I begin this, my opening post with a question. What is an insurgent and what is the difference between American insurgents compared to modern ones? Webster defines an insurgent as "a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government." In the 1700's, Great Britain was such a government. It taxed its citizens overseas, the American colonists, without representing their interests in Parliament. It created foreign monopolies, forcing colonists to import all but a few goods from British manufacturers. This was the catalyst for revolt against Britain in the colonies, for men to take up arms against a foreign government treating them unfairly to protect the lives of their families.It is too easy to forget that so called insurgents in the middle east are fighting for something as well. I certainly do not agree with either side's position. The middle east, absent of a religious reformation and modernization of moral values, has failed to integrate into the western world for better or worse. The states, with interests in oil and spreading modern, unwanted value systems, is oppressing a society that does not want to change. The parallels of the situation can sometimes be staggering. The cliche, "history is doomed to repeat itself," comes to mind, but the study of history is not intended for this purpose.
We study history to learn many things, not just to improve upon past mistakes. History is so much more than a long list of names, dates and battles. It helps us as citizens to understand our duty to our country by learning the origins of things we live with every day. History is also a subject that does not exist in a vacuum. Math, language and science are essential parts as well. America's failures and successes in the last two centuries has been in large part due to its understanding or misunderstanding of itself, its allies and its enemies. This understanding is not the result of a study of modern peoples and societies, but those that came before, leading up to the current. I end this post again with a question that will be discussed again in another post. Can anyone learn any subject without starting from a beginning point and building upon the basics?
