The Particle Cannon of Ideology

Introduction

The purpose of this essay is to criticize Howard Zinn’s article entitled “Speaking Truth to Power with Books” from the book “Anthropology off the Shelf : Anthropologists on Writing ” which reveal a new kind of history about the Cristopher Columbus, the famous person who very well known as the discoverer of the America continent in 1498. Zinn explained about the early Native American civilizations in North America and The Bahamas, genocide and slavery which was committed by the crew of Columbus, and the incidence of colonization with violence. From this statement, Zinn got slur from many parties, but in the future they would be aware of this peculiarity history.

Summary

There are several basic points from Howard Zinn’s best-selling and influential book “A People's History of the United States” that Zinn wrote on Columbus. First, On Chapter 1 from this book entitled : “Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress” told that Columbus as a 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. Second, this book consisted about the bad fact about Christopher’s personality that was not known by some people. Howard Zinn revealed the truth that Christopher was a dictator and tyrant who pretend to be a hero. Third, Zinn told that Columbus was not more as a stranger that wanted to gain a profit by his expedition. Columbus wanted to gain 10 percent of the profits, became a governorship of that place and promoted to be an Admiral of the Ocean Sea. Fourth, according to Howard Zinn, “every work of history is a political document”. With all its limitations, it is a history disrespectful of governments and respectful of people's movements of resistance. Is there something missing?

Critique

There are several precious points in Zinn’s article.  First, Howard Zinn asserted a new kind of history. He dared to emphasize that Columbus was the worst person at that time. On the other side, American people have learned about that Columbus as the hero, Columbus as the great discoverer, Columbus the pious Bible reader. It was shocking, but that was a case where just to learn the facts about Columbus may lead to a revolution in one’s thinking. This strength argument is really reasonable.

Second, Howard Zinn is the person who had such a powerful and benign influence. His historical work changed the way millions of people to see the past. The happy thing about Howard Zinn was that in the last years he could gain satisfaction that his contributions were so impressive and recognized.

Third, what Zinn did was bring history writing out of the academy and he undid much of the frankly biased and prejudiced views that came before it. Zinn said repeatedly that his goal was not to be unbiased, but to offer American history with a different set of biases. We look at history from the perspective of the slaughtered and mutilated, it is a different story.

On the other hand, there are several neglectful points in Zinn’s article. First, Zinn did not assert who is the first discoverer of the American continent. Why Zinn did not assert it? The answer is Zinn’s ideology (a Jewish Marxism-Communists) forbade him to explain about the first discoverers of the American continent because the true discoverers are Muslims. For strengthen this statement, we can see from a source that proved the presence of the first wave of Muslims to America before Columbus. Abul-Hassan Ali Ibn Al-Hussain Al-Masudi was an expert on history and geography who lived from 871-957 AD. In his work entitled "Muruj wa adh-dhahab Maad aljawhar" (Overlay Gold and Diamond Mine), Abu Hassan wrote that during the reign of Caliph Abdullah Ibn Muhammad (888-912), Muslim explorer Ibn Khasykhasy Sa'ied Ibn Aswad of Cordova-Spain, had sailed from Delba (Palos) in 889, crossed the dark ocean and misty and reach a foreign country (al-ard majhul) and returned with amazing treasures. In Al-Masudi's map of the sprawling country is called by al-ard majhul. From other source, according to Gavin Menzies on his book was entitled “Who Discovered America?” told that Columbus was not the first person who discovered America. He claimed that the first person who landed in America was Admiral Cheng Ho from China in 1421. It was proven with the existence of ancient map that claimed was written in Cheng Ho’s period. That map was 600 years old and was found in flea market by Menzies. That map was described this world’s location include America.

Second, Zinn was not trying to write an objective history, or a complete one. He called his book a response to traditional works, the first chapter - not the last - of a new kind of history. Zinn said, "There's no such thing as a whole story; every story is incomplete. My idea was the orthodox viewpoint has already been done a thousand times." It means that Zinn hold fast to his ideology, a Jewish Marxism-Communists. However, we need a real objective history (not a subjective history) that has combined with some ideology of the writers. Is it impossible?

Third, work of Howard Zinn was insuited for teaching to schoolchildren. Zinn was not a real historian, but a Marxist-propagandist. However, Zinn has consistently expressed his personal political ideology to be aligned with anarchist thought, and has conceded that he is "something" of a Marxist being that "people have so many different notions about what a Marxist is. Zinn’s work that it was "bad history, although tilted with virtuous intentions.”

Conclusion

Therefore, there are several basic points that can be concluded from Zinn’s article. First, Columbus is not a really person who found America continent, but the people who found it are Muslims (Admiral Cheng Ho with friends). Second, Zinn did not dare to assert that the discoverers of the American continent are Muslims because he is not a Muslim. His ideology forbade him to explain about this fact. Third, according to Fowler (1996:12), “Ideology is of course both a medium and an instrument of historical processes. Ideology is omnipresent in every single text (spoken, written, audio, visual or the combinations of all of them)”.So that, ideology can take control the way of historical processes and literacy practice, which is related with the interests of social, economic and political, as well as other aspects that affect the social life. As a result, Ideology is like a particle cannon, a weapon which can crush the wall of old history. However, the people should believe that someone who have a good skill in literacy practice with their ideology (like Howard Zinn or Columbus), they can carve and grip the history of the world.

Created by Sandi Pramuji / 14121310352

References :

Howard Zinn. Anthropology off the Shelf: Anthropologists on Writing. 2009. USA: Blackwell Publishing. (ebooksclub.org)

Jejak-Halliday-dalam-Linguistik-Kritis-dan-Analisis-Wacana-Kritis-Anang-Santoso (bookFi.org)

https://www.facebook.com/howardzinn accessed on March 21^st, 2014 at 08.00 p.m.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/27/howard-zinn-dead-author-o_n_439350.html accessed on March 21^st, 2014 at 09.00 p.m.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus accessed on March 21^st, 2014 at 10.00 p.m.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Zinn accessed on March 1^st, 2014 at 08.00 p.m.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_People%27s_History_of_the_United_States accessed on March 1^st, 2014 at 09.00 p.m.

http://www.mediaberitabaru.blogspot.com/2012/05/fakta-terbaru-penemu-benua-amerika.html accessed on March 1^st, 2014 at 10.00 p.m.

http://www.slideshare.net/muslimberjuangdotblogspotdotcom/bukan-columbus-penemu-benua-amerika-adalah-orang-islam accessed on March 2^nd, 2014 at 08.00 p.m.

http://www.suaranews.com/2013/06/fakta-yang-mencengangkan-mengenai.html accessed on March 2^nd, 2014 at 09.00 p.m.