Monthly Archives: December 2021

It was perilous times for France in 1870. With the Germans advancing upon Paris, France had “no acknowledged government, with democrats reviling imperialists in the most unmeasured terms of abuse, and imperialists treating the democrats as the enemies of religion … Continue reading →

In 1851, Napoleon III staged a self-coup (maybe like a Reichstag Fire or the surreal events of September 11, 2001) and assumed dictatorial powers. If “9/11” (September 11, 2001) was a self-coup, Dubya Bush’s “dictatorial powers” which led us into … Continue reading →

Joan Rivers (1933 – 2014) used to say, “Can we talk?” The “cancel culture” though answers, “No we can’t talk.” And then they wonder, “Why all the violence?” When freedom of expression is denied, other outlets appear. Free speech is … Continue reading →

When the men on the chessboardGet up and tell you where to go… This is what happened in Paris after the French emperor, Napoleon III, became a prisoner of war consequent to the French defeat at Sedan, September 2, 1870: … Continue reading →

At Sedan, bombarded from all sides by German artillery and with all breakout attempts defeated, Napoleon III surrendered on September 2, 1870. [1] “Sorrows never come singly,” wisely observes John S.C. Abbott in his 1871 attempt to understand the Franco-Prussian … Continue reading →

On September 18, 1928 a special cable to the New York Times was published in that newspaper. Headlined “DIPLOMATIC PROTEST LIKELY ON PARIS PLAY; Attacks England and Victoria for Alleged Part in Death of ‘Napoleon IV.’”, it told of a … Continue reading →

“Sorrows never come singly,” wisely observes John S.C. Abbott in his 1871 attempt to understand the Franco-Prussian War – the war nobody talks about. The Prussians were like an unstoppable steam roller. “It was supposed that the Prussians would march … Continue reading →

I crane, you crane, we all crane into Ukraine. A nice Ukrainian lady, Olga Reznikova, has a YouTube channel I sometimes watch. Usually Olga just offers tourist tips for visitors to Ukraine. But now even Olga has abruptly veered into … Continue reading →

Sometimes you’re the Louisville slugger, sometimes you’re the ball. In the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) it seemed like France was always the ball and Germany was always the Louisville slugger. At the outset though, France was fighting in German territory at … Continue reading →

In 1967, a Mel Brooks comedy, The Producers, premiered. A theater producer and his accountant, as part of a scam, have to stage the worst stage musical they can create. They eventually find one centering around Adolf Hitler and the … Continue reading →