General Discussion

Martin68

(24,863 posts)

87. You better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone. Yes, our memories, like our attention spans, have shrunk down

Reply to PCIntern (Original post)

Wed Dec 25, 2024, 11:04 AM

Dec 25

to almost nothing. I've long thought that every American high school student should take a substantial course in modern American History, starting around 1925. I had two American History classes in school (before college), and both spent too much time assembling the mythology of Columbus, the Pilgrims and Manifest Destiny. There was never time left to learn anything about what led to WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, etc.

That said, we could all have benefitted from a true history of the settling and expansion of what is now the U.S., and the parts immigration, labor, and slavery played in making the country what it is today. Conservatives are still working to keep the blinkers on and attribute some version of "noble" capitalism for what made us a great nation, excluding all the crimes that led us to where we are now.

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This post will probably sink like a stone... [View all] PCIntern Dec 24 OP

AMEN recovering_democrat Dec 24 #1

That's all true. bucolic_frolic Dec 24 #2

If people have not read it, I can strongly suggest reading "A Fever In The Heartland" by Timothy Egan GeoWilliam750 Dec 24 #66

I recommend Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the U.S." Martin68 Dec 25 #88

Also an excellent read. GeoWilliam750 Dec 26 #98

Nail meet hammer Pachamama Dec 24 #3

Happy....er...what? Clouds Passing Dec 24 #4

the smothers brothers, phil donahue were superstars rampartd Dec 24 #5

We are trained to work The Madcap Dec 24 #6

Oh Yeah. Some of my Nordic friends call Americans "Ants" ....it ain't a compliment. chouchou Dec 24 #35

Information overload The Wizard Dec 24 #7

This is what I want to say... madaboutharry Dec 24 #8

Is that them new bees or hornets that invaded us from Asia? 3Hotdogs Dec 24 #23

Yum! Shipwack Dec 24 #51

Sounds like it'll bee good! calimary Dec 25 #96

Joyce Vance shared a recipe for Rugelach on her Substack. soldierant Dec 24 #81

Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia Wicked Blue Dec 24 #9

And eliminate DOE in Project 2025 Evolve Dammit Dec 24 #25

People need to watch jeopardy MacKasey Dec 24 #10

True, but Jeopardy has changed. LisaM Dec 24 #15

I have a friend born in the 1950s IbogaProject Dec 24 #57

It depends on the categories. LisaM Dec 24 #64

Alot more pop culture QA as well. nt Ilsa Dec 24 #77

"I went home for lunch" BumRushDaShow Dec 24 #34

I lived 2 blocks from school MacKasey Dec 24 #46

I lived about 4 blocks from my original elementary school BumRushDaShow Dec 24 #53

I had the exact experience as a kid, La Coliniere Dec 24 #65

Frankly, I think that is exactly the wrong approach. malthaussen Dec 24 #67

I can appreciate your disagreement MacKasey Dec 24 #70

An interesting observation, and of course it leads to Santayana's famous remark, Ocelot II Dec 24 #11

I frequently get posts from a group called "Old Time Baseball" in my fb feed. malthaussen Dec 24 #68

This is why history isn't linear, but moves in cycles Blaukraut Dec 24 #72

This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Dec 24 #12

Historians are fully aware of what you both say. Which is why they become historians in the first place, and why ancianita Dec 24 #21

bookmarking to read later. Thank you. I rec'd it already and want to chew on a bit - and provide a respose. NewHendoLib Dec 24 #13

Yep. Another way to put it is "here and now" -- that's all Americans care about, the current KPN Dec 24 #14

We also often forget when our stars are no longer with us. keep_left Dec 24 #16

Outstanding. Mike 03 Dec 24 #17

I always refer to a sense of history. murielm99 Dec 24 #18

No Long-Term Memory is how bastards get the US Taxpayer on the Hook Kid Berwyn Dec 24 #19

Sigh...sadly, all true. pandr32 Dec 24 #20

To me, the key line on your post: Escurumbele Dec 24 #22

There's never a magical time of remembering Sympthsical Dec 24 #24

Ho ho ho... PCIntern Dec 24 #28

Do you know all kinds of 1880s and 90s singers as well? Popular theater actors of the Gilded Age? Sympthsical Dec 24 #39

