Maybe my interest in history is responsible for my worry that the current transformation of our society is shortening our collective memory and impeding our ability to truly learn from it.

“And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'” – George Orwell’s, 1984.

In my opinion, the biggest issue Americans are facing isn’t discrimination based on race, nationalities, or religion, but rather class. Power in our current society comes from wealth, of which all the -isms play a significant role in. History has taught me the struggle between the “haves” and the “have nots” has been repeating itself throughout human civilization. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is rightly known for his leadership within the Civil Rights Movement and his impassioned “I Have A Dream” speech. However, I believe it is important to listen to one of his lesser known and more “controversial” speeches (interesting how those two often go together) on the dire consequences of rampant capitalism, war, poverty, and America’s foreign policy. I believe Dr. King’s adoption of an anti-war and anti-poverty platform is what ultimately led to his assassination. I base this on the widespread effect the war in Vietnam and its social implications had on Americans, which could consequently create a popular following. The compartmentalization of groups in society has helped maintain the status-quo, thus when those categories start to merge, and realize their collective power, the status-quo is forced to change. .