Are You on the Wrong Side of History? | 5 Minute Video
Are you on the wrong side or the right side of history? Is there even a “wrong side” or a “right side”? What do those terms mean and why do politicians and pundits use them? Nationally syndicated columnist and best-selling author Jonah Goldberg explains.
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Script:
“The wrong side of history:” it’s one of President Barack Obama’s favorite expressions.
He’s not alone, of course. It’s a perennial favorite of liberal politicians and activists. Oppose gay marriage? You’re on the wrong side of history. Against pot legalization? You’re stuck in the past.
It’s used a lot in foreign policy, too. In his first inaugural address, for example, President Obama said, “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history…”
As Hosni Mubarak’s regime in Egypt disintegrated in 2011 and the United States stood by and watched, Obama fell back on the comforting thought that “History will end up recording that at every juncture … we were on the right side of history.” As Libyan dictator, Muammar Qaddafi’s chapter on this earth came to an end, President Obama justified American policy in Libya by saying, “I believe that Qaddafi is on the wrong side of history.” Speaking more broadly about the then still young “Arab Spring” he said, “I think that the region will be watching carefully to make sure we’re on the right side of history.” When Vladimir Putin started carving up Ukraine, the president insisted that America wouldn’t actually do anything about it, but fear not — because Putin is on the wrong side of history. The “long moral arc of the universe” — another of Obama’s favorite phrases — will “bend toward justice.” In the meantime: Tough luck, Ukrainians.
You may not have noticed, but the phrase has opposite meanings when used at home and abroad. Domestically, telling someone they are on “the wrong side of history” means “You’re going to lose eventually, so why don’t you give up now?” But in foreign policy, it means, “I’m powerless to stop you, but one day, long after I have any responsibility to do anything at all, someone else will say you were wrong.”
In other words, when used at home “the wrong side of history” is a sign of strength — our activism is vindicated; things are going our way! — But internationally the phrase is a sign of weakness — “you’re winning and I can’t, or won’t stop you!”
What unites both terms is arrogance — actually, arrogance and cowardice.
The notion that History is moving in an inevitable direction is ancient, but in modern times its main champion was Karl Marx. Marx argued that socialism was inevitable according to some scientific principle. Therefore any objection to its unstoppable triumph was not only morally wrong but anti-intellectual and even unscientific.
This is what the great historian of Communism, Robert Conquest, meant when he said that the phrase “the wrong side of history” has a “Marxist twang” to it. It was the atheist’s answer to the religious notion that “God is on our side,” and it led to millions dying as socialists desperately tried to steam roll the future with the Wheel of History.
The idea has non-Marxist proponents, too. There is what the renowned Cambridge historian, Herbert Butterfield, called the “Whig School of history” which holds that democracy — though not necessarily socialism — is inevitable.
This is a much nicer thought, to be sure. But being nicer doesn’t make it any more true (and, to be honest, many people have died in service to this idea as well).
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Is there any stronger combination than Prager and falsely portraying progressive positions?
There comes a day in every young man or woman's life when they need to ask themselves. Are you on the right side of history, or the left side?
1:12, that part of the video has aged quite well
I think I’m getting dumber just listening to this
I care that there is a history. I care not what side of history I am on.
Marx was right tho.
It's astonishing how this video haphazardly wraps its agenda around legitimate concepts and ideas, essentially rendering them obsolete. Instead of providing a comprehensive analysis, Goldberg goes for the cheap and easy route of shock value and sweeping generalizations. The oversimplification of historical concepts in an attempt to appeal to the masses might gain views, but it ultimately tarnishes the credibility and integrity of the content. If the purpose was to ignite discussions, it has done that, but not in the way one would hope. A classic case of 'any publicity is good publicity', I suppose. Shame on PragerU for endorsing such shallow content.
I wish I grew up back in world war two .
But the Nazis?
Yup, on not in the same side of slaverers and abuser of mankind anymore.
