CHAPTER 23 NOTES

Chapter 23 Notes

Zinn says that history books are extremely biased, and are very respectful of states and statesmen, and are very disrespectful to people’s movements.

Zinn says that in our society people are always looking for a savior, or someone to help us.

The American system is the most ingenious system of control in the world.

The system has the most openings, apertures, leeway’s, flexibilities, rewards for the chosen and winning tickets in the lotteries.

One percent of the nation owns a third of the wealth. The rest of the wealth is distributed in a way that turns the other 99 percent against each other.

Zinn refers to the 99 percent as “the people”, which is the group of society that is the submerged, and deflected.

The founding fathers started the preamble to the constitution with the words “We the People…” so that they could support the myth that everyone would have equal rights.

Symbol such as the flag, patriotism, democracy, national interest, national defense, and national security were used to bring people under a false pretense. This enable the privileged whites to discriminate against people such as Indians, blacks, foreigners, or other whites who were not privileged.

Although this was a good system, still people rebelled and rose up against the elites.

Even though during the first World War the country was brought together, still could not prevent radical awakening across the country.

During the sixties, people who were though long gone and subdued rose up. People such as blacks, women, Native Americans, prisoners, soldiers.

The middle class was taxed to pay for the relief of the poor, which built resentment between the classes.

Zinn argues that we spend money on billion dollar aircraft carriers, but we don’t give children free milk that need it.

The majority fears the criminal class, which is being bred faster than they can be put away in jail.

Although the establishment has done an excellent job of keeping down revolts. Every time they think they have stopped all the movements, the people stirred and rose against them.

What keeps this system going is the alliance between the employed and privileged with the rich elite. This way the middle class can put down the revolts, while the elite can prosper off of it.

Surveys since the seventies show that 70-80 percent of Americans are distrustful of the government, business, and the military.

Some signs of dislike of the government are: the high rate of alcoholism, divorce, of drug use and abuse, of nervous breakdowns and mental illness.

Zinn says that capitalism has always been a failure for the lower classes, but now it is beginning to become a failure for the middle class.

Quote from Zinn: “They might then conclude that physical security for a working person in the city can come only when everyone in the city is working.”

Some tactics that could be used for the revolt are: demonstrations, marches, civil disobedience, strikes and boycotts and general strikes.

Zinn says that the lower class will always be revolting against the rich elite, but soon possibly the middle class will help the lower class revolt.