Revisonist History ?

I was listening to WLAP News Talk 630 while driving to work this morning.  The drive was during the The Tom Dupree Show.  Mr. Dupree is the founder of the Dupree Financial Group and a Raymond James financial represenative.  I have listen to the show in the past and will not discuss his financial abilities because I have very little knowledge in the subject beyond college economic classes.

I do have a degree in history and political science and what he has done the last two weeks on his show would be listed in the realm of revisionist history.  Specifically the revisionist idea of denial, where the person changes the facts or simply ignores them if the do not support their opinion.  A scholarly look at any paradigm where there is new information or thought processes is a good thing.  What I feel Mr Dupree is doing is taking historic figures and ideas out of context and meaning to fit his own political view points.  He presents his opinion of the events and people as facts and gives no back ground or supporting proof for those opinions. 

Two of the people he used in today's show were John F Kennedy and William Jennings Bryan.  Mr. Dupree plays a tape Kennedy's speech in West Berlin to open his second hour.   Kennedy is speaking to the world  about uniting people, families and nations by telling the people of West and East Berlin that he is citizen of their city and their world.  Mr. Dupree used this speech to say that Ted Kennedy had not followed in the footsteps Jack but had tarnished the legacy of the name.  Mr Dupree said  that Jack would have been against Ted's agenda in the present political times and would never have supported the governments huge spending and push for reforms.  Mr Dupree does not back this up with any examples from the past or the present just states it as a fact with no proof.  He then goes on about how the only role for government should have in business is to protect the private sector so that it can provide for the people.  Private sector business provides for us because it is the best way.  Again Mr Dupree does not give any examples or proof of this. He just wants his listeners to take his word for it.  I would love to ask Mr Dupree how Kennedy's New Frontier fits into this revision of history but I then remember this is not real revisionism but Denial.

The next portion of the show goes to talk about William Jennings Bryan.  Mr. Dupree talks with respect  towards Bryant concerning his Christianity and his battles against evolution including the Scopes trail.  This is where Mr Dupree lays the ground work for his version of revisionism.  He says the portrait of Bryan as a bigot by history is an example of how history gets things wrong and we need to be aware of those mistakes.  Bryan was a great anti-business pro-government liberals of his day.  Just read his greatest speech, The Cross of Gold, and you will see how progressive he was in his time.  The speech includes calls for the government control of the currency, in favor of the hotly contested income tax, and support for the poor and the working classes. He was a strong supporter of  Federal Prohibition.  In my opinion, Mr.  Dupree again is not practicing true revisionism but just denial.

I do not know how long the radio station keeps the podcasts up but they have two hours of the show online at Hour 2 podcast link.  This is hour 2 and I did not listen to the first hour or the all of the 2nd because I did not want to hear his defense of Reagan and Bush.  I will go back and listen to them later tonight or tomorrow after I calm done a little. 

Thanks for letting me rant, oh wait this is my place to do that.  Please read and go to the links.  This has been 1 of my favorites so far.  I may have to copy and work up the arguements here for that book I will never write.

Beth made it to her conference fine.  I just called and talked to her.  She says its is going well and everyone seems very nice.  She is in Williamsburg VA for this one.  It is only 2 days long unlike the 5 day one she had to put on this spring. 

The boys did fine tonight but they really miss their mommy.  I love them both but they are bigger momma's boys than I ever was.  I know that is saying a lot but its very true. 

I am not sure why I started trying to write down my thoughts again but I know I want to try it.  I find myself as a great listener, a good story teller and a terrible writer.  I hope to make this a place to write down some of the things I hear and read  that interest me.  I may also write down some of the stories from my youth so that others can read them.  I hope this will help me become a better writer in the long run even if no one reads them.

Its getting late and I will have my 2 sons by myself in the morning so I will finish this post by saying another prayer for a high school friend who has had some really bad news this week.  Kristie we are all praying for you, your dad and your daughter.  I pray the lord gives you all strength peace and healing.

So Beth is heading for her confrence tomorrow. She will be in Williamsburg for 3 days. She is getting a little worried about leaving the boys again but they will be fine. Not sure if I will be but the boys will be.

She always gets very yantze when she is heading out of town. I know I will never be able to send her off and her not worry. I am glad she has a job she enjoys. I am a very lucky man to have her and the boys .