Stephen Downs is correct that comparing Mexican Reconquista of the American Southwest (certainly a trend in immigration) to Nazi conquests is far from “solid”. The popularity of Howard Zinn’s history notwithstanding, American memory of the war with Mexico, and Mexican history generally, more closely resembles the views of Sam Houston and James Polk than that of José Joaquín de Herrera. In contrast, German students are taught that their Nazi-era grandparents were criminals.

On the other hand, your curriculum suggestions–starting with primary and early accounts and working forward–is exemplary. W. H. Prescott’s History of the Conquest of Mexico might be a better place to begin as it was written while the American Southwest was still part of Mexico. Such “niche-historians” as Zinn should be read alongside those from a contrasting niche.

“All advertising” isn’t about edgy and offensive. Some of it, particularly image-based products like alcohol, can be. But if you truly think that all advertising follows the same pattern, I’d invite you to give a presentation to executives from… Century21 or ReMax [real estate]. You can imagine the blank stares after you told them that you think they’d be best served by an ad campaign that “toe[d] the line between being edgy and offensive.” Maybe something “edgy” about black families getting crushed in the foreclosure crunch, without offending so much that the NAACP would get involved? You can toe that line on your own.

Also, you couldn’t be more wrong about the “free advertising” mantra – but I’ll leave that to you to work out.

“Americans may not like to be reminded about the methods and less-than-altrustic motives that prompted the creation of their continental empire”

I nearly choked from laughter when I read this because I think every school I have attended from elementary school through university has made every shortcoming of the United States and its expansion exceedingly clear, sometimes to a fault.

“Get over yourselves. The only moral high ground you occupy is the one outside the barn.”

Uh huh. You’re the guy defending the Vodka supplier.

The point of the ad is first and foremost to sell vodka. Don’t forget that part.

Richard Landes, a historian who has over the last 7 years or so done work on Palestinian media, the Muhammad Al-Durrah incident, etc., has a website called “The Second Draft.” It’s at http://www.seconddraft.org.

I bring this up because of the quote on the landing page for that site:

“Journalism is the first draft of history.”

Landes et al. are essentially revisionists of that first draft, hence the name “Second Draft.” I think it’s a remarkably clear, clever way to look at a historian’s job.

Thanks for the compliment. I almost didn’t post anything about this ad because reactions are everywhere, but I found that comment on EHT’s site disturbing. That many know so little – and have so little reverence, respect or awareness – is a sad thing.