As a "retired" mediocre historian, I think your essay is perfect--it's targeted and it brilliantly exposes the decline and (fall?) of the history profession. I'm very happy that I've subscribed to your substack.
I found the notion of 'Now' and the implications of being in the present, of seeing what needs to be done in a practical way and related to every problem life throws up, as liberating and positive in the sense of being able to see what needs to be done to improve the situation. However, through the dialectical process of cooperation, competition and war, the idea of Now evolved into presentism, where Now becomes neo pragmatism and the re-evaluation of the present. The indispensible marketing concepts of competition and exploitation, that makes everything saleable by commodifying their essence, empties the open ended meaning and makes it a closed and convenient package. It is only a matter of time before this in turn becomes a cultural/identitarian assault on everything, past present and future. The cooperative, competitive, warlike nature of capitalism working behind everyones back, ensures that no matter what rational arguments are made, the darker motivations of self interest will generally prevail. Another reason why this intervention is timely and necessary.
Expressed further under the Decline of The West, vectored via that failed, longest of the long LongShots, this engineered US-NATO-UK Ukrainian Proxy War over the lives of the poor Ukrainian people to weaken Russia, tip out its government and possess its considerable resources.
Judgment shall be by outcomes. Thus far, it is the EU and NATO that will disintegrate. Paradoxically, the present winners are simultaneously the United States and Russia. Those in the way of superpower aspirations invariably are ground up in the geo-political machinery.
Discussed here in lengthy, abstruse and eclectic prose across several essays that will leave the reader visibly aged, yet possibly far wiser although admittedly that is entirely speculative . . .
While there may be some excesses in the current challenges to the way our history has been perceived and taught, it seems to me that you have fallen into the trap of of caricaturing your chosen targets without examining the facts. For example, you cite the actions of Cambridge Classics Faculty in regard to sculpture as a symptom of your posited attack on Western culture and history. But it is mainstream historians who clearly showed that the whiteness of these and other Greek and Roman sculptures was justified and imposed by an overtly racist interpretation of aesthetics. ( which is still referenced by existing white supremacist organisations). Western Civilisation is a concept which is as open to challenge as any other intellectual construct. Crudely demonising the challengers, as you have done in this article, is merely the mirror image of what you say they are doing.
Why We Need To Talk About History! The Academic Taliban Is Coming For Western History
As a "retired" mediocre historian, I think your essay is perfect--it's targeted and it brilliantly exposes the decline and (fall?) of the history profession. I'm very happy that I've subscribed to your substack.
Excellent piece. Spot on, both on the dangers of presentism and the campaign to enforce it and silence dissent.
I found the notion of 'Now' and the implications of being in the present, of seeing what needs to be done in a practical way and related to every problem life throws up, as liberating and positive in the sense of being able to see what needs to be done to improve the situation. However, through the dialectical process of cooperation, competition and war, the idea of Now evolved into presentism, where Now becomes neo pragmatism and the re-evaluation of the present. The indispensible marketing concepts of competition and exploitation, that makes everything saleable by commodifying their essence, empties the open ended meaning and makes it a closed and convenient package. It is only a matter of time before this in turn becomes a cultural/identitarian assault on everything, past present and future. The cooperative, competitive, warlike nature of capitalism working behind everyones back, ensures that no matter what rational arguments are made, the darker motivations of self interest will generally prevail. Another reason why this intervention is timely and necessary.
Like you Julia - I too was taken aback by the name.
Thank you! A lucid commentary on a deeply troubling problem. I really look forward to your further analysis and comment on the topic.
Is she really called Catherine Denial?
Also, the reactions you describe are actually bullying.
Your work is both compelling and deeply depressing, thank you
It's worse than that Frank.
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Expressed further under the Decline of The West, vectored via that failed, longest of the long LongShots, this engineered US-NATO-UK Ukrainian Proxy War over the lives of the poor Ukrainian people to weaken Russia, tip out its government and possess its considerable resources.
Judgment shall be by outcomes. Thus far, it is the EU and NATO that will disintegrate. Paradoxically, the present winners are simultaneously the United States and Russia. Those in the way of superpower aspirations invariably are ground up in the geo-political machinery.
Discussed here in lengthy, abstruse and eclectic prose across several essays that will leave the reader visibly aged, yet possibly far wiser although admittedly that is entirely speculative . . .
https://les7eb.substack.com
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While there may be some excesses in the current challenges to the way our history has been perceived and taught, it seems to me that you have fallen into the trap of of caricaturing your chosen targets without examining the facts. For example, you cite the actions of Cambridge Classics Faculty in regard to sculpture as a symptom of your posited attack on Western culture and history. But it is mainstream historians who clearly showed that the whiteness of these and other Greek and Roman sculptures was justified and imposed by an overtly racist interpretation of aesthetics. ( which is still referenced by existing white supremacist organisations). Western Civilisation is a concept which is as open to challenge as any other intellectual construct. Crudely demonising the challengers, as you have done in this article, is merely the mirror image of what you say they are doing.
I see a few missing/extra words. Do you want to know about them or do you regard Substack as informal writing?