I’m doing the thing where I say that talking about the impact of slavery on American life is no more divisive than “the impact of slavery on American life” and talking about the history of slavery is a positive good.
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Replying to @janecoaston @cjane87
I think it's fundamentally dishonest to frame criticism of the series as if it is not a reaction to larger ideological projects & how it is framed in service of those. Of course, history is good (when told honestly); of course, the history of slavery is worth retelling.
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Replying to @baseballcrank
I believe you’re referring to the NYT downhill, correct?
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Replying to @janecoaston @baseballcrank
Have you read the pieces featured in the package?
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Replying to @janecoaston @cjane87
Some, so far; I have other historical reading to do. But naturally, the public debate here is being largely driven by how the NYT's own publicity frames what it is trying to accomplish, how politicians are framing that, & how it meshes with the broader ideological project.
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Replying to @baseballcrank
And what’s the broader ideological project, in your view?
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Replying to @janecoaston @cjane87
Where to begin? To argue a fruit-of-the-poisonous tree critique against the Constitution (Senate, Electoral College, 1st & 2d Amendment, existence of states, etc), American free enterprise. etc. 'Reparations.' To argue against Lincoln's classical-liberal neutral principles.
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Replying to @baseballcrank
You think that’s what the 1619 package is a part of an effort to do?
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I don't know whether that's what the project is trying to do. But I do know that's how they're being perceived by a lot of people on the right. When your opening statement is "American exceptionalism was build on this evil," that's what you're going to get.
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I feel like there's tension between the desire to shock and the desire to persuade in this.
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"America is exceptional because the British colonies had slaves" is certainly a take, when you leave the Spanish, French, Portuguese & Dutch colonies out of the thematic presentation.
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I mean, the North was always richer than the South, and America was never the economic powerhouse that it became until the 20th century. So yeah. It would have been.
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