Zinn uses this chapter to provide a sort of inspiration for the middle class of America. He describes the distribution of power currently held by American elites, but he provides hope that this can change. Zinn acknowledges that revolutions often do not work, but that does not stop him from making middle class Americans fed up with the current system. The American Elites hold their power by inciting violence into the middle class to keep the pressure and flaws at the bottom of the class structure. Zinn shows that people have been incapable of flipping the script, because of the lack of unity in the lower classes. I can not see Zinn’s radical proposal working. It would require such unity that I feel is unachievable in the near future. I love the perspective and hope Zinn provides for the rest of us, but I cannot see a full revolution of the punishment system to be in the near future.
That being said, I am hopeful for the future of the country. America is extremely divided right now, but I think change is coming. The pandemic and progressive movements within the United States are beginning to bring people together and limit the influence of American Elites. I feel that politically we are far from united, but people are beginning to see that we are all in this together. Joe Biden will continue to make this his goal, and I have faith in the American people. I do not believe in the utopia that Zinn proposes, because of the high expectations he is putting in all American people, but if we can meet in the middle with where we are now and where Zinn wants to take us, I believe in the future of the country. Zinn even acknowledges his plan is next to impossible, but if we can use the flaws of our past to guide our future I genuinely believe an alternate sort of utopia can be found. People are far from perfect, and everyone will continue to make mistakes, but if the leaders of our country and the people following them can use this book to see the past to guide decision making, then a better future is there. America is a young nation that has made so many mistakes, and this historical book is essentially a guide through the years of failures. Failures that will create a better future in America and the rest of the world.
I also am hopeful in the future of our country. Even though we have made many mistakes in our past, change is coming. It’ll be interesting to see how we continue to progress in the coming years! Whether we become more divided or less divided will definitely impact how well we progress in the future.
I agree with you that i dont see Zinn’s future happening but I too have faith that a new future is blossoming. I think that the pandemic was something people bonded over and saw that there is a way to end many of the problems the world is facing like homelessness if we all work together to end them. I hope we wont loose all our motivation as a community and we will continue to work.