1st Wednesday - Race & Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory 05.03.17

Presented by, David Blight

[@JR-pr8jb]

Wonderfully thought-provoking talk by Prof. Blight, as always. In my very old age, the phenomenon of memory is becoming increasingly interesting.

[@Tupelo927]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful lecture. Professor David Blight is always fascinating & illuminating.

[@willstorm8331]

The beginning of this talk is essential to place this presentation in the context of the times we live in. Without it a person might forget how much blood was spilled to free others from slavery and the facts that many would have us go back to a time when civil rights for those of color didn't exist. Now we see the same hatreds. A section are trying to use violence to take away rights so dearly won.

[@legendbird2008]

Thanks for the unloading.

[@corra7]

Wonderful speaker.

[@sandratucker8636]

Love David. I have learned a lot. Another speaker I recommend is Annette Gordon-Reed. Enjoy Sande T

[@12rwoody]

Shout out public libraries

[@johnries5593]

It seems to me that one of the traits of a useful speaker or writer is the ability to ask the right questions, even if one doesn't have the right answers. David Blight strikes as passing in that regard.

[@soxfan1045]

His talk begins at 6:26 after several minutes of jokes and remarks about being confounded by President Trump's political rhetoric

[@rafaelespinoza6530]

r😂rw❤

[@jklsr55]

I love David Blight. His Yale series you can find right here on KZbin is amazing. It kills me to see and hear this very learned man is a liberal...

[@gtneal]

Jeff Legg most historians are left of centre

[@Pandaemoni]

@@gtneal Yes, facts have a well-known liberal bias. :D

[@NathanDudani]

LiBeRaL

[@JR-pr8jb]

Yeah, if only he had provided the Q-Anon analysis.

[@NathanDudani]

Starts around 16:00

[@kwm123123]

As much as I respect Professor Blight for knowledge, expertise, etc on history and particularly Civil War history. I find it interesting some of the negative comments about Trump. I would love to know what Professor Blight thinks about Biden and how he is destroying this country. Surely Professor Blight is not niave to think that Biden is doing a better job than Trump? I think this just proves how militant the liberal academia approach today's issues affecting our country. Today it is whatever is wrong is right and whatever is right is wrong.

[@Tuiphan]

I think you miss the point about history. You can't be here to learn history and ask about the professor thinks of Biden. Good lord!

[@JPW3]

"Today it is whatever is wrong is right and whatever is right is wrong." LOL! You're on firmer ground sticking to Blight's vision of history.

[@hearmeout9138]

I love the lectures, but I tire of the political statements. Is it possible to have an open-minded, objective educational experience anymore? If a historian feels compelled to spout divisive political content, I would request that thet save it for the end because, like getting food poisoning on the first day of a week in Paris, it ruins the entire experience. Maybe he should spend less time with reporters and more time with intelligent people who create and analyze important concepts instead of people who listen to others as a professional proxy and still are inaccurate more often than not.

[@durtdawg51]

A true historian is compelled to share their observations, as to how our past impacts our environment today. It is just as important to explain how those, in positions of influence, having no concept of the past can be a danger. At the time of his presentation, he had no idea, just how accurate he is. Being a historian, he was fulfilling his duty, as expressed by George Santayana.

[@hearmeout9138]

@@durtdawg51 AOC is a prime example of ignorance in power. These historians are typically on the left and typically incorrect about who the ignorant masses actually are.

[@tinmanx2222]

@@durtdawg51 Blight is biased and it shows in his presentations.

[@durtdawg51]

@@tinmanx2222 please, enlighten us and share as to what bias you observed in this presentation, by Dr. Blight.

[@tinmanx2222]

@@durtdawg51 He needs to leave his politics out of his presentations.

[@hearmeout9138]

I'm a southern Republican, my family has voted Republican since the civil war, my ancestors fought for the Union, against the Democrats and the KKK, and WE ARE STILL THE PARTY OF LINCOLN. The Democrats just went from supporting slavery to supporting the KKK to supporting Jim Crow to supporting the welfare enslavement of blacks. They've ALWAYS been the party of black exploitation and the Republican party has remained fairly consistent. I understand Blight isn't a scientist so he may not understand special relativity, but when his party jumps from one radical extreme to another radical extreme (there's been no actual progress in their party other than their form of exploitation), from their frame of reference I guess it does look like the Republicans have changed. He's 100% wrong and I would debate him and dominate him.