Not since i apostated 10 years ago.
as soon as he said "when putin started carving ukraine" i went to see if this video was made after february 24 2022
"When used at home" You mean here or in the USA? xD
Also what god do you mean? Zeus?
What a weak argument
wtf is this channel???
I can't wait to watch this video in 2080
Thank you
PragerU/Dennis should have Goldberg do another video even though they are at odds a bit. Goldberg is at least thought provoking and insightful though he can make me frustrated some times. Great vid
It's a real galaxy brain take PragerU makes that abolitionism is on the same side of history as opposing gay rights.
I can't think of a single issue where conservatives are not on the wrong side of history.
it sounds like he's reading a dr Seuss book that doesn't rhyme
just another Neocon propagandist…
When Crimea in the Ukraine was "annexed" by Russia, I found it ODD that the neither the US or the UN did ANYTHING.
What you do today could be tomorrow's history, your people are becoming indifference and silence, liberty need to be fight,or it will lose sooner or later
Well stated. So, how do we crush the left’s gambit to rule and utterly dissolve America? That’s the goal, right. Thought thats whats been talked about since Mr . Buckley got his fill of liberalism and set out to meaningfully oppose it. How, then? More well-mannered gang of 8-style Republicans? Openly preferring a Hillary or Biden Presidency to a candidate willing to vigorously engage our foresworn enemies who care for nothing but rising to power, even if they throw sanctity of out nation and those who will inherit it going forward? Tell me someone here doesn’t want to just play along like we’ve been doing for 35 years.
Well socialism is in some ways inevitable.
The more freedoms people have and the longer they have it the more they forget how important it is. Freedom is responsibility and sadly a lot of people always try to find a way to ditch responsibility.
This is no better than Castro thinking history would absolve him.
Obama and Biden are on the wrong side of history by the former's own criteria.
Poor Jonah. TDS did him in.
Interesting that now Barack Obama is on the wrong side of History
Long Life to Mao Zedong
Stick to your morals, don't support someomr who goes against your morals to be one the "right side of history".
I raise the point, of whos history? To the north koreans, the japanese and usa are on "the wrong side of history"
And to this you stick to your morals but when in a foreign country stick to theirs
Watch Stossel’s liberty winning, liberals and conservatives aren’t on the right side, libertarians are.
Obama is a sophist twit.
Will we ever meet in the middle? I'm a white, 51yr old woman, born and raised in Illinois, USA. I believe we will be intelligent enough in the near future, to remember who we are as a human race and think for ourselves to love one another. Dammit! We can do this♥️🙏
History is written by victors
studying history will sometimes make you feel uncomfortable. studying history will sometimes make you feel deeply upset. studying history will sometimes make you feel extremely angry. if studying history always you fell proud and happy, you probably not studying history.
Lmao people quoting Teddy in the comment section even though he was a progressive who supported unions & was anti trust
Conservatives snowflakes are really trying to find something to be oppressed by wtf
What's really funny about the Teddy Roosevelt quote that is circulating through the comment section is that it's actually falsely attributed to him. He never said that. Also, this video grossly misrepresents the Marx quote. For once, a PragerU video wasn't wholly wrong though. There is a right and wrong side only depending on what lens one applies, but there is largely just history.
Lord Save us
When someone says “Democracy is the inevitable system” they generally mean “no matter what happens, people will never stop fighting until they achieve democracy” the same applies to Marx’s argument for communism, but I wont argue such here.
So this guy basically hoped that pro-slavery factions didn’t give up so easily
https://youtu.be/RpkQEq75y18
Usually PragerU is just outright wrong, but this video really bucked that trend by being so boring and redundant I stopped watching it 2 minutes in. Go PragerU, you're really improving!
https://youtu.be/4iYs8djuM3o
Attributed to Edmund Burke, including by John F Kennedy in a speech in 1961. Burke didn’t say it, and its earliest form was by John Stuart Mill, who said in 1867: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” Thanks to Andrew Marshall.
Shame on you. You know your wrong. Good luck, devil's advocate.