how keen are you on catching bias in historical texts? how deeply are you bothered by this bias?

Question

it must be understood that in any historical text there is extensive bias that portrays one group, country or event in a more positive light
some texts for example would ramble on about how Ferdinand financed the voyage to America for pages and have a brief synopsis on the genocide of the Arawaks and Tainos...is that not a little disturbing and the War of 1812, how many books are neutral bout whether the US lost or won?

please incorporate examples such as these into your response.

*FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE MY VALUES ARE DISPLACED YOU MAY BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRESENT BUT WHAT EVENTS LED UP TO THE PRESENT IF NOT THE EVENTS HUNDREDS OF YRS AGO. DO U UNDERSTAND THE PRESENT W/O KNOWING THE PAST? aND THINK OF IT THIS WAY-THIS INFO IS WHAT THEY ARE FEEDING INTO U AND U ARE BLINDLY BELIEVING IF IT DOESNT CONCERN U...TOMMORROW TODAYS SITUATION WILL BE THE PAST AND WHAT IF THEY TRY TO TELL YOU OTHERWISE ON IRAQ OR POVERTY IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES..SHOULD THE FUTURE GENERATIONS THAT DIDNT LIVE IN THIS TIME NOT CARE???

Answer 1

This kind of bias always exists. Whenever people attempt to analyze the past, they are going to focus on the things that are important to them. So a history of WW II written by and for people in the US is going to emphasize the US role in the war, and the contributions of others, especially the Soviet Union, is going to be largely downplayed or overlooked. Russian historians have likewise downplayed the contribution of the US and Britain. The key is to be aware that it exists and to try and get sources from as many different sides as possible.

Answer 2

Bias is one thing, but what gets my goat is the revisionist, who think history need conform to their ideological position. For instance, " A Peoples History"; of anything.

Answer 3

That bothers you? Is your life that devoid of wonder and imagination that you worry about something that happened 194 years ago, that you cannot change, that had nothing to do with anyone you know, will never affect you or yours in anyway? Have you not been concerned that children starve in America while we bomb children in Iraq, does it not bother you that Billions of dollars were conned from us by Hurrican Rita victims that could have been used to help real victims. You have one of the most misplaced sense of self and values that I have hever encountered.