Memory intelpug Dec 25 #83

I remember the Grass Roots. My band opened for them Mblaze Dec 24 #26

That's actually pretty cool... PCIntern Dec 24 #29

The band we opened for that sucked the most Mblaze Dec 24 #40

I remember them too BlueSpot Dec 26 #97

They definitely had some hits. Mblaze Dec 26 #99

Sanewashing is brainwashing. dchill Dec 24 #27

Happy & healthy New Year to you and yours, PCI Hekate Dec 24 #30

And to you!!! PCIntern Dec 24 #41

Let's Live ForToday JMCKUSICK Dec 24 #31

Gore Vidal dubbed the US thucythucy Dec 24 #32

Excellent points, perfectly articulated. PCIntern Dec 24 #42

You jumped right from radios to smart phones. What about TV? nt Nittersing Dec 24 #48

TV obviously also had an impact, thucythucy Dec 24 #54

A lot of kids were "raised" by television Nittersing Dec 24 #56

Good points. thucythucy Dec 24 #58

Many Americans are lazy young_at_heart Dec 24 #33

I feel that... 2naSalit Dec 24 #59

I would also rather do those things BUT MuseRider Dec 25 #90

What you wrote echoes my feelings riverbendviewgal Dec 24 #36

athiest that does xmas traditions here Kali Dec 24 #37

The result of letting many home school their children biophile Dec 24 #38

Thinking more philosophically, there is the 14th Dalai Lama outlook Beringia Dec 24 #43

I went to high school with Hugh Downs' daughter PCIntern Dec 24 #44

"We are the weak link: deliberately undereducated and programmed by the corporate media." OldBaldy1701E Dec 24 #45

Memory is a small part - Nigrum Cattus Dec 24 #47

Even in the 70s history Figarosmom Dec 24 #49

History teachers intelpug Dec 25 #84

And he was right Figarosmom Dec 25 #85

Excellent. I would also add that somewhere along the line, "History is boring" became a LoisB Dec 24 #50

History was made boring by becoming an endless recitation of facts. malthaussen Dec 24 #69

A salient point about the band The Grass Roots EYESORE 9001 Dec 24 #52

PCIntern............ Upthevibe Dec 24 #55

In the era of "personality politics" (bad) people only want their prejudices reinforced. And they are easily tricked. usonian Dec 24 #60

You echo my thoughts... rasputin1952 Dec 24 #61

Nostalgia and its opposites Nasruddin Dec 24 #62

And assassination is becoming too common dlbell Dec 24 #63

Gotta agree with everything here... Trueblue Texan Dec 24 #71

I get the point... lonely bird Dec 24 #73

Am an American. I remember Tweedy Dec 24 #74

You speak the truth! Ziggysmom Dec 24 #75

I remember the W. Bush administration and Beck23 Dec 24 #76

I remember in the early 80s many people didnt know who their Senators were Callie1979 Dec 24 #78

It is shocking to me anyway Meowmee Dec 24 #79

I agree 200% with you! slightlv Dec 24 #80

It's not that Americans have no memory. The problem is mass media. Initech Dec 25 #82

Thank you for this. MuseRider Dec 25 #86

You better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone. Yes, our memories, like our attention spans, have shrunk down Martin68 Dec 25 #87

There is no community memory Keepthesoulalive Dec 25 #89

Rethink the idea of american amnesia Southern_gent Dec 25 #91

Disagree with almost every point PCIntern Dec 25 #93

Let's Have a Real Conversation: Disagree? Tell Me Why! Southern_gent Dec 25 #94

Because I'm busy. PCIntern Dec 25 #95

"international efforts to curb authoritarianism" Lulu KC Saturday #100

some of the best tv shows in my memory were one season or 2 seasons ones . barely got off the ground and yanked AllaN01Bear Dec 25 #92

But knowing the short-term memory of The Public is why no_hypocrisy Sunday #101