The Plain Truth

Some Quotes to think about

Sometimes, it's a good idea to listen to the words of the people we think we know. Today, we are giving our readers a few fine examples.

Ben Franklin:
"A Bible and a newspaper in every house,
              a good school in every district -
          all studied and appreciated as they merit -
are the principal support of virtue, morality, and civil liberty." 

Patrick Henry:
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great
nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on
religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason
peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and
freedom of worship here." 

Andrew Jackson:
"The Bible is the rock on which our Republic rests." 

James Madison:
"We have staked the whole future of American civilization,
         not upon the power of government, far from it.
We have staked the future ...upon the capacity of each and all of us
           to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves,
           according to the Ten Commandments of God." 

George Washington:
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity,
religion and morality are indispensable supports. It is impossible to
rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." 

Noah Webster:
"The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scripture ought to
form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries
and evil men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression,
slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the
precepts contained in the Bible." 

Daniel Webster:
"Our ancestors established their system
of government on morality and religious sentiment.
Moral habits, they believed, cannot safely be trusted
on any other foundation than religious principle,
not any government secure which is not supported by moral habits....
Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens."
and......
"If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible,
      our country will go on prospering." 

GOD
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The History of New Years

  In 46 B.C.E. the Roman emperor Julius Caesar first established January 1 as New Year’s day. Janus was the Roman god of doors and gates, and had two faces, one looking forward and one back.  Caesar felt that the month named after this god (“January”) would be the appropriate “door” to the year.  Caesar celebrated the first January 1 New Year by ordering the violent routing of revolutionary Jewish forces in the Galilee.  Eyewitnesses say blood flowed in the streets.  In later years, Roman pagans observed the New Year by engaging in drunken orgies—a ritual they believed constituted a personal re-enacting of the chaotic world that existed before the cosmos was ordered by the gods.

As Christianity spread, pagan holidays were either incorporated into the Christian calendar or abandoned altogether.  By the early medieval period most of Christian Europe regarded Annunciation Day (March 25) as the beginning of the year.  (According to Catholic tradition, Annunciation Day commemorates the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would be impregnated by G-d and conceive a son to be called Jesus.)

    After William the Conqueror (AKA “William the Bastard” and “William of Normandy”) became King of England on December 25, 1066, he decreed that the English return to the date established by the Roman pagans, January 1.  This move ensured that the commemoration of Jesus’ birthday (December 25) would align with William’s coronation, and the commemoration of Jesus’ circumcision (January 1) would start the new year - thus rooting the English and Christian calendars and his own Coronation).  William’s innovation was eventually rejected, and England rejoined the rest of the Christian world and returned to celebrating New Years Day on March 25.

    About five hundred years later, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII (AKA “Ugo Boncompagni”, 1502-1585) abandoned the traditional Julian calendar.  By the Julian reckoning, the solar year comprised 365.25 days, and the intercalation of a “leap day” every four years was intended to maintain correspondence between the calendar and the seasons.  Really, however there was a slight inaccuracy in the Julian measurement (the solar year is actually 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds = 365.2422 days).  This slight inaccuracy caused the Julian calendar to slip behind the seasons about one day per century.  Although this regression had amounted to 14 days by Pope Gregory’s time, he based his reform on restoration of the vernal equinox, then falling on March 11, to the date had 1,257 years earlier when Council of Nicaea was convened (March 21, 325 C.E.).  Pope Gregory made the correction by advancing the calendar 10 days.  The change was made the day after October 4, 1582, and that following day was established as October 15, 1582.  The Gregorian calendar differs from the Julian in three ways:  (1) No century year is a leap year unless it is exactly divisible by 400 (e.g., 1600, 2000, etc.); (2) Years divisible by 4000 are common (not leap) years; and (3) once again the New Year would begin with the date set by the early pagans, the first day of the month of Janus - January 1.

    On New Years Day 1577 Pope Gregory XIII decreed that all Roman Jews, under pain of death, must listen attentively to the compulsory Catholic conversion sermon given in Roman synagogues after Friday night services.  On New Years Day 1578 Gregory signed into law a tax forcing Jews to pay for the support of a “House of Conversion” to convert Jews to Christianity.  On New Years 1581 Gregory ordered his troops to confiscate all sacred literature from the Roman Jewish community.  Thousands of Jews were murdered in the campaign.

    Throughout the medieval and post-medieval periods, January 1 - supposedly the day on which Jesus’ circumcision initiated the reign of Christianity and the death of Judaism - was reserved for anti-Jewish activities: synagogue and book burnings, public tortures, and simple murder.

    The Israeli term for New Year’s night celebrations, “Sylvester,” was the name of the “Saint” and Roman Pope who reigned during the Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.).  The year before the Council of Nicaea convened, Sylvester convinced Constantine to prohibit Jews from living in Jerusalem.  At the Council of Nicaea, Sylvester arranged for the passage of a host of viciously anti-Semitic legislation.  All Catholic “Saints” are awarded a day on which Christians celebrate and pay tribute to that Saint’s memory.  December 31 is Saint Sylvester Day - hence celebrations on the night of December 31 are dedicated to Sylvester’s memory.

U.S. News and World Report December 23, 1996

Do You Know the Real History of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’?

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — You know Dasher and Dancer and the rest of the gang. But do you recall, the most “Perfect Christmas Crowd-Bringer” of all?

That’s how executives at Montgomery Ward originally described Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, who first appeared in a 1939 book written by one of the company’s advertising copywriter and given free to children as a way to drive traffic to the stores.

Peter Carini holds a first edition of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer", part of a special collection at Dartmouth College, on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 in Hanover, N.H. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Curious to know more about how Rudolph really went down in history? It’s all in the pages of a long-overlooked scrapbook compiled by the story’s author, Robert L. May, and housed at his alma mater, Dartmouth College.

