The Inside Assyria Discussion Forum #5

=> Re: Dr Joseph...the historian

Re: Dr Joseph...the historian
Posted by Jeffrey (Guest) - Saturday, October 6 2007, 18:45:41 (CEST)
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Farid,
We should have an Assyrian convention sometime soon and go visit him. I believe the last 2 conventions were in Mexico?

History is an amazing thing. It's so intangible, yet tangible. I have this book by Howard Zinn about U.S. History from 1492-present called "A People's History of the United States", which some would call 'revisionist' and deny but it's worlds more accurate than the bullshit myths that most Americans believe.

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pancho wrote:
>Something Will Durant wrote of the manner of true historical research and writing reminds me of Dr Joseph's approach to the subject. Durant said that above all a historian must not take sides or try to prove his country wrong...or right. A historian should be neutral, taking his information from all responsible sources without caring to prove a particular point of view ahead of time...in other words a historian must demonstarte impartiality, at the least, before his conclusions drawn from sources we must hope are complete and legitimate, can be taken with confidence.
>
>Clearly Dadeeshoo, Maggie, Aprim and so many other historian/nationalists are deeply committed to proving their case....just as clearly they are all far from being objective in any sense of the word. You can see in the way they react to fellow "historians" of their type who happen to draw different conclusions or select different sources, that they hardly behave as academics, scholars or really even as human beans. They are highly partizan and deeply prejudiced with a marked predisposition to validate their views in any, often underhanded, way they can...they kick and tear and scratch like any gaggle of singed cats roaring curses at each other, family and friends.
>
>By contrast, Dr Joseph, who was raised on all the same myths as the rest of us, has taken an interest in exploring this topic as a scientist would....researching all pertinant information without thought to whether anything backs up or refutes these pleasant and self-fluffing myths. You could say he went beyond the call of duty and ran some considerable risk of alienating people close to him by seeking to study what really lay behind these fantastic claims to lineal descent from Ashurbanipal etc.
>
>Since our hysterians, when crossed, behave as if someone were out to DESTROY them...like children who take bad marks from a teacher as a sign that they are not LOVED instead of the more reasonable and likely possibility that their work was found lacking...all these people can do, as marginal adults, is react the same way...react as if an "enemy" had just "betrayed" them...which brings out all their childish and petty screaming and name-calling...after which they run to their forum/rooms and slam the door shut...until they turn blue.
>
>It took some special personal qualities, such as integrity, fearlessness and intellectual curiosity to embolden Dr Joseph to pursue this avenue of research...surely he knew the risk if his study found sny uncongenial truth...but he can hardly have set out knowing what he would find, with a preconcieved agenda of "destroying" anyone...or of "saving" anyone. He was motivated, I would guess, by that much to be respected desire to know...just to know...whatever waited discovery...he would take the risk to find it. And, sure enough, he's been villified and insulted, even to his face (as witness these disparaging responses hurled in desperation by those who haven't read the book)...while, to our credit, many of us have backed and supported him for he's lifted us a little higher out of the barbarism we've shown to each other whenever any serious topic regarding our condition..and not merely what should be "given us" for the sake of our "ancestors" was broached.
>
>His achievements and standing, not among the screeching orphans in this asylum of assyria, but among his peers, his correspondence and professional contacts with some of the best known authors in the field, his recognition by the college where he taught for years, shown most recently in the new International Studies Building named for him and built largely from a donation from one grateful ex-student...show us a man among us to take great pride in...even though he's poked a few holes in our childish myths. It is no insult to Dr Joseph, certainly, when people like Maggie hurl insults at him or seek to belitttle his manifest achievements...how could it be? Unlike most of us Dr Joseph is not impressed by, indeed he hardly pays any attention to, the stupidest among us...which is a national characteristic of this idiotic "nation"..and the reason Maggie, after a brave start, was reduced to aping Aprim and Jassim by the threats of those, stupidest among us, who WOULD NOT READ if certain "enemies" were allowed to "insult" them...Dr Joseph has indeed "insulted" them...not by anything he did intentionally or aimed at them...he's insulted them by showing them for what they are...and they can't forgive him for puncturing their myths...taking away their play swords and toy crowns and reducing them to squabbling "patriot-children", who use the real and tragic plight of the Christians of Iraq as merely another "proof" that they really care about and are therefore "entitled to a portion of "Assyria".



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