Departments

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Cliopatria

  • May 27, 2005

    Lenora Fulani's World

    by Cliopatria

    New York politics is peculiar in a number of ways, but no more so than in the breadth of alternative parties. Some--such as the American Labor Party in the 1930s and the Conservative Party since the 1970s--have exercised a decisive impact on the state's ideological climate. (The Conservatives even elected a senator on their ticket, James Buckley in 1970). Others, such as the Right to Life Party on the right and the Working Families Party on the left, embody si
  • May 27, 2005

    Noted Here and There ...

    by Cliopatria

    Ross Douthat,"Right Wing Academics Need New Ideas: Bill of Wrongs," TNR (registration required), 24 May, is one of the best analyses of the conservative critique of academe that I've seen. It tackles cliches, exposes the flaws in strategic plans, and summons conservatives to the real work of academic communities, the life of the mind. Thanks to Graham Larkin for the tip.

  • May 27, 2005

    Bear Market on White Feathers

    by Cliopatria

    Why the War in Iraq is Unsustainable

    Last week*, the major general in charge of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command held a press briefing to discuss the army's recruiting problems. The most interesting part was this little-noticed exchange on the topic of"influencers" (emphasis added):
    GEN. ROCHELLE: I don't believe anyone believes it's a life or death situation. Is it cha
  • May 27, 2005

    That Giant Flushing Sound You Hear? It's Credibility . . .

    by Cliopatria

    Here, is yet more evidence that someone, and not Newsweek this time, has some explaining to do.

    It would at least be nice if more people were honest enough to say"so what, this is not torture, these folks deserve it" as Tom argued to me on the phone yesterday (while still maintaining that he believed the FBI and other government spokesmen were believable while those allegations from prisoners were not

  • May 27, 2005

    More Notes ...

    by Cliopatria

    On Blogging as Subversion: Nicholas Kristof,"Death by a Thousand Blogs," New York Times, 24 May, argues that the internet, 100,000,000 surfers, and 4,000,000 blogs create space for freedom in mainland China where earlier efforts failed. The Committee to Protect Bloggers draws attention to silenced bloggers in many parts of the world. Tomorr
  • May 27, 2005

    Kinship ...

    by Cliopatria

    I've never really been a gonzo kinda guy, but I am sort of pissed off. Douglas Brinkley edited the letters of my second cousin, Hunter S. Thompson, so I don't so much object to his becoming the public spokesman for cousin Hunter's estate. But he's been systematically ignoring me as the official family historian. I've got the family bible's record of his Grampa Thompson's birth sitting in my dining room.

    Now, I see that Brinkley has announc

  • May 26, 2005

    Cultural Loss: Past and Future

    by Cliopatria

    Two stories from NPR struck me today:
    • An interview with Baghdad National Museum director Donny George in response to the publication of a new book on the treasures lost in the looting. There was a lot of debate, in the wake of the US-led invasion, about the extent of the looting and destruction. Any looting in Iraq is
  • May 26, 2005

    Time Off for POTUS

    by Cliopatria

    I am going to take a break from blogging for the next month. See you in July. Rick
  • May 26, 2005

    Huh . . .

    by Cliopatria

    Interesting. We still do not know if it is true or not, but too many voices are saying it for there to be nothing to the story.
  • May 26, 2005

    Some Noted Things ...

    by Cliopatria

    Yesterday, when I looked out of my bedroom window, I saw a chipmunk sitting on the stump of an old oak tree. It was a beautiful day in Atlanta and, instead of scurrying about as our chipmunks usually do, she seemed to be sunning herself and doing her nails. As a historian, I don't think much about how animals live their lives, but Prof. Blogger jerked me back to reality about our interaction with them. You hav
  • May 25, 2005

    Of All Places . . .

    by Cliopatria

    Eugene Robinson is a fine columnist for the Washington Post, but in this piece on Dave Chappelle, he embodies the befuddlement, ignorance, and misinformation of many Americans when it comes to Africa. In discussing the prodigal comedian (who disappeared when the pressure over his forthcoming third season of the eponymous Chappelle’s Show got to be too much to bear) he refers to Chappe
  • May 25, 2005

    Ray Raphael: Review of David McCullough's 1776 (2005)

    by Cliopatria

    Mr. Raphael is the author of twelve books, including People’s History of the American Revolution, The First American Revolution, and most recently, Founding Myths: Stories that Hide Our Patriotic Past. He can be contacted through his website, rayraphael.com.

    In Revolutionary days, when people objected to decisions made in official chambers, they made decisions of their own “out-of-chambers,” as they said at the time. Taverns, meeting house