The Historical Society

[Doug Henwood]

Ex-Marxist turned neo-Confederate Eugene Genovese, his wife Elizabeth
Fox-Genovese (recently converted to Catholicism), and some of their cronies
(including Richard Pipes and Donald Kagan) have started The Historical
Society. Info is at <http://home.nycap.rr.com/history/>. They're defending
the old ways of doing History against the barbarian hordes. Their publicity
is being handled by Jeff Rosenberg, who does PR for a raft of cultural
conservatives, including the Independent Women's Forum (anti-feminist
women), the National Fatherhood Initiative (neo-patriarchs who use a lot of
psyhcobabble), and a group of black conservatives whose name escapes me
right now.

But, of course, The Historical Society isn't political, or conservative, or
anything - they're just doing History. I love this paragraph from their
mission statement:


>We are pleased to announce the formation of a new and genuinely
>"diverse" organization. The Historical Society is open to all who want
>to do serious history, whatever part of the political and ideological
>spectrum they come from. It will be a place in which significant
>historical subjects are discussed and debated sharply and frankly in an
>atmosphere of civility, mutual respect and common courtesy. All we
>require is that participants lay down plausible premises; reason
>according to the canons of logic; appeal to evidence; and prepare to
>exchange criticism with those who hold different points of view.


>We have no interest in endless controversies and "cultural wars" with
>those who are satisfied with the status quo. We intend to concentrate on
>the constructive work of reshaping our profession by building the kind of
>historical association whose functions historians will want to attend
>simply because they are intellectually profitable and offer warm
>collegiality.

All those other folks are irrational, implausible, and rude!

Doug