Magical History Tour

An interesting point was raised about the events in the linked article. In my history classes, the ages of historical figures tended to be mentioned for three reasons: 1) in contrast to modern ideas of adulthood, independence, or agency; 2) the person was considered to be unusually accomplished for their age; or 3) their age at death reflected changes in life expectancy. That information can really affect people’s perception of events, and this left me wondering why age is often excluded or ignored.

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offensively inaccurate aesthetic

Nicely turned phrase. And so many potential opportunities to use it.

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So 90s! Much WoW!!!

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Another on this:

I was always struck by several things about WWII that you encounter over the years. Vietnamese engaged in a war against the Japanese and were armed by the US. At the end of the war the US armed the Japanese to quell the Vietnamese independence movement (which had raised the US flag with their own in the expectation of US endorsement of their independence). After WWII ended in Europe similar happened in Algeria with German (troops) and matériel being used to quell nascent Algerian independence movements.

I was in a museum in the Netherlands many years ago and discovered that a million Dutch people, most of their army, and navy were in Asia for the entirety of WWII in Europe and beyond. Because the war was fought on many imperial fronts.

The same is definitely true of WWI by the way, but I think we recognise that a bit more about how it was taught. We just need to remember it ended in mass mutinies!

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The invasion of Russia by the WWI Allies, including Canada and the U.S. kind of pushes the date back even for us to 1919, maybe 1920, for the end of WW1. Japan didn’t leave until 1925. It’s not often you see “Vladivostok” on war memorial around here… :thinking:

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I remember once reading a twitter thread about the First World War. The author argued that it was possible to locate the beginning of hostilities towards the end of the 19th century because of conflicts and unresolved issues between the former European powers and the Ottoman Empire.

A high school teacher used to say that the WWII war was the continuation of the WWI after a period of truce. But reading these articles, you can see that the interval between 1918 and 1939 was anything but peaceful.

Here in Brazil the war continued for some time too, at least among the members of the Japanese colony. One faction did not believe that the Japanese Empire had lost the war and began a violent terrorist campaign against a minority that resignedly accepted surrender in Asia.

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…I wonder what exactly Menand thinks scientists are doing with their facts.

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That will be one of the mutinies I mentioned! Some people remember that the German navy mutinied to end their fight in WWI (not the Nazis obviously, already they were rewriting history) but the fact that the British army mutinied in Scotland and in the Soviet Union is glossed over still. Mostly. But then we just had a thread on reevaluating the propaganda around the British empire on which the sun never set (and the blood never dried).

Mental! Okay that is totally new news to me. Gotta read!

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doctor who GIF

winona-thats-good-point

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‘Buried’ Latino history: Colorado sculpture honors family’s fight for school equity

The story of Latino parents who successfully fought school segregation and discrimination went unexamined for a century. A new sculpture honors the Maestas decision of 1914.

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I have to wonder how the anti-CRT members of the GOP would spin this…

The group of parents alleged that racial prejudice was the reason Mexican American students were forced to attend an inferior school. The school board argued that because Mexicans were considered white, there could be no racial discrimination.

… especially in Florida. It could be revealing to get them to say this history also falls into the category of subjects that might make some children feel bad.

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It would be an interesting discussion. But Marco would not be allowed to teach it.
Cuban vs Mexican heritage. Whiteness as a social construction. The fact that many people from Latin countries are mixes of what are called races anyway. Does that matter if you’re of mostly Spanish heritage if you’re not treated as white here?

Several other groups have moved back and forth across that line in the governments racial classification schemes. Middle eastern. North African. And all tied up with religion. Syrians way back we’re able to petition the gov to be considered white because they were Christians.

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This is the GOP talking point I’d love to see them dance around, since they alternately court and reject those voters. Also, that’s the group being mentioned heavily in those scare polls trending with the MSM.

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