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Looking back, we can separate truly impactful events from things that seemed important in the moment but had no lasting influence because we can analyze the impact on the course of history. That’s why most historians are reluctant to include the most recent few decades in their textbooks. How can we write a history of the years we’re living through right now without the benefit of hindsight? The answer is that we probably can’t. But that’s not going to stop us from trying! After all, it’s the time we’ve lived through, which means it’s most relevant, to us.
Of course, we know our analysis of the present won’t be perfect. No doubt in the coming years we will rewrite this chapter again and again as we see what actually results in important change and what does not.
However, now that we understand the story of how we got here, we can look at the present with a historian’s eye and consider what future historians will say about us.
What do you think, how will historians remember the past 30 years?
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