History & Comment for June 27, 2025

A look at historical and current events on this day, comment and humor so dry it would make a camel thirsty. 

Transcript

This is History and Comment for Friday the 27th of June 2025

I said on our last visit that it was a light history day and today is even lighter.  It might be that we are in early summer and like this week it is hot and we are not yet acclimated and are retreating to a cooler place.      

Religion and Politics the two subjects that should be avoided in polite society and the two we plow into most days.    Why are these two subjects so hotly debated?    For one they are at the foundation of what we view as the most important subjects in life.   In the case of religion it has eternal consequences.    The other greatly affects our current state of being and prosperity.   Both are the realm of intense emotions and very strong opinions.   How we form those opinions is very deeply rooted to the point of almost being organic. 

It is believed that 70% of personality is genetic.   Could it be that in fact some is genetic?    Consider this point.   Prior to WW II the United States was not a major player on the world stage.  But lets look back to the Colonial period.   We could date this from about 1620 and the landing of the Pilgrims to maybe the 1740s.  A Century and maybe a bit more.    The folks who boarded tiny ships and bet their lives and fortunes on a hope, divine providence, lots of hard work and outright hardships were cut from different cloth.  Could it be that America was in fact forged out of different genetic stock?   Risk takers. 

Australians are known for their wild and wooly personalities.  Is that influenced by the fact it was largely populated as a penal colony?   It is a fair question.  

I’m going to go deeper into the idea of genetic selection.    70% of the players in the National Basketball Association are of African decent.    52% of the National Football League.   Size and speed are critical characteristics in both.     Baseball is just 6%. Hockey you can almost count on your hands the number of  African players  in total.   Now certainly there are numerous factors but it also begs the question.   It is not politically correct to point out that physique  and strength were selection criteria to be placed on a boat out of Africa.  

It is a long stretch, but it is an interesting thought.  At best is explains a very small degree of the success of America.     What makes America unique is that it was created from a blank sheet of paper with the idea of class or social rank were not a factor to a persons success.  If they were willing to put the work in, there was a good chance they could rise higher than they could back in the old country where old social orders and centuries of history played a large role.     This was still very clear in England as late as the mid 20th Century.     The television series Downton Abby greatly illuminated this concept.   I do not believe they have totally shed the idea yet. Just look at the idea of the Royal Family.

Speaking of that, the news is the King is delegating considerable authority to Son William.   The Royals are extremely private, but it is clear that Charles is not doing well.  

England is swinging back towards Catholicism in 1556.   11 Protestants are burned at the stake near London for the broad charge of heresy.    Heresy is holding an incorrect religious belief.    It was almost universally a crime against the Catholic Church.  Or more properly holding a belief that was counter to the opinion the Church held.  Convert or die was the norm.  It is common in the 21st century to fault muslims for holding this position but the Catholic Church held it for most of the past 2000 years.   For this reason to find any debate counter to the official Church position you have to look at the underground church or the heretics that avoid punishment. 

This concept is nearly impossible to justify. 

Founder of the Latter Day Saints, Joseph Smith in killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois in 1844.  We might consider this religious persecution.   To a degree it was, but Smith was playing both a religious and political card.   He and his followers had encounter trouble at every town they had settled in.    Still the incident cannot be excused.  

Confederate forces defeat Federals at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in 1864.  As we have pointed out before,  Confederates won the battles but lost the war.   It was a matter of a long term lack of men and materials.    The Battle is noteworthy as it was described in the narriative on the Civil War by Confederate Private in Sam Watkins in book called Company Aytch.   Both the book and battle were the inspiration for a song by Don Oja-Dunaway called Kennesaw Line.  The original version is by far the best, but Bobby Horton’s is quite reasonable.  I do not think I have ever mentioned Bobby Horton.  An absolutlely incredible musician, who is the ultimate source on Civil War period music.    

The US send troops to fight in Korea in 1950.  

President Nixon visits the Soviet Union in 1971.  

One year ago President Biden debates Donald Trump on national television.   The scene dropped the façade that was the Biden Presidency.    It is becoming clearer that Mr. Biden was in no condition to be President.  Which begs several questions about who and why.   

There are lots of similar questions, NYC is about to elect a open socialist as Mayor.   There is a very simple concept here. One that has played out around the world and failed every time.    Democracy’s fatal flaw is there is little wisdom in the masses.   Human greed will vote for a promise of prosperity and benefits while willingly giving up freedom for those benefits.  I believe the Roman adage was given them bread and circuses. 

Meanwhile on the Left Coast,  one politician was calling out the Gangs, asking them why they were not defending their blocks and people from the gang of Ice agents.   

In all three cases, one has to ask if we are in America or some third-world banana republic.    The answer is America is becoming a banana republic because we have forgotten what made America and are resorting to the law of the jungle.    

The pilgrims risked everything on the hope they could worship as the saw fit and have their hard work blessed. In time they could prosper.   Today the mindset is someone has prospered and I want to take it for mine.    

Birthdays today:

Helen Keller in 1880

Juan Trippe in 1899.  He was the power behind Pan Am Airways in the early days of passenger aviation.    He has been portrayed as both a visionary and a thug at the same time. 

Elton Britt in 1913.  This is a name you most likely have not heard but he was a major player in the days of Cowboy and Western Music.  Britt was the first country artist to be awarded a gold record.  That in 1944. 

Bob Keeshan in 1927.   Here is another name that is fading into history.  Keeshan was  the birth name of Captain Kangaroo.   Once an icon in childrens television. 

How things fade with time is a classic theme and one we fight as hard as we can.   I was reminded of this while looking at photos from the Blackwater 100 reunion.   Riders, some I have met, are now+ old men.    It reminds me of the classic photo of the old guy looking in the mirror and seeing a young man looking back.    Inside we are still young and vibrate, while on the outside ……   

You get the picture.

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