Comments on: 1776: A man, his war, and their year

By: Tyvor Winn

Tyvor Winn — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 16:42:13 +0000

#8: I’ve read volumes one and two of Schama’s History of Britain. I wish I had the kind of memory to retain more of what I read of the fascinating, complex history he described of that relatively small area of the world. I thank you for the reference to the McPherson book. In return I recommend Shelby Foote’s Civil War trilogy. I particularly like the way he humanizes the presidents, generals, and many others by incorporating biographical material and a liberal sprinkling of quotations of their verbal and written comments.

The 1850s and 1860s in the U. S. provide further examples of my comment on the tendency of people throughout history to claim the support of divine beings with both abolitionists and pro-slavery individuals using Biblical quotations to justify their positions. During the Civil War, Leonidas Polk, an Episcopal bishop, was a general in the Confederate army and commanded troops in several battles before being killed himself.

By: Lionel A

Lionel A — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 15:06:23 +0000

I also remember that Jewish extremists used terrorism against the British to encourage them to remove themselves…

As do I being a Brit and understanding news bulletins of the day despite my then tender years and having relatives serving out there. Now being a Brit I find your use of divinely in, ‘…rulers and nations to justify their behavior as divinely sanctioned…’ odd, given the divine sanction, if the Bible is to be believed, for the Hebrew assault on Jericho which was bloody and brutal. Maybe it is such that you had in mind.

Now the Plantagenets, there is some devilish history which Simon Schama includes in the first of three volumes: ‘A History of Britain: At the Edge of the World? 3500 BC-AD 1603’

Now on the American Civil War I have found ‘Battle Cry of Freedom’ by James M. McPherson an absorbing read.

By: Tyvor Winn

Tyvor Winn — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 04:49:49 +0000

#4: Thanks for the comments. I have read some about Darwin — mostly about his science rather than his personality and I’ve also read a couple of short biographies of Newton. He was by all accounts very vigorously unpleasant in his treatment of contemporary scientists such as R. Hooke and G. Leibnitz. Recently I reread a book on the Plantagenets which, of course, included the Magna Carta and also described precursors of the modern Parliament. At the time of the American Revolution the ideas of shared governing power and of the basic rights of those governed were both therefore well established in the American mind.

By: Tyvor Winn

Tyvor Winn — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 04:24:28 +0000

#5: I wasn’t condoning anything that I mentioned. I was just extending the historical context beyond the last few decades and including a comment on seemingly common need for rulers and nations to justify their behavior as divinely sanctioned. Do you disagree?

BTW, I do remember the USS Liberty affair and I also remember that Jewish extremists used terrorism against the British to encourage them to remove themselves from what was then called Palestine. Just another part of the long, tragic history of the Middle East.

By: Lionel A

Lionel A — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 15:07:19 +0000

So TW at #2

Does that mean that you condone Israel’s behaviour in the West Bank (where they should not have been at all) or Gaza?

Before answering that maybe you should look up on USS Liberty. See e.g. James Bamford, ‘Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency’ Chapter ‘Blood’.

‘On the side of the angels’ is a common enough expression which should not require further amplification.

By: Wow

Wow — Sat, 22 Jul 2017 16:56:58 +0000

” It was probably not just a matter of Washington’s personal character; the English tradition of some sort of shared power and the emerging enlightened philosophy of the times were also factors of importance,”

Check up on the life of Charles Darwin and you find him a fairly similar character.

Read up on Newton and you’ll find that the English aren’t all nice and generous people even for those who are unwelcome by them.

But there IS a bit of “Play a straight bat” in the semi-aristocracy of the English post-enlightenment. Coupled with some unthinking superiority over all others.

By: Tyvor Winn

Tyvor Winn — Sat, 22 Jul 2017 16:37:15 +0000

I’m sure I’m not alone in this but the thing that impressed me most about George Washington is his voluntary surrender of power afterwards. This was very unusual, perhaps unique in human history. It was probably not just a matter of Washington’s personal character; the English tradition of some sort of shared power and the emerging enlightened philosophy of the times were also factors of importance, but I’m sure that there were many men who would have at least tried to cling to power and perhaps even attempted a kingship.

I’ve also been surprised that even though the American Revolution showed the military value of hanging on despite defeats and continuing organized resistance (including guerrilla warfare) against an at least semi-principled antagonist, the U. S. has still embroiled itself militarily in large scale, long term incursions in Viet Nam and the Middle East where short of draconian subjugation of the population, there is not even a possibility of eliminating organized resistance.

By: Tyvor Winn

Tyvor Winn — Sat, 22 Jul 2017 16:10:15 +0000

#1: As far back as known history goes the various regions within the Middle East have been conquered by one group of people after another, Forced religious conversions and/or enslavement and/or forced emigrations occurred during most of these conquests. Where angels come into it I can’t see but I’m sure the conquerors thought themselves blessed by the gods of their own religions.

By: Lionel A

Lionel A — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:48:25 +0000

I agree with your assessment of this interesting book, which I bought soon after publishing and read. I must revisit but have some other worthy books on the go dealing with the creation of the modern state of Israel with the usurpation of Palestinian lands, from ‘The Balfour Declaration’ and the events in the area during WW1 ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ with illuminating narrative in ‘The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine’ and ‘The Biggest Prison on Earth: The History of the Israeli Occupation’ both by Ilan Pappe

Having previously read ‘Six Days: How the 1967 War Shaped the Middle East’ by Jeremy Bowen I understand which side the angels should be on.