Critical Review

DESTROY THE HIDDEN STORY

INTRODUCTION

            In this paper, I will offers some critical insight on the article entitled  Speaking Truth to Power with Books, written by an American radical historian, Howard Zinn. In the article, Zinn said that after his book entitle  A People’s History of the United States come out, he began to get mail from around the country. Because, in his book, exactly in first chapter, he wrote about Columbus. In there he stated that Columbus as murderer, a torturer, a kidnapper, a mutilator, of native people, a hypocrite, a greedy man looking for gold, willing to kill people and mutilate people. Here I will try to explain tyhe truth of the Howard Zinn’s statements.

            SUMMARY

            There are some great things that Zinn wrote about the discoverer continent of Amerika. First, Zinn cites several Columbus’s notes as a proof of his selfishness. Second, Zinn said that to emphasize the heroism of Columbus and his successors as navigators and discoverers, and to de-emphasize their genocide, is not a technical necessity but an ideological choice. And the trird, Zinn don't want to invent victories for people's movements, but to think that history-writing must aim simply to recapitulate the failures that dominate the past is to make historians collaborators in an endless cycle of defeat.

            CRITIQUE

            There are three points on Columbus that are neglected in Zinn’s article. Firts, Zinn not gave other references about whom as the discoverer continent of America. Another fact, said that there was a submarine expert and a historian named Gavin Menzies. He was finded a new fact about the discoverer continent of America. Started from the discovery of an ancient map in a thrift store that is evidence that people from China who discovered the continent of America. The document purported to be from 18^th century, that is a copy of 1418 map made Admiral Cheng Ho, a Muslim Chinese Admiral, who shows detail of ‘new world’ in some sides. Claims evidence that is Chinese Admiral mapped Western Hemisphere more than 70 years before Columbus. It is one of the claims publisher the author Gavin Menzies in a new his book untitled, ‘Who Discovered America?’  that was launched ahead of Columbus Day. “Traditional story that Columbus discover the ‘new world’ is sheer fantasy,” he said publisher Daily Mail, 8^th October 2013. He even believe, Columbus has a current copy of the map Cheng Ho when he sailed the ocean to America. Menzies also said, China's fleet of majestic ships that Zheng He led sail around the mainland of South America , 100 years before Ferdinand Megellan, the first to sail from Europe to Asia, the first European to sail the Pacific Ocean, and the first to lead an expedition that aims around the globe. Furthermore, Menzies claims, the first settlers of the Western Hemisphere did not come from the ‘Bridge the Bering Strait’, but the Chinese sailors who first crossed the Pacific Ocean about 40 thousand years ago. He also wrote, DNA markers prove American Indians and other natives are descendants of settlers from Asia. Claims that Cheng Ho discovered America, not just this time revealed Menzies. He never publish it in 2002. The difference, in his latest book, he included a copy of the map found a lawyer in Beijing, Liu Gang at a flea book- which he claims to strengthen his theory. He insisted, the map clearly shows the rivers and waterways in North America, as well as the South American mainland. Previously, the inventor of the map, Liu received recognition from the auction house Christie’s that ancient documents - from the 18th century, not a fake. From the map, Menzies also consulted with a team of historians who analyze the text contained there. Then, he concluded, the map was originally created during the Ming Dynasty – China’s government period which lasted from 1368 to 1644. One of the areas of the map, is believed Menzies refers to Peru. “Here the people practice religion Paracas, here also the practice of human sacrifice,” he said he was in his book. Menzies adds, moreover there are many terms that are used in a number of Chinese cities and regions in Peru. In ancient maps of Peru, for example, there is the term “Chawan” - which prepared the ground for the seeded and “Chulin” which means wood or forest. “Admiral Cheng Ho is what should be awarded the title of being the first discoverer of the Americas,” he said. Menzies conduct studies for more than 14 years. This includes the study of ancient maps, artifacts and evidence of the development of modern astronomy technology through software programs such as Starry Night. Of key evidence that could change the course of history, Menzies said that most of the navigation map and written ancient Chinese sourced during the voyage of Admiral Cheng Ho. Exploration to reach the American continent took time between 1421 and 1423. Previously fleet of Cheng Ho sailed down the lane and south through Africa to South America. Description astronomy voyage of Cheng Ho roughly call, late at night when the stars look south around dated March 18^th  1421, the location is in the southern tip of South America. It was then reconstructed using Starry Night software by comparing the map cruise Cheng Ho. “My Starry Night program until the year 1421 as well as the rest of the world are estimated to be navigable the expedition,” said Menzies is also a navigation expert and former submarine commander of the British navy. From here, he finally found two different locations of this cruise thanks to record astronomical (stars) expeditions of Cheng Ho.

