Archives for the 'history' Category
Guy Fawkes Day
Published on 5 Nov 2008 at 9:06 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under Britain, history, religion.
That’s the Guy enroute to his annual torching in Lewes, Sussex, traditional hotbed of anti-Catholicism that’s big on the Nov. 5 observance due to a matter of 17 local Prots having been burned there by Queen Mary. Brits have burned the Guy every year for most the last 400 to celebrate the thwarting of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, when Fawkes and other English [...]
Keep The Feith
Published on 23 Oct 2008 at 8:05 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under Boston, Iraq, history.
Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith is on stage at the Ford Hall Forum* tonight. I get to moderate. Old South Meeting House on Washington Street, 6:30 p.m. Expect critics. His book, “War and Decision” is an excellent, highly readable narrative of the development of war policy post-9/11, with a lot of the history leading [...]
Good Money After Bad
Published on 8 Oct 2008 at 11:40 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under crime, history, punishment.
Another $37.5 billion for AIG. You know, the relaxed, if troubled insurance giant. via Fox.
Sporadic Fellow-Traveling
Published on 4 Oct 2008 at 12:46 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under Obama, crime, history, traitors.
NYT examines the Ayers-Obama link. It’s about sporadic path-crossing, bygones, rehabilitation and a sort of non-contagious fellow-traveling. Includes radical assurances that Obam is no radical. Director Blue casts a more jaundiced eye at the bygones, the ex-Weathermen Obama fan club, the fellow-traveling. It’s about dead cops, dead marines, and their killers.
Read ‘Sporadic Fellow-Traveling’
Nelson at 250
Published on 1 Oct 2008 at 11:40 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under Britain, history.
A nod to Nelson on his 250th, via Blair. Melbourne University’s Daniel Mandel on why Nelson’s great victory, Trafalagar, is relevant today:
Fact Check
Published on 27 Sep 2008 at 2:15 pm.
11 Comments.
Filed under Nazis, commies, history, media, pols.
Washington Post’s live fact check finds Obama out-and-out wrong on several counts but has to parse and pick apart assiduously to find McCain at fault. Whatever. A telling exercise. Where it gets bizarre is in the grand finale, where the fact checkers tack on this astonishing McCain bash:
John McCain kicked the evening off with a wild exaggeration by describing the [...]
Waterloo
Published on 18 Jun 2008 at 3:45 am.
7 Comments.
Filed under Britain, Europe, France, history, military.
The following was produced at the request of Norm Geras and originally ran at his site in November 2006 as a book review, though it was as much an ode to war and an exploration of the experience as anything. Today, on the 193rd anniversary, here’s ”The Battle,” with some art and links added:
Theo-Palooza
Published on 2 Jun 2008 at 10:46 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under Britain, blogs, boobs, history, pols.
Theo shows his deep understanding of the American political situation:
And other important stuff:
It Is Fun to Learn
Published on 27 May 2008 at 10:49 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under guns, history, military.
Reader Heinrichs, retired Canadian horse officer, kindly forwarded this delightful link re the history of the assault rifle after I expressed my general ignorance the other day.
Missing
Published on 25 May 2008 at 9:21 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under history, military.
GQ with a haunting tale of searching, finding and the pain that lasts decades in the story of Jimmy Doyle and his B-24 crewmen, missing for more than 60 years. Also, about the strange things the pain makes people do.
Jimmy Doyle left a son, who was told his father had abandoned him and only as an old [...]
“One-Man Army”
Published on 25 May 2008 at 7:29 am.
No Comments.
Filed under courage, history, military.
Finally gets his send-off. Boston Herald on the late John P. Correggio’s belated military funeral, with some ink-stained wretch’s vintage account of how he got his Silver Star in the Solomons:
“One American division was toasting a new ‘one man army.’ The army was Johnny Correggio of Everett, Mass.,” gushed one news account. “Correggio, acting as a [...]
About That History
Published on 21 May 2008 at 9:05 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under history, pols.
Lieberman spanks the Dems for their abandonment of core values, and confusion about who is the enemy and who is us, going back decades. WSJ:
History Lesson
Published on 18 May 2008 at 8:40 am.
6 Comments.
Filed under history, pols.
