities instead of trying to write them out of history and pretend it didn't happen.

 

[Jamiednm]

History is written by the victorious, allegedly, but everything is conquered at some point and changed. But that is natural development and progress, this all seems a bit agenda driven.

Exactly. While some US towns have taken down Confederate statues (amongst others) previously, it is notorious now as a backlash against Trump. Why weren't these statues hauled down during Obama's 8 year tenure? - because people feel they have to 'resist' the new President and the mob rules.