Monday, June 10, 2019

"... SOME BASTARD WILL GET UP AND SAY THAT THIS NEVER HAPPENED"

Today, a Republican member of Congress - and a U.S. Senator at that - said it's "a waste of time" to study history because it happened such a long time ago.

For the record, this is why we document, record, teach and revisit history ...
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And, yes, while the sitting U.S. Senator - Josh Hawley (R-MO) - was referring to Watergate, his suggestion that we ignore history is just as ignorant as it sounds.

We study history so we learn from it, and don't repeat it. Pretty simple.

- Mark

Thursday, June 6, 2019

YOU SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR WORKS

So the city of Bakersfield just voted to put "In God We Trust" on its city police and fire vehicles. Never mind the denominational narrowness of the epitaph, the sentiments of non-believers, or even the concept of "separation of church and state" (remember that one?). The reality - if we're going to get all biblical - is that you become known by your works ("fruits"), not by empty pronouncements. 

Don't believe me? Check this (Matthew 7: 15-20) out ...

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For a community who backs conservative politicians, even though they turn their collective backs on the plight of the poorest and most marginalized people of the world (yeah, I'm talking about migrants from Latin America), I have another biblical passage for our spiritually challenged community.

Matthew 7:22-23, Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

I think I'll just leave this right here ...


- Mark

Monday, June 3, 2019

AMERICA'S UGLY REALITY


- Mark

DINNER TALK: RETHINKING WHO WON WORLD WAR II

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Below are the results of the same survey question that was asked in France over a 70-year period (1945, 1994, 2004 and 2015). They tell us a good deal about perception and reality over time.

The question that was asked of the French over time is real simple: "In your opinion, which nation contributed the most to the defeat of Germany in 1945?"


As you can see, in 1945, after the end of WWII much of France believed the Russians, who took the brunt of Germany's aggression, had more to do with the defeat of Germany.

However, over time, for any number of reasons, people have come to believe it was the United States who had more with defeating Germany during WWII.

Part of the reasons so many French in 1945 believed Russia had more to do with defeating the Germans was because of the large number of deaths - military and civilian - that the Russians experienced (about 23 million), which we can see from the graph below.


Here's the point. Our beliefs change over time, even if the facts and numbers don't. There's more to this story, but know that "who won" World War II is not necessarily an open and shut case.

You can access the article that raises the issue by clicking here (it's in French, but you can figure it out if you speak a Romance language, and with a little work).

- Mark