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Conventional Wisdom
I became a lifelong political convention junkie in 1972, the year that George McGovern secured the nomination with a brilliantly executed ploy that nobody saw coming until it was over, and that even...
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The Ricardian Model
With Richard III much in the news lately, I’ve been inspired to reread Paul Murray Kendall’s excellent biography of the king (Kindle edition here). Here’s a little tidbit I learned from that book: In...
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The Most Important Date Ever
I am not one of the public intellectuals who were queried by The Atlantic (link might require subscription) as to which date most changed world history — but on the Internet, you can always spout off...
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Terror, Truth and Torture
Last week was not the first time the United States was transfixed by an act of terror. In 1964, three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippi were (quoting Wikipedia) “threatened,...
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Power Transmission
As I work my way through Robert Caro’s monumental four-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson, I’m repeatedly astonished by Caro’s gargantuan appetite for detail on the one hand, and his near total...
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This Day in History
Fifty years ago today at 1:30 PM eastern standard time, a minor tragedy took the life of President John F. Kennedy. A little over an hour later, a major tragedy ensued, as Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn...
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Blinded By Prejudice?
I’ve been reading about the passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Bill, which, in its original form, banned racial segregation in theaters, restaurants and hotels (though by the time it was passed, almost...
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A Pi-Day Treat
In 1706, the British astronomer John Machin calculated π to 100 digits (by hand of course). His trick was to notice that π = 16A – 4B where A and B are given by If you’re computing by hand, this is an...
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The Goldwater Standard
Fifty years ago this Labor Day weekend, the presidential campaign of 1964 got underway in earnest. It is often said that Barry Goldwater “lost the election but won the Republican party” or even “lost...
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The Rising Sea
Around 1970, Alexander Grothendieck, the greatest of all modern mathematicians and arguably the greatest mathematician of all time, announced — at the age of 42 — the official end of his research...
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Right Again
We already knew that Barry Goldwater was a man of vision, but who until now recognized the clarity with which he managed to foresee, fifty-three years in advance, the election results of April 26,...
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History Repeats Itself
In 1991, when David Duke, late of the Ku Klux Klan, ran for governor of Louisiana against the famously corrupt incumbent Edwin Edwards (who was subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison on a...
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Posted Without Comment
Campaign billboard, 1949: Click here to comment or read others’ comments.
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In Praise of Debbie Wasserman Schultz
In 2016, one of the country’s two major political parties was rocked by an insurgent demagogue who prospered by pandering to ignorance, xenophobia, blind hatred and outright stupidity. So was the other...
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Historical Perspective
Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest? –Henry II, 1170 Nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know. –Donald Trump, 2016 Click here to comment...
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A Momentous Week
The most exciting news of the past week had nothing to do with James Comey or Donald Trump. The University of Montpelier has released high-quality scans of about 18,000 pages of notes and scribbles by...
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The Times They Have A’Changed
Thoughts on what it takes to be a successful presidential candidate, circa 1980. From Joseph Kraft: The emergence of President Carter and Ronald Reagan as the nearly certain nominees of their parties...
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Worst Revolution Ever
I already knew this, but it’s nice to be reminded: Caitlin Flanagan is a national treasure. Click here to comment or read others’ comments.
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Some History Lessons
A bit of history: One day in the 16th century, a student at Oxford University was sitting in the woods reading a volume of Aristotle, when he was attacked by a wild boar. The student saved himself by...
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Specialized Markets
The death last week of the pathbreaking comic book artist Trina Robbins reminded me of an odd bit of history. Before she was a cartoonist, Robbins owned and operated a Lower East Side boutique called...
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