History is about so much more than memorizing facts. It is about the story. And, told in the right way, it is the greatest one ever written: Good and evil, triumph and tragedy, despicable acts of barbarism and courageous acts of heroism. Glenn’s latest book, Miracles and Massacres, is history as you’ve never heard it told. It’s incredible events that you never knew existed. And it’s stories so important and relevant to today that you won’t have to ask: Why didn’t they teach me this?
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“We have to do something.”
Those words - even when spoken with the best intentions - have led to a countless number of wasteful, ineffective social policies.
The War on Poverty: Trillions of dollars spent and there are now as many homeless children in New York City as there were during the Great Depression.
The War on Drugs: Forty million arrested on drug charges and a trillion dollars spent, but today our prisons are overflowing while drugs are more available, more potent, and cheaper than ever.
...and The War on Terror: The threat is real, but having now spent $8 trillion and counting, the Homeland Security business is certainly booming, but how much safer are we, really?
Behind all the bloat and waste, there are still some great people on the front lines of all these battles, doing the real work for the right reasons. And if you study history, you understand why our heroes are always individuals - not collectives, administrations, departments, or subcommittees.
Just before 9/11, back when the DHS and the TSA were just a twinkle in some progressive's eye, there was a Vietnam vet named José Meléndez-Pérez, standing on the front lines of America's security.
José was a Customs inspector at Orlando International Airport when a Saudi national was passed to him for an interview. It was a fairly common thing and, for most, this might have ended in a quick once-over and a rubber-stamp approval before a union coffee break. But José's experience had taught him that no job should ever become routine. Despite the pressure being put on our agents to go easy on Saudi nationals, Jose listened to his gut … and he didn’t like what he was hearing. After much thought, he denied the Saudi entry to the U.S.
In the final chapter of Miracles and Massacres you’ll read how this small act by an anonymous front-line agent literally changed the course of history. You’ll also be reminded once again that almost all of the massacres throughout history come from the collective; while all of the miracles are a result of the individual.
Chapter 12 of Miracles and Massacres: “The Missing 9/11 Terrorist and the Power of Everyday Heroes” … read it now.
Morningstar via Investopedia