The first book I read in college was Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States. It torched my preconceived notions of American history, but more than that, it set a high standard for everything I’ve read since. Most histories that I've read are either patently Marxist, detailing the exploitation of the masses by the always ominous “elite” (most of what I read at Berkeley), or traditional narratives that detail historical events as if they were induced by a singular unified people (most of what we read in high school). Few however, detail the exploits of ordinary people in history for their own sake. Zinn argued that yes, there has always been exploitation, but more importantly, people have never taken it lying down. With varied success, ordinary people have attempted to change the course of history in their favor. These narratives make history much more personal, and because of that, much more useful.
I owe much of my perspective on politics and economics to that first book I read in college. Hence, the word "ordinary" in the title of this blog. Going forward, Zinn’s narratives provide a basis for hope. They are testimony to the possibility of change. Certainly not Obama’s change, but the kind that comes from movements that are truly by and for the people.
--Joe
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