New Republic’s Scoblic beats conservatives with conservatives to defend Obama’s talk about talk with dictators. Talking worked with the Soviets, Scoblic opines, variously using a magnifying glass and a funhouse mirror to examine history’s miniscule details undistracted by any large inconvenient objects. LA Times:
Last War, This War, Next War
Published on 15 May 2008 at 11:19 am.
No Comments.
Filed under Iraq, history, vietnam.
All being debated over at Small Wars. Some light reading there and elsewhere on that which only the dead have seen the end of:
Read ‘Last War, This War, Next War’
Great American Slaughterers Through the Ages
Published on 3 May 2008 at 2:45 pm.
6 Comments.
Filed under America, history, moronocy.
An Iraqi TV channel, apparently unhappy that the United States ended the three-decade reign of one of the modern era’s marquee mass murderers, takes a ramble through U.S. history to highlight great American “slaughterers” who have occupied the White House. A little fact-challenged, and considering all the death and destruction we get pinned with, not [...]
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April Morning
Published on 19 Apr 2008 at 12:08 am.
24 Comments.
Filed under America, courage, history.
Patriots Day may be the least known American holiday, and the day most deserving of our recognition. Observed in Massachusetts and Maine only. Don’t know it? It marks the day, April 19, 1775, on which Americans took up arms against their king, and bled, at the crack of terrible dawn.
Making History
Published on 14 Apr 2008 at 11:28 pm.
6 Comments.
Filed under Bush, history.
Making it up. Making a mockery of it. Ninety-eight percent of historians polled consider Bush a failure. US News and World Report:
Absolut Apologies
Published on 6 Apr 2008 at 7:55 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under America, Mexico, Nazis, Spain, booze, history, shameless self-promotion.
World-bettering boozemaker is sorry. I’ll say. And that’s nice. But first, here are some more Absolut worldviews from clever readers. This one neglects to put Absolut Sweden in the Nazi camp, which is more or less where the Nazi-enabling neutrals spent the war. via Gateway:
A Thought
Published on 30 Mar 2008 at 7:59 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under Iraq, genocide, history.
On Dith Pran’s death. Help prevent the next genocide. No abandonment of Iraq.
Choice Just Got Harder
Published on 25 Mar 2008 at 11:01 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under history, pols.
OK, Obama’s all about hope, and Hillary’s all about experience. I’ve got that. But Obama’s got a crazy pastor. And Hillary just lied about her war record. Now, it turns out, Obama’s related to Brad Pitt, and Hillary’s related to Angelina Jolie.
Geraldine Through the Ages
Published on 12 Mar 2008 at 7:43 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under history, pols.
Ferraro, 2008: “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position.”
Ferraro, 1988: “If Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn’t be in the race.”
Ferraro, 1984: “If I wasn’t a woman, I would not be in this position … hey, [...]
Read ‘Geraldine Through the Ages’
“I Loved That Jet”
Published on 9 Mar 2008 at 9:34 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under aircraft, history.
Take a jet ride at Maggie’s Farm. Read a book while you’re there.
Waltzing Mathilda vs. Gaia
Published on 9 Mar 2008 at 7:41 am.
No Comments.
Filed under Australia, history, song, warmalism.
A V-8 sings it. That and more musical news via Tim Blair.
In other important Australian news, archaeologists in Melbourne have found a hole in the ground and they think Ned Kelly’s in it, along with a bunch of other crims.
Read ‘Waltzing Mathilda vs. Gaia’
Fine American Tradition
Published on 27 Feb 2008 at 9:42 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under America, hair, history.
The Mohawk. Now a suspendible offense.
Read ‘Fine American Tradition’
Gunga Din
Published on 26 Feb 2008 at 8:55 am.
11 Comments.
Filed under history, literary, pols, racism.
I was steering clear of that comparison with the benighted wretch of imperialist doggerel fame, played in blackface in the movie. But the Dems aren’t so shy. This one, anyway. Boston Herald:
Kristol re Orwell on Kipling
Published on 18 Feb 2008 at 9:45 am.
5 Comments.
Filed under Man Who Would Be King, history, literary, pols.
And what they have to do with you. Great historical prism. Orwell was a lefty with a brain, who recognized the evil of communist as well as fascist oppression, and the dangers of acquiescence to either. He knew our flawed system was worth defending, setting aside squabbles for later. Kipling is ill-treated by Orwell in the cited essay as [...]
