Re: Digest Number 596

From: Jeff Richard <richaje_at_DhKnzGZwSOYmVBVduB4KL0sQKSi7TWHbuigqtSZVL4Hyg6VvdOVmXjFV6Nojaq0wj5es>
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:58:14 -0000


> > > History - oh yes, they were also the last people
> > to
> > > successfully invade England. Sailed up the Thames
> > and attacked London.
> >
> > No dear, they did *not* invade, they attacked
> > shipping on the Thames and
> > Medway. No-one got off the ships to attack land
> > installations (though there was fear that they
> would).

Actually the Dutch were the last people to successfully invade England. During the Glorious Revolution of 1688, William of Orange landed in England with an army of Dutch mercenary troops and English and Scottish volunteers. After some minor skirmishes, King James II fled to France and Parliament made William king.

> I believe the Irish ones claimed to be formal: as if
> any one cared. The last bomb threat I'm aware of was
> some sort of Arab, but I may be a bit out of date. Or,
> depending on your definition of "terrorist", the last
> act of that type may have been American.

I doubt that quite strongly.

> > Sheesh, you need an *American* to tell you your own
> > history?
> Well, you don't have much of your own to learn, so
> presumably have memory free for other stuff.

Few Europeans I've met study much history prior to WWII (except maybe a romanticized study of pre-Christian Europe) and are usually appallingly ignorant of their own history. Now most Americans are also appallingly of their own history, but most Americans don't live in sight of monuments of their own history. Most American cities outside of the Eastern Seaboard are less than 200 years old - many are far younger than that.

However, within that 200 years, the USA has managed to accumulate a lot of history - and a lot of history that has shaped not only the USA but the rest of the world. For example, few people study the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 - and its interest is mainly confined to academic interest with regard the rise of Prussia and Imperial Germany. The US Civil War was not only a traditional civil war but also an ideological conflict - and involved ideas and issues that are still relevant to Western democracies today.

Jeff            

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