How to Win by Losing: The U.S. Paradox of Memory and Power
In the United States, the past is not just remembered—it’s
curated. Confederate army parades still march under the guise of heritage,
while books that illuminate the brutal truths of slavery, systemic racism, and
oppression are being pulled from shelves. This contradiction reveals a deeper
truth: in America, you can win the narrative by losing the war—if your story
serves power.
The Confederacy lost the Civil War, but its symbols
persist. Statues stand tall, flags fly, and reenactments unfold with fanfare.
These displays are defended as cultural heritage, even though they glorify a
regime built on the enslavement of Black people. Meanwhile, books that
challenge this sanitized version of history—books by Black authors, books about
racism, books that tell the truth—are being banned in schools and libraries.
This is not just historical amnesia. It’s strategic forgetting.
Contrast this with Germany, where Nazi symbols are
outlawed and Holocaust education is mandatory. Germany’s stance is clear: never
again. The past is confronted, not celebrated. The pain is acknowledged, not
erased.
Imagine if Germany allowed Nazi parades while banning
books about the Holocaust. The world would recoil. Yet in the U.S., this
paradox is reality.
How did we get here?
The answer lies in how power shapes memory. Confederate
symbols persist because they serve a narrative that resists accountability.
Book bans thrive because truth threatens that narrative. The result is a nation
where oppression is commemorated, but resistance is censored.
This is how you win by losing: you lose the war, but you
win the story. You lose the moral ground, but you win the cultural space. You
lose the battle for justice, but you win the right to define what justice
means.
If we are to move forward, we must reject this false
victory. We must confront the full weight of our history—not just the parts
that comfort us, but the parts that challenge us. Because real victory doesn’t
come from forgetting. It comes from remembering—and reckoning.
About the Author
Daryl Horton is a technical and creative writer who is
passionate about being creative. He has comprehensive training in business
information management, information systems management, and creative and
technical writing. Daryl has the knowledge and skills to help organizations
optimize their performance and maximize their potential. He spent several years
in a Knowledge Management PhD program at Walden University, nearly completing
it, but resigned from the program during his dissertation phase to pursue his
passion for creativity (http://www.abolitic.com/). Despite his love for
creativity, he often finds himself participating in groups where his technical
experiences add value.
You can find more information about Daryl Horton on his
LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/in/darylhorton/.