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Rating: 
Summary: Keeping democracy alive
Review: "Passionate Declarations" by Howard Zinn is an outstanding collection of essays that were originally published in 1990. The new edition from 2003 features a Preface that was written just prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In my view, Dr. Zinn's essays are helpful in understanding many of the forces that have influenced international events today. A theme that runs through most of the essays pertains to the contradictions of U.S. rhetoric and policy. While the U.S. consistently espouses democratic principles, Dr. Zinn asserts that the country often acts in a Machiavellian manner in order to protect deeply embedded corporate and elitist privileges. However, Dr. Zinn is most interested in highlighting some of the individuals and organizations who have spoken truth to power and have struggled to keep democracy alive. The author reminds us about forgotten heroes from the past -- such as the laborers from the Colorado coal strike of 1913-1914 -- and helps us appreciate the hard-fought victories that were won against significant opposition from capital and government. Dr. Zinn's personal experiences as a World War II airman and as an organizer during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s adds vibrancy to the narrative; you soon realize that the author is an intelligent person who has had meaningful first-hand interactions with some of the important historical events of the 20th century. Dr. Zinn helps the reader understand that freedom and democracy depend more on an informed and active citizenry than on the government, whose elitist political class more often represent their own self-interests than those of the people. One of my favorite chapters was Dr. Zinn's refutation of the idea of a just war. The author contends that the most damaging popular legacy of WW II is that the U.S. can and should use its military superiority to achieve political and economic objectives whenever it is convenient to do so. Dr. Zinn challenges this widely-held belief by highlighting the many atrocities committed by the U.S. and its allies during the war, the most spectacular of course having been the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. He goes on to illustrate the corrupting effect that this immense military power has had on American leaders ever since; the reader is able to easily connect these tendencies with the current abysmal situation in Iraq. I recommend this insightful book to everyone.
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