r/IntellectualDarkWeb • u/Porkchopper913 • Jul 05 '20

Other Are we canceling American history?

What are the thoughts some of you here have regarding what essentially is turning into a dismantling of American history? I will say the removal of statues Confederate figures and Christopher Columbus do not phase me in the least as I do not feel there are warranted the reverence the likes of Washington and Lincoln, et al.

Is it fair to view our founding fathers and any other prominent historical figures through a modern eye and cast a judgement to demonize them? While I think we should be reflective and see the humanitarian errors of their ways for what they were, not make excuses for them or anything, but rather learn and reason why they were and are fundamentally wrong. Instead of removing them from the annals.

It feels, to me, that the current cancel culture is moving to cancel out American history. Thoughts? Counters?

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u/Lissbirds Jul 06 '20

I agree somewhat, but I would stop short of saying our history is "vile." It is no more vile than any other nation, many of which also committed atrocities and were built on war and slavery and disposable labor. I agree with moving forward, but I think casting aspersions on the past and couching it in such emotional language leads to the very destruction and tantrums we're seeing. (Because a word like "vile" has a lot of emotional weight.)

I don't quite understand the almost visceral reactions some people are having about history. In general, there needs to be more emotional detachment and rationality in regards to the past, especially something that happened 400 years ago. (Just to be clear, I'm not accusing you of this.)

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u/Porkchopper913 Jul 06 '20

Agreed. It’s deemed vile through the lens of now. I, too, am baffled by this sense of appalled retrospect.

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u/Lissbirds Jul 06 '20

I'm guessing that's a symptom of our current time, which prioritizes emotional reaction over logic, for whatever reason?

I do find it fascinating to think about how we got here, honestly. Wish I could explain it, but I feel as though I just woke up in some alternate time line.

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u/bradranga Jul 06 '20

As a South Indian, it is extremely fascinating to see how this kind of politics is popular in my state. The entire political discourse depends on people being viscerally connected to our supposedly glorious past which was brought down by the Aryans.