Recently, I found out that RACISM was the reason for the Salem Witch Trials, way back in the early 1600s. Or so it is claimed today.

According to several prominent black (African-American) religious leaders and influencers, that is. The only reason that there was a panic over supposed witchcraft and related evils back in early Colonial Massachusetts (or what would become Massachusetts) was that an evil racist slaveowner feared the spirituality of his Caribbean slave-woman.

American settlers and governments committed genocide by killing tens of millions of AmerInd people (excuse me, “Native Americans”) intentionally by introducing deliberately diseases and killing them in massive, wholesale massacres while destroying their food supply. Many historians state this.

The Spanish Reconquista of Iberia saw hundreds of thousands of bloodthirsty “christian” (Catholic) fanatics murder millions of peaceful, tolerant, highly-educated Moors (Muslims). Muslims and many of their supporters teach this.

Cleopatra and the entire Ptolemic royal family and nobility were, like all Egyptians of the time, black – Africans. Again, many black apologists and historians teach this.

Sharks patrol the old slave-ship routes across the Atlantic, having been genetically selected to do so by several centuries of millions of black African slave’s bodies being thrown overboard. So many are taught in school.

Oliver Cromwell and his associates and followers were savage bloodthirsty religious fanatics who tried to wipe out the Irish people. Yet another example of English evil as promoted by both extreme and moderate Irish politicians.

The United States was an innocent victim of rabid Japanese imperialism and fascism. So the US government’s publications explain.

Ukraine is a peaceful, democratic, stable and diverse/inclusive country and Russia is Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union reborn and taken to an extreme. Thousands of media outlets and politicians and commentators point this out.

Abe Lincoln was a demigod, who saved the Union, fought racism, and was murdered for his good deeds. So various talk-show hosts and many historians proclaim.

And so on. We could add dozens more.

Now, each of these statements of course has those who oppose them and attempt to explain the truth. Sometimes these are a very few professional historians – almost always condemned as revisionists. Others are apologists for the various groups or positions, ignored because they are “obviously” biased.

All of these – and often the words of those who condemn these historical errors (and just plain lies) – are intended to do several things, not just “rewrite” or “correct” history. Primary reason is to change political opinions and win political contests in our time.

Almost always, the primary beneficiary of persuading people to accept such lies is to take liberty away from people. How? Often by using the “history” to denigrate certain groups and therefore persuade people to take away their liberty (usually described as privilege). Or by using the “history” to justify more governmental control to prevent such evil things from happening again. Or to justify special treatment for certain “historically-disadvantaged” groups, requiring more spending and more government power to “right the wrongs.”

Perhaps there are lies about historical events that can be and are used to support efforts to increase human liberty, to protect freedom. Perhaps readers can remind us here at TPOL of what those may be. Offhand, I can’t think of any that are seriously proposed.

However, we can see on the pages of the internet and elsewhere how lies about history are used by those who want to TAKE AWAY the liberty we should all have. Freedom from the evils of government – and yes, even the “goods” that government supposedly provides. Because those good things are not worth the negative impacts of freedom. At least in 2022.