The Historic Unfulfilled Promise

Howard Zinn’s life and work are the stuff of legend. His People’s History of the United States has sold over 2 million copies and has altered how we see and teach history. A hero in word and deed, Zinn’s views on freedom, fairness, history, democracy, and our own human potential are educational and transformative. In few places is the genius of his voice more crystalized and accessible than in the dozens of articles he penned for The Progressive magazine from 1980 to 2009, offered together here in book form for the first time. Whether critiquing the Obama White House, the sorry state of U.S. government and politics, the tragic futility of U.S. military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, or the plight of working people in an economy rigged to benefit the rich and powerful, Zinn’s historical clarity, unflappable optimism, and unshakable questions reverberate throughout The Historic Unfulfilled Promise. [Publisher’s description.]

Table of Contents

Introduction by Matthew Rothchild • p. 7

1. 1. To Disagree Is to Be Put on the Enemies List (June 1980) • p. 13
   2. A Murderous World (February 1989) • p. 29
   3. Organizing the Organized (November 1990) • p. 33
   4. Outside the Classroom: Interview with David Barsamian (July 1997) • p. 37
   5. One Iraqi’s Story (February 1999) • p. 53
   6. A Diplomatic Solution (May 1999) • p. 57
   7. Their Atrocities — and Ours (July 1999) • p. 61
   8. Delusion 2000: How the Candidates View the World (March 2000) • p. 69
   9. One Radical Who Did It All: Sender Garlin (April 2000) • p. 75
   10. Artists of Resistance (July 2001) • p. 79
   11. Operation Enduring War (March 2002) • p. 87
   12. What War Looks Like (October 2002) • p. 93
   13. Our Job Is a Simple One: Stop Them (December 2002) • p. 99
   14. A Chorus Against War (March 2003) • p. 103
   15. Dying for the Government (June 2003) • p. 111
   16. Humpty Dumpty Will Fall (August 2003) • p. 115
   17. An Occupied Country (October 2003) • p. 121
   18. The Logic of Withdrawal (January 2004) • p. 129
   19. Opposing the War Party (May 2004) • p. 139
   20. What Do We Do Now? (June 2004) • p. 147
   21. Our War on Terrorism (November 2004) • p. 153
   22. Harness That Anger (January 2005) • p. 159
   23. Changing Minds, One at a Time (March 2005) • p. 165
   24. After the War (January 2006) • p. 173
   25. Why War Fails (November 2006) • p. 179
   26. Impeachment by the People (February 2007) • p. 185
   27. Are We Politicians or Citizens? (May 2007) • p. 191
   28. Kurt Vonnegut Remembered (June 2007) • p. 197
   29. Election Madness (March 2008) • p. 203
   30. The Obama Difference (October 2008) • p. 209
   31. The Nobel’s Feeble Gesture (January 2010) • p. 215
   32. Three Holy Wars (July 2009) • p. 221
   33. They Rioted if Necessary (May 2009) • p. 229

Index • p. 239

Published by City Lights Publishers, 2012.