Un-Uniquely Oppressive. “The Point Of History Is To Learn

Un-uniquely Oppressive â€Å"The point of history is to learn that our time is not uniquely oppressive.† These wise words rang through Purdue’s Fowler Hall on the night of March 1st*, spoken by famed historian, Rice University professor, and CNN contributor Douglas Brinkley as part of his Presidential Lecture alongside Purdue President Mitch Daniels. During a time where bipartisanship has fallen by the wayside and American politics are in upheaval, I went to Brinkley’s lecture hoping to hear bipartisan messages of hope and gain new insights into American political history and the future. Brinkley began his lecture alongside Daniels by letting the audience know about him as a person, who he was before his work and books gained him fame and†¦show more content†¦Daniels’ next question was extremely pertinent to the events surrounding certain controversial and orange skinned politicians. â€Å"How important is character and virtue in a president? Can you be great without them?† I perked up at this question, this was what I had come here to gain more insight into; are politicians supposed to be paragons of morality or must they simply be able to execute the duties of political office? The reply did not dash my hopes to hear hopeful statements that night. Brinkley stated, â€Å"I used to tell students the best presidents don’t lie. Character is good, but you do things for the public that might be deceptive, but are for the greater good.† While I did not find this answer to be particularly revolutionary, it did have a nice message to it. I believe presidents can’t reveal every state secret to the public, simply for the public peace of mind. Brinley’s next step in his talk was to highlight how people from opposing political parties can be alike, despite ideological arguments, thus fulfilling the expectation that he would give hope in a time of political party conflict. Yet again that night he chose to discuss the two political giants Roosevelt and Reagan. As he highlighted the similarities between the two, audience members nodded and the general atmosphere was quite positive. Brinkley pointedShow MoreRelatedPolitical Violence in Africa8046 Words   |  32 PagesPolitical violence in Africa stains the entire fabric of public and private life. African nations, as they achieved freedom from the colonial system, could claim a sense of control over their own destiny that had never been present until that historical point. For as long as they had been modern nation states in Africa, these states were governed by the same European powers that had set the borders of the African nations to begin with. Before the colonial powers had created a jigsaw of the continent thatRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pagesrole in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology e. Genetic modification f. Right tech for wrong reasons 3. Arts/Culture a. Arts have a future in Singapore? b. Why pursue Arts? c. Arts and technology d. Uniquely Singapore: Culture 4. Environment a. Developed vs. Developing b. Should environment be saved at all costs c. Are we doing enough to save the environment? d. Main reasons for environmental problems nowadays 5. Religion a. ReligionRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesBrier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David MRead MoreBrand Building Blocks96400 Words   |  386 Pages because the vision of the firm is to move beyond traditional steel and automobile business. Linchpin brands: A linchpin brand unlike strategic brand not necessarily represents a meaningful future level of sales and profit but it is a leverage point of a major business area. It indirectly influences a business by providing a basis for customer loyalty. For ex. ‘Park Avenue’, a brand extension of Raymond’s launched in mid-eighties. It is a linchpin brand for Raymond’s because it has extended the