I wonder how the foreign policies of the United States would look if we wiped out the national boundaries of the world, at least in our minds, and thought of all children everywhere as our own.
Howard ZinnRead
The challenge remains. On the other side are formidable forces: money, political power, the major media. On our side are the people of the world and a power greater than money or weapons: the truth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the ongoing struggle between societal forces and the inherent strength of truth and collective human will.
In this quote, Howard Zinn emphasizes the persistent challenges faced by individuals and movements in the face of overwhelming power, such as wealth and political influence. He reassures that despite these formidable obstacles, the unity and determination of the people, fueled by the undeniable force of truth, can triumph over money and weapons, reinforcing the idea that moral integrity and collective action are powerful agents for change.
Themes
TruthPowerSocietyChallengeCollective Action
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for social justice, one might say, 'As Howard Zinn reminds us, the challenge remains, but the truth and the people are on our side.'
More from Howard Zinn
All quotes →History can come in handy. If you were born yesterday, with no knowledge of the past, you might easily accept whatever the government tells you. But knowing a bit of history--while it would not absolutely prove the government was lying in a given instance--might make you skeptical, lead you to ask questions, make it more likely that you would find out the truth.
Howard ZinnRead
Objectivity is impossible and it is also undesirable. That is, if it were possible it would be undesirable, because if you have any kind of a social aim, if you think history should serve society in some way; should serve the progress of the human race; should serve justice in some way, then it requires that you make your selection on the basis of what you think will advance causes of humanity.
Howard ZinnRead
The historian's distortion is more than technical, it is ideological; it is released into a world of contending interest, where any chosen emphasis supports some kind of interest, whether economic or political or racial, or national or sexual.
Howard ZinnRead
Americans have been taught that their nation is civilized and humane. But, too often, U.S. actions have been uncivilized and inhumane.
Howard ZinnRead
Whenever I become discouraged (which is on alternate Tuesdays, between three and four) I lift my spirits by remembering: The artists are on our side! I mean those poets and painters, singers and musicians, novelists and playwrights who speak to the world in a way that is impervious to assault because they wage the battle for justice in a sphere which is unreachable by the dullness of ordinary political discourse.
Howard ZinnRead
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