Read ‘Kristol re Orwell on Kipling’
Nobel Wackjob
Published on 10 Feb 2008 at 3:15 pm.
7 Comments.
Filed under history, pols.
Slams America. Too racist for a black president. Doris Lessing re President Obama, better he’s not elected, “They would murder him.”
Money Talks
Published on 18 Jan 2008 at 8:52 am.
No Comments.
Filed under blogs, history, money.
… as the magnificent Oxford Medievalist takes up coin blogging.
Gaza
Published on 2 Dec 2007 at 8:49 am.
6 Comments.
Filed under Israel, Palestinians, history.
Boil at the other end of the peace process, notable mainly for roof-tossings and rocket barrages that persist despite pullouts, other gestures. The incomparable Mental Floss of Blair comments fame, acknowledging some partiality, challenges the notion that Hamas, or any other Palo entity, has a claim on Gaza. He placed this yesterday as a comment to last week’s [...]
Meet Glubb
Published on 3 Nov 2007 at 11:38 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under GWOT, history.
In keeping with today’s themes of foreign service officers, British views and the Middle East, here’s the adventurous, insightful Brit Glubb, compliments of a U.S. State Department employee who doesn’t mind being assigned to bad neighborhoods:
Ivans vs. Heinrichs
Published on 2 Nov 2007 at 10:37 am.
6 Comments.
Filed under Russia, history.
… Nazis and commies killing each other, hard to know which side to cheer for.* As the troll known as Alphie liked to observe at this site,** the Russkies did yeoman’s work as the prime meatgrinder of World War II, chewing up the Germans and themselves in the process. Contrary to the lefty story line, [...]
Monster Tale
Published on 31 Oct 2007 at 8:31 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under history.
Monster had tailpipe problems. Not only did Hitler have horrendous gas, everything he did to address the problem made it worse, and might have adversely affected his conduct of the war. Hoisted by his own petard, if you will. Perrottet in the Smart Set:
Armocide
Published on 11 Oct 2007 at 10:51 am.
11 Comments.
Filed under history.
Sticky issue. Bad time to be making principled, entirely justified semantic arguments about the events of 90 years ago. Especially considering the nature of many regimes past and present with which, for purposes of expediency in matters of more imminent concern, we have associated ourselves. Advice to Congress: Drop it. Listen to Holocaust survivor/resolution backer Lantos, the committee chairman, when he [...]
NYT History 101
Published on 7 Oct 2007 at 9:12 am.
6 Comments.
Filed under Bush, history, media.
NYT ed board needs a Chomsky session. The doctor is Zinn. Because NYT ed board this morning looks a little rusty on NYT ed board’s lefty history:
Evil FDR Admin
Published on 6 Oct 2007 at 10:06 am.
12 Comments.
Filed under GWOT, history.
FDR admin engaged in black site detentions.
Magnificent Failure
Published on 23 Sep 2007 at 7:48 am.
11 Comments.
Filed under history, media.
I spent 15 hours last week with Ken Burn’s “The War“ I loved it. I just didn’t like it. It is mandatory viewing, however. My Boston Herald review, with others linked below:
Claim/Fact
Published on 19 Sep 2007 at 9:48 am.
31 Comments.
Filed under America, history.
The Washington Post crunches numbers, quibbles, misses the broad side of history’s barn in its the claim/the facts examination of this remark by Fred Thompson:
“You know, you look back over our history, and it doesn’t take you long to realize that our people have shed more blood for other people’s liberty than any other combination of nations [...]
Life, Death, Politics
Published on 7 Sep 2007 at 10:31 pm.
7 Comments.
Filed under history, media, pols.
I was in Lowell today to see an old friend. I met Paul Sullivan when I went to work at the Lowell Sun 18 years ago. We were never all that close, but we knew each other and spent some time together. We’d meet Friday afternoons, local media mainly, at a place with a deck on [...]
The Wind In The Heights
Published on 6 Sep 2007 at 10:44 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under GWOT, history.
Gerard van der Leun takes us from Washington falling back in the Battle of Long Island to Sept. 11 in his old neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights:
And I knew that all they had become had fallen upon us as we ran in the smoke; that we had breathed them in when the wind reached us; that they [...]
