90%, or even 95%, of everything that you know, or think that you know,
or that you believe to be true about history, is wrong. Source
I have written elsewhere that 90%, or even 95%, of everything that you know, or think that you know, or that you believe to be true about history, is wrong. To re-state this another way, if we take the history of the entire world for the past 500 years and condense that knowledge into one history book of 100 pages, a full 50 of those pages would be blank. That is the amount of history that has been deleted – from the history books, from the mass media, from the Internet, from historical references and archives – and from human consciousness. All of that buried history is dirty, consisting mostly of atrocities committed, and it has been carefully excised because there are powerful people who don’t want you to know, and who have made great efforts to prevent this buried history from escaping confinement.
Of the remaining 50 pages, probably 45 are false in whole or in part, with vital facts omitted and other facts twisted, to lead you to precisely the wrong conclusions about the history of the world.
I have written on some of this buried history, in articles dealing with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,[1] the incarceration of about 500,000 German POWs in the US during and after WWII, [2] the 1934 attempted fascist coup on the US government, [3] and “Project 100,000” [4].
[1] https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/politics/11055/
[2] https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/politics/1790/
[3] https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/politics/9962/
[4]https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/politics/robert-mcnamaras-infamous-project-100000-and-the-vietnam-war-a-premeditated-crime-against-humanity-october-30-2019/
The uncovering and revelation of this buried history is often unpleasant, contrary to what we might expect. Often, there is no pleasure in revealing these dirty historical truths, but instead almost a sense of anguish in uncovering and publishing them. We can tell ourselves that “the world” has a right to know the truth, but these truths can often cause pain to the former victims, and sometimes we are hesitant to tell these truths as boldly as we might want to do.
Even after so many years, the anguish of that moment still overcame his ability to cope with the reality of what he had experienced.
Some years ago, I watched a video of an interview with a man who must have been in his early 90s at the time, and who was one of the last living survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The man recounted how he managed to get himself into a lifeboat and then recognised a close friend in the water near his boat. He told how he reached out and grabbed his friend’s arm in an attempt to pull the man into the lifeboat, but that the man was so badly burned that all the flesh of his arm came off in the man’s hand. At this point, the man broke into tears, with uncontrollable sobbing. Even after so many years, the anguish of that moment still overcame his ability to cope with the reality of what he had experienced.
So, I helped to uncover the truth of the attack on Pearl Harbor, detailing how the US government knew precisely the position of the Japanese fleet and, from their decoding of Japanese communications and with the help of British Intelligence, knew the precise day and time of the impending attack. Roosevelt needed the Japanese to strike first, so that could be used as the pretext to enter the war on Germany, through Japan.
But how do I face that man who was the survivor of that attack, and explain to him that his own government betrayed him, sacrificing him and thousands of his friends for political gain. The man already had suffering with which he could not cope. How do I justify adding to that anguish in the name of “history” or “the people have a right to know”? The decisions are not easy, and being an historical author sometimes creates its own pain.
“Goldfinger”
In another vein, I once watched a documentary on the filming of the James Bond movie “Goldfinger”. It was interesting, but one unexpected part of that documentary was a revelation about the star of the movie – Sean Connery. Apparently, there was a literal flood of young female reporters who salivated at the prospect of being able to interview such a handsome and popular actor, almost certainly providing a true boost to their own popularity and ascendance.
But one of the revelations was that Sean Connery was in part a kind of depraved sexual rake, determined at manipulating and seducing young women, and who would, at least according to the documentary, invite these young female reporters – in full public view and hearing – into his trailer to remove their clothing and receive a “really personal” interview.
I was sorry to have seen that documentary. I do not by any means idolise Sean Connery. I enjoyed the movies and the roles he played, but this information forever blotted that enjoyment. It put a stain on some fond memories, that could not be removed, and it did so without any benefit to a reader. It was apparently “the truth”, and we can argue that truth should always be exposed and available. But to what end?
Revealing dirty truths is not fun…
As an author, the purpose and final intent of the revelation of what I term “buried history” is fraught with ethical considerations. Some revealed truths are harmful only to the perpetrators, which is perhaps as it should be, but others can be harmful also to the victims or even innocent bystanders in some cases. Revealing dirty truths is not fun. It must be considered in the light of the overall benefit to humanity at large, while always remaining cognizant of potential harm.
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Mr. Romanoff’s writing has been translated into 32 languages and his articles posted on more than 150 foreign-language news and politics websites in more than 30 countries, as well as more than 100 English language platforms. Larry Romanoff is a retired management consultant and businessman. He has held senior executive positions in international consulting firms, and owned an international import-export business. He has been a visiting professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University, presenting case studies in international affairs to senior EMBA classes. Mr. Romanoff lives in Shanghai and is currently writing a series of ten books generally related to China and the West. He is one of the contributing authors to Cynthia McKinney’s new anthology ‘When China Sneezes’. (Chapt. 2 — Dealing with Demons).
His full archive can be seen at
https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/ + https://www.moonofshanghai.com/
He can be contacted at:
2186604556@qq.com
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Copyright © Larry Romanoff, Blue Moon of Shanghai, Moon of Shanghai, 2024
