Analysis Of King Leopold's Ghost
Deliberately Deleting History Government scandal is no shocking news, constant new conspiracies and power plays are all too frequently covered by the media for such a thing to be a surprise. The biggest scandal is covering up their own actions. Too much history is covered up by governments around the world. Selfishly, they hide their own shameful history to keep a good name and to stay in good graces with their subjects. In his final chapter of King Leopold’s Ghost, Adam Hochschild conveys how the transgression of the Flemish to the Congolese was erased. How is it that the people of both the Congo and Belgium have completely forgotten the horrors their predecessors endured and committed? For every secret that is uncovered, how many more are
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Partially, because people believe what they want to hear. Nobody wants to believe their country committed horrible crimes against humanity, and is easier to accept the break of a happy lie. The Congo was not the only historical event to be glorified for the preservation of a good face. One example of hiding history is the United States’ holiday for Christopher Columbus, a man who ransacked entire villages and murdered countless Native Americans for sport. Why does this man still have a holiday? Because America wants to glorify the front that Columbus was a “great discoverer”, who found the land that Americans now live. Any harsh history of wrongdoing is covered up, the winner writes the history. Historical crimes against humanity, like the Japanese detainment during World War II or the Trail of Tears are still rarely spoken of. Americans forgot the wrongdoing of the mistreatment of Asian and Native Americans, just as the Congo and Belgium forgot their history. A nation that erases its history tends to repeat it. By educating people on the wrongdoings of their governments, there is a better chance at crushing genocides and racist attacks before they begin. The first step is for everyone to recognize the attempts to erase and glorify mistakes. Bad history must be kept as a reminder to always do
Partially, because people believe what they want to hear. Nobody wants to believe their country committed horrible crimes against humanity, and is easier to accept the break of a happy lie. The Congo was not the only historical event to be glorified for the preservation of a good face. One example of hiding history is the United States’ holiday for Christopher Columbus, a man who ransacked entire villages and murdered countless Native Americans for sport. Why does this man still have a holiday? Because America wants to glorify the front that Columbus was a “great discoverer”, who found the land that Americans now live. Any harsh history of wrongdoing is covered up, the winner writes the history. Historical crimes against humanity, like the Japanese detainment during World War II or the Trail of Tears are still rarely spoken of. Americans forgot the wrongdoing of the mistreatment of Asian and Native Americans, just as the Congo and Belgium forgot their history. A nation that erases its history tends to repeat it. By educating people on the wrongdoings of their governments, there is a better chance at crushing genocides and racist attacks before they begin. The first step is for everyone to recognize the attempts to erase and glorify mistakes. Bad history must be kept as a reminder to always do