            Second, Zinn wrote a to Samuel Elliot Morrison’s criticism, a Harvard historian who wrote book about Chistopher Columbus, “Mariner”. True, Morisson not the least lying about atrocities Columbus. He also said a sailor have committed genocide to the Arawaks Indians. However, Zinn wrote, the fact listed on one page later he is buried in hundreds of other pages that exalts the greatness of the sailors. The decision to better tell a heroism and neglect the fact of genocide suppression occurs in Arawaks Indians is not a technical requirement mapmaker style, but purely ideological choice. An ideological choice to justify what has happened, concluded Zinn. If Morison is a politician and not a scholar, this ideological choice would not be so serious. But precisely because of this fact is told by an intellectual, so the implication is so deadly. We are taught as a moral imperative that sacrifice, even so inhumane, it is necessary for progress. Morison said calmly as if that really was a massacre on ethnic Arawaks, but little fact was not comparable to the service and heroism of Columbus for us. Sense is then reproduced in the classroom teaching of history, and the student handbook. Departing from the disapproval then Zinn wrote different versions of history; history from the point of view of those lost, namely the loser. Be it tells the story of the discovery of America from the perspective of the Indians Arawaks, of the Civil War as experienced by the Irish in New York, about the first World War seen from the Socialist party, and of the conquest of the Philippines by black soldiers on Luzon. There are interesting when we actually can throw a similar critique on Zinn. That he was taking an ideological choice in the writing of history, the fact that it emphasizes the fact that he likes and skip the others. So what's the difference he Morison? Zinn is actually nothing more than a boxer from a different ring. If Morison wrote of glasses winner, Zinn was the mouthpiece of the losers.

            Third, if true Columbus was not the first discover continent of America, whether Zinn explain who the real the discoverer continent of America? Is Arawaks tribes? People will believe if accompanied by a statement of reasons and certainly strong evidence. With strong evidence, inevitably people will believe. Especially in the western world is very advance aspects of his analysis. If it is very rational, it will be believed. Supposedly, when Zinn Columbus assume it’s just an imposter, he was able to replace the position who deserve as the first a discoverer the continent of America. Was Cheng Ho? The explorers accomplished the Islamic religion, or Khashshash bin Said bin Aswad? Other Muslims. Or is Leif Ericson? The viking sailor who ever set his foot on the continent of America. However, because Leif is not a well-known figure, so that is findings have not been widespread. Can answer this history, while a lot of new evidence and linking figures into the figure of the discoverer continent of America.

            Happenings that Columbus was the umpteenth time to set foot in America, a cruel, pirates, rapists and others. So what if the meaning of the discoverer was not the first to live there, but the first build world civilization and bring about change there, which changed the face of the old into the new? Which when Columbus came to the west, it also coincided with the Indians destroyed. In the long run that discovery gave birth to a new nation in the western hemisphere continents. As a result, Columbus brought major changes to the nations of the Old World and New World creates. Not the same if a physician who discovered herbal medicine, then died, then came the doctor who took natural ingredients (which is only one) processed them and process them with a sophisticated yet made ​​from the same raw. The results of the more famous Doctor drugs in medicine healer appeal. Well, the end result of a drug known to man is the doctor's concoction. So, who is appropriately referred to as the inventor of the plant? On the basis of the same plant, but different shapes. The physician who first discovered the plant or doctor who only took over the plant, but managed to create a belief that it is the result? Of course, the doctor who will say as the inventor of the drug. Because the physician has been unable to defend, he dead or no then the doctor was in charge. Although, a physician who discovered the plant much earlier. Remote Indian tribes living in the U.S. first, but then crushed and Columbus comes the big changes that are embedded there. These new changes are possible in claim Columbus as findings, and he was a discoverer. Columbus is also not difficult to do the “recognition” is. Judging from the depraved murderers, pirates, liars, fraudsters, and other cruel it is possible he did claimants. He won over the Indians destruction (genocide), he wins over lies duping over ignorance, he won over the whole hoax news with the result that he got the glorification and praise. He won on the application of morality to the world’s poor. However, as said by Abraham Lincoln “You can lie to some people for a long time, you also may deceive all the people some of the time, but you can not fool all the people forever.”

CONCLUSION

               From the shelf above it can be concluded that history is not static. There will be many changes when many found evidence that more reinforcing. Like the example above, when there is evidence that it will be more clear that there is now a history was moved into a new historical results.

            Zinn was a legend for young radicals. Mentioned his name, I tend menyandingkannya with Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, John Raines from Temple University. To cite row critic, often looks like a grumpy handyman, who ironically from the global north. Whatever it is, Zinn remains a Howard Zinn. Inspirational writer and activist who firmly break through the road Less Travelled by. To that end, I respectfully raised and hat while my eyes closed.