An amusing quote regarding peace and progress.

Except, of course, five hundred years ago, everybody *didn't* "know" the earth was flat (even in the 1450s).

But that's why I don't go to Hollywood for my history.

Yes, we know that most people knew the earth was round, pretty much since the invention of boats, but in some ways it makes the quote better.

What people know is based on either their experiences and observations or on hearsay. Today, we get so much of our information from hearsay and yet don't question it nearly enough. I don't know about today but at least when I was in school, seemingly educated teachers were still talking about "Columbus' revolutionary theory" that the Earth wasn't flat and their astonishment that medieval Europeans had somehow "forgotten" that the world was round.

So much of what people "know" today is just having faith that what they've been told is correct without any basis in experience.

See, *that's* why I don't discuss the War of the Rebellion with my Southron friends; no matter how many pro-slavery quotes of the time I trot out, to them it's all about States' Rights Then, States' Rights Now, States' Rights Forevah!

I think one of the big difficulties in that debate is that both sides are right. It was about slavery but also the southern states did have the legal right to secede.

I have heard some historians suggest that the issue might have been encouraged by England because they always preferred their former colonies to be fighting each other and not looking abroad. Not certain how much proof there might be of that but it certainly fits the empire's MO.

Ah, therein is the problem. Technically, they didn't *secede*; they *rebelled* by attacking Federal property. Had the various forts, arsenals, etc. been transferred peacefully, then it would have been a secession de jure and de facto, but, by firing on Sumter as they did, and, frankly, without sufficient justification (the incoming Administration hadn't done anything unconstitutional...yet *looks innocent*), they provided the perfect justification to unite what had been a previously exceptionally bitterly divided North.

Regarding Perfidious Albion, while it certainly is tempting to think the worst of them at this time, as their aristocracy was frankly pro-Southern (one group of oligarchs supporting another), their government, and their middle classes, recognized a few nasty facts: first, of course, is that Britain will always be an island, and Lord Palmerston, who'd been around during the last rumpus with the rude colonials, knew that the Union had no qualms about destroying the British merchant marine for a third time; second, and also paramount, was that while cotton was extremely important to the British export economy, America exported a crop starting in 1862 that Europe relied on (coincidentally) for the next three years, thanks to horrible weather and harvests-Midwestern wheat kept Europe, and especially Britain, from famine; third, while the British military may have wanted to try its luck against the Union, the government (and the Opposition) looked at a map and watched as the North (and, to a degree, the South) built militaries out of almost literally *nothing*, and decided that keeping Canada British was a wise choice.

What we'd *do* with Canada never seemed to enter anyone's mind...

I'll certainly concede your points since it is your area of specialty.

I think Canada would make an excellent hunting preserve. Annex the first 10 miles or so to the adjoining US States, the moose can have the rest. International licensing laws already (unofficially) consider Quebec as part of the EU, so not much would really change.

The Third Man is a real favorite of mine. Best use of zither music in a movie soundtrack ever.

I had never seen it. Growing up in a rural area without cable or a VCR kept me pretty unaware of 20th Century pop culture. And being an avid biblioholic meant that once I did have access to those in high school and college they were things I wasn't likely to come across unless I intentionally searched them out.

Yes Switzerland did also develop those long horn things they play on the mountains! ;)

“Wars usually have the effect of speeding up the process of history.” ~ Pieter Geyl

“You can't say civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way. “
~ Will Rogers

“A visitor from Mars could easily pick out the civilized nations. They have the best implements of war.”
~ Herbert V. Prochnow