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Liberal Will Hunting
By Matt Margolis | June 2, 2003
I was watching TV the other day and the movie “Good Will Hunting” was on. I caught a scene where Will Hunting is with the psychologist, Sean, and Will takes notices of all the books on Sean’s shelves. The scene goes like this:
WILL
I’m not here for a fuckin’ book report.
They’re your books, why don’t you read
‘em?
SEAN
I did.
WILL
That must have taken you a long time.
SEAN
Yeah, it did take me a long time.
Sean says this with pride. His determined stare and confident
manner catch Will a bit off guard. Will rises from his chair
and goes to the shelf.
WILL
(looking at book)
“A History of the United States, Volume
I.” If you want to read a real history
book, read Howard Zinn’s “A People’s
History of the United States.” That
book will knock you on your ass.
SEAN
How about Noam Chomsky’s “Manufacturing
Consent?”
I was amused by the fact that these two authors were mentioned in this scene. Ultimately, it has no bearing on the movie itself, but I brings up a general attitude I have observed by wannabe-intellectuals - that you’re only cultured, smart, etc. etc. if you’ve read books by some of our countries most “admired” socialists/communists/anti-Americans. That the only history of the United States that is true intellectual read and of any academic value is the one focuses solely on its faults.
The truth is, to many people, you’re only a free-thinker if you’re anti-establishment, because if you are a patriotic you are a fool blindly supporting your country, regardless of the country’s numerous qualities which make it great. The same country Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky hate is the same one that gave them an audience which brought them recognition and fame. The same countries Chomsky considers bastions of goodness are the ones where his opinions would be censored, and where he would find himself dead if he tried to speak out with these opinions. It is people like Chomsky and Zinn who see the United States as a country “founded on slavery” rather than the country that led the civilized world to abolishing that institution, and whose people fought and died to abolish it. It’s people like Chomsky and Zinn who give a green light to Saddam Hussein’s regime, but cry foul over George W. Bush.
I always found that ironic about the people who protested against the war in Iraq on “behalf of the innocent Iraqis.” They protested on behalf of a dictator under whose regime they would have never been allowed to protest without being killed. Yet they called George W. Bush the evil one.
We are a country with many flaws and some negative history - but there is no country that compares to us.
Topics: Thoughts |
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June 3rd, 2003 at 11:47 pm
Just because they disagree with you doesn’t mean they are anti-american.
June 4th, 2003 at 12:33 pm
They are not anti-American because they disagree with me. They are anti-American because of what they believe and say.
June 5th, 2003 at 1:54 am
What have they said that is anti-american? Are you sure you are not confusing anti-american with anti-republican?
April 20th, 2004 at 12:45 pm
The anti-establish is not utterly correct any more than the far right (i.e. Bush/Cheney) is. History is biased regardless of who writes it. You will never find a viewpoint of history that is devoid of bias. Don’t you remember reading history books in elementary and high school that talked about how the Indians viciously attacked the colonists? I don’t remember a text book ever mentioning how we stole their land or infected them with nonindiginous diseases and wiped out their populations. Intelligent people are able to read something and see the bias and use their own knowledge to interpret it. Yes, I agree that any intelligent person should read a variety of authors and maybe that it what you object to: people informing themselves.
I considered myself one of the most patriotic people I know. I loved the Star Spangled Banner and whistled it constantly much to the annoyance of everyone I know. I never complained about paying taxes and I take pride that I vote in every election no matter how small. I had great faith in the balance of democracy. What killed me was after 9/11 all the people who suddenly considered themselves patriotic. These are the same people who I KNOW avoid paying car taxes by registering their cars out of state or who couln’t be bothered to vote even in a Presidential election. Do you prefer anti-americanism or blind patriotism with not backing whatsoever? I won’t even go into my disdain of the Bush/Cheney puppet house and their utter disregard for the environment or the world community. But, keep in mind, what people say is not always what they do and if you don’t keep yourself well informed, you will absorb someone else’s bias, whether it’s right or left.