Read ‘The Wind In The Heights’
Wrong
Published on 3 Sep 2007 at 11:10 pm.
No Comments.
Filed under history.
Visionary/megababe/guestblogger Cassandra, PO’d about the first draft of history getting it wrong again.
Gettysburg
Published on 3 Sep 2007 at 10:42 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under Bush, Iraq, history, pols.
That’s what Frederick Kagan is calling the al-Asad summit, and everything it represents.
There are a lot of different ways to read a Gettysburg analogy, from 2oth Maine at Little Round Top to Pickett’s Charge, to turning back Lee’s Army and turning the tide in a war, to galvanizing a nation and generations to follow with a few [...]
Misrepresenting the Middle Ages
Published on 29 Aug 2007 at 6:49 am.
5 Comments.
Filed under history.
A candidate for most sensational headline of, at least, the day:
“Gay Unions Sanctioned in Medieval Europe”
I meant to write on this yesterday, but didn’t have the time. And now that it’s over a day old, I don’t really have the inclination anymore. But do check out the article yourself, and tell me if the evidence [...]
Read ‘Misrepresenting the Middle Ages’
Sorry I’m Late…
Published on 28 Aug 2007 at 5:43 pm.
6 Comments.
Filed under capitalism, geekism, history.
Thanks to Jules for inviting me to the party and, if Sister Toldjah feels sort of like the geek who was invited to hang with the cool crowd, imagine what a freshman geek like myself feels like. My apologies for being late, but it looks like you’re all still having fun – I brought along some strippers to mix [...]
Five scientists who made the modern world
Published on 28 Aug 2007 at 2:00 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under anthronerdism, history, nerds.
If you were to make a list of the top five scientists who ever lived, who would you choose? People are asking the question (also, here, here). So far, it hasn’t been all that interesting. All the lists have two or three names in common, and throw in two or three unexpected names for balance. [...]
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More about those helicopters on the Saigon roof
Published on 27 Aug 2007 at 4:04 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under history, vietnam.
I’ve got an essay up at PJ today entitled “Finessing the Surge,” about politicians staking out a position on the current situation in Iraq. In the essay, I mention that they keep referencing that tragic image of helicopters attempting to airlift South Vietnamese supporters fleeing the inevitable Northern takeover.
A view of that famous day [...]
Read ‘More about those helicopters on the Saigon roof’
The world according to Hirsh: what, me worry?
Published on 25 Aug 2007 at 1:32 pm.
3 Comments.
Filed under history.
Michael Hirsh has a column in Newsweek that must be read to be believed.
Channeling Alfred (”What, me worry?) E. Neuman, Hirsh takes the loooong view of history, arguing that our withdrawal from Vietnam “worked.” After all, Vietnam isn’t doing so very badly today, three decades later.
To Hirsh, the boat people and the re-education [...]
Read ‘The world according to Hirsh: what, me worry?’
Fall Of Rome
Published on 16 Aug 2007 at 10:11 am.
4 Comments.
Filed under America, history.
And what it has to do with us. The Oxford Medievalist reaches deep.
Je Me Souviens Too
Published on 10 Aug 2007 at 3:17 pm.
No Comments.
Filed under Britain, Canada, France, history.
Montcalm descendant* will show up and play his ancestor’s role in the re-enanctment of the massacre and mutilation of the garrison and camp followers at Fort William Henry in 1757, followed by lengthy captivity for the survivors, at the hands of French troops and Indians. The Baron Georges Savarin de Marestan’s hosts will dress him up in breaches [...]
Rocket Scientists Heard From
Published on 10 Aug 2007 at 1:19 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under history, warmalism.
NASA to warmalists: Cool it!
Via the Oxford Medievalist, who’s seen it all before … hot, cold, famine, plague, witchhunts, Vikings running Ireland, Normans running England, count ‘em four Crusades, Moors in Andalusia, Turks at the gates of Vienna, you name it … and tends to take the long view. While you’re there be sure to hit his [...]
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History Pivots
Published on 9 Aug 2007 at 10:11 am.
6 Comments.
Filed under blogs, history.
Weigh in on the next round at the Oxford Medievalist. Gutenberg’s in the lead. Hard to argue with that.
