Historian warns about misuse of the past
The Canadian writer said history is how you see yourself
Dubai: A best-selling historian warns that the past in the hands of unscrupulous leaders can be dangerous as they can easily twist facts to justify invasion, occupation or to seek revenge.
Margaret Macmillan, author of Peacemakers: the Six Months that Changed the World, spoke on Uses and Abuses of History at the Emirates International Literature Festival on Thursday.
The Canadian writer said history is how you see yourself. "The past is tied up with your identity," she said in conversation with Max Easterman, a veteran BBC correspondent.
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How the great granddaughter of David Llyod George, British Prime Minister, became a Canadian is in itself an interesting twist of fate. A search on the internet tells us that her mother, who travelled to Canada from Britain with a school sports team got stranded in Canada at the onset of the Second World War. She stayed on and married a Canadian and raised her family in Toronto.
Asked if lessons can be learned from history, Macmillan said the trouble is that the past offers too many lessons. "You can find justification to do what you want," she said, giving an example of how Saddam Hussain used history to make claims on Kuwait.
