A Peoples History of the United States by Howard Zinn based Persuasive Essay
For Kids and Teachers
A Peoples History of the United States by Howard Zinn based Persuasive Essay
I do not believe the authors saying that World War II was an unjust war, merely
that it was a hypocritical war. Hitler and his totalitarian regime were evil,
but so have been countless other global atrocities that we as a nation have
chosen to ignore. When we have intervened in other places - like Latin America
and Asia - it has been to improve our ability to acquire resources and improve
our trade conditions.
Many African-Americans felt that the war fought in Germany against oppression
was a joke because of course they were treated like animals in the United States
and no one seemed to care about their plight. Zinn claims we ignored the poor
treatment of Jews in Germany throughout the 30s and sold oil to Italy after
fascism had already taken root was not for moral but for capitalistic and
imperialistic reasons. The best quote in the book that sums up their authors
views is:
"Roosevelt was as much concerned to end the oppression of Jews as Lincoln was to
end slavery during the Civil War; their priority in policy (whatever their
personal compassion for victims of persecution) was not minority rights, but
national power."
Zinn discusses the ways we ended the war and how we gained from it. He
also talks about the crimes we committed against Americans in the name of
patriotism and security. On Bainbridge Island we have a Japanese internment
Memorial. The incredible crimes against the Japanese living in the United States
is something most of the nation rarely speaks about. I'm convinced the only
reason we even speak about it here is because we can't ignore it because there
is a gigantic Memorial to it and we actually have survivors that still live
here.
Zinn also talks about the fascinating ways that the government created the Cold
War and used it to manipulate Americans into buying into oppressive and
exploitive foreign policy decisions.The Red Scare unified parts of society
against Communism, permitting the military to get bigger and stronger to defend
against the enemy. At the start of 1950, the total U.S. budget was about $40
billion, and the military part of it was about $12 billion. But by 1955, the
military part alone was $40 billion out of a total of $62 billion.By 1970, the
U.S. military budget was $80 billion and the corporations involved in military
production were making fortunes. Two-thirds of the 40 billion spent on weapons
systems was going to twelve or fifteen giant industrial corporations, whose main
reason for existence was to fulfill government military contracts.
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