The battle of Castle Itter
Here’s quite a story—a description of one of the very last battles at the close of WWII, one in which the Wehrmacht and the Allies fought together against the Waffen-SS.
Continue reading →Category Archives: History
More on forgiveness: the trial of Oskar Groening
In line with our recent discussions on forgiveness, what it means and how and when it should be given, I came across this story today: A former SS officer known as the “bookkeeper of Auschwitz” and a woman who survived … Continue reading →
More from Victor Klemperer
Here are some more quotes from Victor Klemperer’s journal I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years 1933-1941: March 20, 1938: The last few weeks have been the most wretched of our life so far. The immense act … Continue reading →
The Confederate flag ruckus
As a specific controversy, the Confederate flag ruckus doesn’t much interest me, so I haven’t written about it although it seems to be the story du jour. I’m not Southern, and I have absolutely no attachment to the Confederate flag. … Continue reading →
A sliver of time
Here’s an excellent post by Bookworm. Time’s a wasting.
Continue reading →On the subject of the fast-track trade bill…
… otherwise known as Obamatrade, I trust Jeff Sessions far more than I would trust Ryan. Sessions claims: If, as promoters amazingly suggest, the President had more powers without fast-track, he would veto it. The authority granted in “Trade Promotion … Continue reading →
RIP Vincent Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor who gained fame with the Tate murder prosecutions of Manson and his gang, and who wrote an excellent book on the subject, has died at the age of 80. The obituary mentions many books that Bugliosi … Continue reading →
D-Day: 71 years
[NOTE: The following is a repeat of a post from the 65th anniversary of D-day. I have added a small amount of new commentary to update.] Today is the 71th anniversary of D-Day, the Normandy landings in WWII. Here’s a … Continue reading →
Student power and its origins
I thought I’d highlight this observation by commenter “Caedmon” in the “Free speech on campus” thread: I wonder how much influence high tuition fees have on this?… When the high costs of tuition fees in the US are discussed the … Continue reading →
Bearing witness to the Reich
I have continued to read Victor Klemperer’s two-volume diary I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years (I’ve written about the book before, here and here). Klemperer was in an unusual position in Germany. Although born a Jew, … Continue reading →
A child but not a child
Here’s a stirring story of another courageous rescuer during World War II and the Holocaust: In an emotional ceremony on Tuesday, the Holocaust memorial Rabbi Lau now chairs posthumously granted Feodor Mikhailichenko Israel’s highest honor for non-Jews. “This closes a … Continue reading →
Sharansky asks: when did America forget it was America?
I’m not sure whether the question is rhetorical or not: The Obama administration apparently believes that only after a nuclear agreement is signed can the free world expect Iran to stop its attempts at regional domination, improve its human rights … Continue reading →