[@marcinna8553]

Democrats supporting the welfare enslavement of Blacks? You know, the folks who say stuff like this are almost always conservative white folks. Meanwhile, African-Americans overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party. Are you suggesting that African-Americans can't figure out what is in their own interest? Or are you suggesting that African-Americans are motivated primarily by the prospect of getting on welfare? You should try running for office and use this line when campaigning for black votes.

[@hearmeout9138]

@@marcinna8553 Well, the blacks have been supporting Democrats for over 50 years and from what the African-Americans say, things haven’t drastically improved so it seems that the smart play would be to stop blindly supporting Democrats. Guess what? Trump is gaining record support from blacks so I think many have figured it out and I applaud them for it because I have always known that they were simply being exploited by Democrats, but it just took a little while for them to convince themselves after being brainwashed by the radical elements associated with the Democrats. Malcolm X recognized it years ago and said that the white liberal was no friend of blacks. He was right then and those walking away from the jack ass party are right now.

[@marcinna8553]

@@hearmeout9138 Trump gaining "record support" from blacks is still

[@hearmeout9138]

@@marcinna8553 No. I’ve never assumed that, but it sickens me when black ministers stand up and say that black voters are disenfranchised while at the same time telling them who they can and can’t vote for and in a lot of cases either harvesting ballots or busing minorities to the voting booth with an eye over their shoulder to make sure they vote “correctly.” I know what “community organizers” like Obama are because I had friends from majority-black neighborhoods tell me. If you are a free -thinker, doesn’t it gall you when Democrats just take your vote for granted? When Biden says “You ain’t black if you don’t vote for me”, that doesn’t make you feel like you’re being pressured by culture to obey without question. I’m blunt but I’m always honest. I’ve lost friends because I gave them advice that they needed, but didn’t want to hear. But I’ve also got friends that have unwavering faith in me because they know I will never patronize them by telling them what makes them feel good but isn’t helping them. It’s easy to gain friends and fans when you tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. I’m not religious (I was as a child) but I had a friend go to this church and he tried to get me to go, saying that they were quite liberal and preached everything he believes. I told him that good advice is always hard to take and if everything he believes is correct, then why go to church? It’s like working out... if it isn’t painful and isn’t changing you, then of what use is it? I’ve never believed that the Democrats had the best interests of black Americans at heart, In the 20’s and 30’s, they were still the party of Jim Crow and the KKK and suddenly, in 20 years they completely have a change of heart and become the party that truly, honestly, sincerely turns 180 and cares about the plight of minorities? The Democrats are grifters. Go watch a Biden speech in Iowa and then one in Chicago. You’ll hear two completely different, contradicting, pandering sales pitches because they simply say what will get votes and they can’t possibly deliver because they will be caught in a lie in one of the instances. I doubt we could ever be friends, but just know that if we were, I would put honesty and your well being ahead of patronizing you even if it earned your dislike or hate.

[@marcinna8553]

@@hearmeout9138 Well, I am not the one to speak on behalf of black folks. All I will say is that very, very few black folks would agree with any of your views here, and this is reflected in the very low % of African-Americans who vote Republican. We could be friends -- I don't care about people's politics. People identify WAY too much with this creepy partisan political thing we have going on in the country today. I am just a techie -- I think politics rots people's brains. But seriously, let's get back together in three weeks and see how good your prediction of a surging black vote for Trump turned out to be. Do you want to make a prediction? I am going to say it will be similar to 2016, which was less than 10%

[@williamblanton5861]

I once was impressed by Blight and McPherson regarding their civil war knowledge, until they both opened their big mouths about their politics and showed themselves to be full blown lefties and commies. I hope Gallagher from Univ of VA and Guelzo from Gettysburg College are at least politically neutral.

[@williamblanton5861]

No, he made a sardonic and sarcastic comment on the TEA party, saying they got their ideology from the confederate constitution. Which is a lie, a group of old middle class elderly people who want small government, low taxes and some room to breath can not be compared to a slave expanding cruel government who took everything they could from the people of the south to maintain their primitive culture McPherson said the same crap with a nasty grin on his face.

[@JPW3]

Commies? Commies!? LOL!!!!

[@JAGM94]

Towards the end of his lecture series on YaleCourses he goes hard against the white supremacist revisionism of the "Lost Cause" theory that claims slavery was not the reason for the Civil War. He is an extremely intelligent man whose ideas are taking the world to a better place. I hope you and your ilk soon lose the battle of ideas in American history.

[@M_Lopez_3D_Artist]

@@williamblanton5861 there some good documentation to counter that, also those tax breaks that got passed in 2017 really didn't help for middle class people.

[@NathanDudani]

LeFtIeS aNd CoMmIeS