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That's a great question. And I have a trick answer for you: Ronald Reagan. He was an actor, and he did have a tremendous impact on the '80s and thereafter when he became president.Perhaps a less tricky answer would be someone like Cecil B. Demil. He probably was responsible for ushering in the mega-Hollywood blockbuster with movies like The Ten Commandments. From what I understand, he used thousands of extras in that movie and the set was pretty extravagent. Of course the movie blockbuster eventually came to be the norm in Hollywood, and many movies have gone on to influence and shape popular culture as we know it. I imagine that movies have also inspired many people along the way, for good or for bad.
I have read the South Carolina secession document – and it was a defensive-sounding piece. I would like to read what Tennessee said in order to get re-admitted to the Union.
Oh, I absolutely agree with you. I would love to get some stuff like that, even if it were a cracked Byzantine goblet or a part of a Byzantine fresco. But, I realize that it costs money for needed restorations with these pieces, and I'm not sure how wealthy the museum is in the first place. I have heard that the Louvre in Paris has only a portion of its art and artifacts on display. Much of it is in the backrooms. Simply amazing….what visitors pass by without a second thought in some room of some wing is what I would love to have in my house. In other words, I would value many pieces there much more than the Louvre does!
Interesting story of the French Army. I wonder if this phenomena was common during this era. I believe that Molly Pitcher did a similar thing with the Americans during the Revolutionary War.
Interesting observation. The problem is that it is rather difficult to divide history into neat compartments for discussion. It can be divided strictly by date, but this can hinder discussion of events which last longer than the defined era. It can be divided by event, but this can hinder discussion of many things which don't fall strictly under those event topics. It can also be divided by nation or region, but there are plenty of events which span multiple geographic areas. My choice thus far has been to adopt a combination of all three, though obviously it has its weaknesses.Rather than simply expanding the number of topics, what if I were to consolidate some of them into broader topics? For example, rather than having top categories of “The Middle Ages”, “The Renaissance”, and “Early Modern Europe”, I were to put them all under a “Europe” top category? I could then consolidate some of the second-level categories (e.g. combine “The Medieval World” with “The Crusades”, etc.). This way we would be left with broader topics that cover more while allowing room for bringing in new categories as you requested.By the way, the category “The Industrial Revolution” is supposed to cover European history post-French Revolution. Also, I didn't include Asian or Middle Eastern topics because this forum is geared toward Western Civilization. However, I realize that those areas have also played some part in Western development (Avicenna influenced European philosophy, for example), so perhaps I could add a category for something like that. I'm willing to listen.
What kind of historical photos are these? For me, I love looking at photos of cities that I know of well, perhaps from the 1920s or so. It's fascinating to see what has changed in the years since the photos were taken, as well as what has remained the same.
Thanks for the complements. I'd be interested in hearing about your thoughts. There is a lot to learn about the Cold War, and I think that these “paranormal” events and/or sightings add some spice to it.
As much as they may have been “trained” in socialism, I don't think it worked. Right after the fall of the USSR or the repeal of anti-capitalist regulations, individual retail stores began popping up. The free market emerged on its own when it was allowed to in Russia, free from governmental control.
This is a good question. I do, however, think that a distinction could be made. Gangsters of the 20s and 30s targeted their victims and did not indiscriminately kill innocent civilians, even if their actions may have led to terrorism-like intimidation. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, where about 7 guys were gunned down in Chicago, was a mob hit, but all the guys hit were part of one kind of “family” network. Jesse James may have robbed banks, but he didn't randomly kill people. The aspects unique to terrorism include high profile action for great effect, mass killings without discriminating between victims, and with motivation to make a political or social point. If you can find an episode like this before, say, 1900, you can find your parallel.I went through a D.C. museum last year which showed the history of terrorism in the U.S. Interestingly enough, there were anarchist terrorists in the early 1900s who tried to kill wealthy people…I believe even J.P. Morgan himself.
I wonder if people ever think that the effects laid on the South are still present today. Hurricane Katrina showed the world the poverty of New Orleans, and we know that places like Mississippi are rather poor. Are these leftovers from Reconstruction, or are they simply places where other factors have kept or led them into the bad side of life?
This is a question that people have differing opinions on. When I lived in the Dallas area, I knew four brothers who were nephews of Mr. Campisi, who was a friend of Ruby's and who I believe was among the first to visit him in jail. Campisi also owns a restaurant in Dallas which goes by his name.
While growing up it seems like I saw so many of those going-back-to-Nam-to-rescue-the-POWs movies and/or TV shows. It was a staple of the action drama genre. They were alright, I suppose.I liked the movie We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson.
I actually started reading that book a few years ago and then must have gotten side-tracked and didn't finish it. I'll have to pick it up again one of these days. Seems like I've always got a book I can be reading at any time.