May donated his hand-written first draft and illustrated mock-up to Dartmouth before his death at age 71 in 1976, and his family later added to what has become a large collection of Rudolph-related documents and merchandise, including a life-sized papier-mache reindeer that now stands among the stacks at the Rauner Special Collections Library.

But May‘s scrapbook about the book’s launch and success went unnoticed until last year, when Dartmouth archivist Peter Carini came across it while looking for something else.

“No one on staff currently knew we had it. I pulled it out and all the pieces started falling out. It was just a mess,” Carini said.

The scrapbook, which has since been restored and cataloged, includes May‘s list of possible names for his story’s title character – from Rodney and Rollo to Reginald and Romeo. There’s a map showing how many books went to each state and letters of praise from adults and children alike.    MORE>>>>>>>>

An American Christmas

What are some Christmas traditions in the U.S.?

There are so many Christmas traditions in the US! Where did they all come from? America is often called a “melting pot” and its Christmas traditions can be seen the same way! It is a country of immigrants from all over the world who each brought their culture’s unique traditions to the New World. Read on to find out how Americans came to celebrate with Santa Claus, stockings, trees, gifts and more!

 

Christmas history in America

 

Christmas history in America : see also Santa Claus in America

In the early 17^th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday. 

The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident.

After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America’s new constitution. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

Washington Irving reinvents Christmas

 

Evolution: 'The most foolish notion ever'?

Yes, a god was born on Dec. 25, but not Jesus

‘Keep Christ In Christmas’ Sign Stirs Controversy In South Jersey Town

PITMAN, N.J. (CBS) – Some residents of a South Jersey town are calling a Knights of Columbus banner that hangs over Broadway in Pitman, a sign of the season.

It reads “Keep Christ in Christmas.”

“I think it’s wonderful, Christ is Christmas,” said Maria Marandino of Vineland.

Some unnamed residents who live in Pitman and who believe the sign that hangs across Main Street violates the Constitution, contacted the Freedom from Religion Foundation in Wisconsin that promotes separation of church and state. The group’s consultant told Eyewitness News by phone that they’ve asked the town to remove the sign.     MORE PLUS VIDEO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

December 7th 1941 May we never forget the "A date which will live in INFAMY"

FDR Sppech to Congress December 8, 1941

Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941,  a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

LISTEN TO THE SPEECH

Thanksgiving Day: Pilgrims were a surprisingly worldly, tolerant lot

Leiden, The Netherlands - The first Pilgrims of the first American Thanksgiving in 1621 were unusually devout – even by Puritan standards. They crossed the ocean on a conviction that "the Lord has more truth and light yet to break forth out of his holy Word," as pastor John Robinson said before they sailed from the Netherlands.

Yet the Pilgrim band that braved the Mayflower and shared deer and turkey with native Americans were also some of the most cosmopolitan and tolerant among the Puritan groups willing to brave the wilds of a new world.

Before going to Plymouth, the Mayflower group lived 11 years in the Dutch city of Leiden. Those years of exile in Leiden, where the Pilgrims worked, worshipped, and debated – amid hefty clashes of civilizations and belief in Europe – profoundly influenced their sensibilities in ways that have not been widely recognized.

Should You Celebrate Thanksgiving Day?

By David C Pack

Thanksgiving Day, as celebrated in North America, is a time to gather with family and friends to give thanks for the many blessings enjoyed by these nations and their citizens. However, to many people, its meaning is lost. It has become simply another day for huge meals, dinner parties, get-togethers or reunions. What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

Turkey dinners, cranberries, candied yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and family gatherings—these are all commonly associated with most Americans’ and Canadians’ yearly celebration of giving thanks—Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving... It is a trubute to God!

First published Thanksgiving 2008

Most stories of Thanksgiving history start with the harvest celebration of the pilgrims and the indians that took place in the autumn of 1621. Although they did have a three-day feast in celebration of a good harvest, and the local indians did participate, this "first Thanksgiving" was not a holiday, simply a gathering. There is little evidence that this feast of thanks led directly to our modern Thanksgiving Day holiday. Thanksgiving can, however, be traced back to 1863 when Pres. Lincoln became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day. The holiday has been a fixture of late November ever since.

However, since most school children are taught that the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 with the pilgrims and indians, let us take a closer look at just what took place leading up to that event, and then what happened in the centuries afterward that finally gave us our modern Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church. They were NOT the Puritans that we read so much about. Puritans did not believe in separting themselves from society, as the Pilgrims did. They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company's interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.

Couple Married 72 Years Dies Holding Hands

Forward by Bob Barney: I only can wish this will be Tammy and my future.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- An Iowa couple who was married for 72 years died one hour apart last week in the hospital as they held hands.

Read more: http://www.kcci.com/news/29528191/detail.html#ixzz1bFPS9NRX

The History of Labor Day

The History of Labor Day
Like the Day Off? THANK THE UNION MOVEMENT!

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Labor Day Legislation

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

A Nationwide Holiday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

 

ALSO:   Why Is Labor Day in September and NOT May????

First published in The Plain Truth Sept 2008.......

JFK assassination rarities

'They Were Truly Idiots'

In a SPIEGEL interview, Mikhail Gorbachev, 80, discusses the last days of the Soviet Union, his failure to resolve problems with the Communist Party and the ensuing bloodshed he says still troubles him today. He also accuses Vladimir Putin of pulling the country "back into the past." more...

Revealed: sex hormone plan to feminise Hitler

And are they doing this to us today?????

Some tried bombs to neutralise the Führer, others tried bullets. All failed.

Oestrogen would pass through Hitler's food testers unnoticed, spies reasoned Photo: BRITISH PATHE

By Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent

7:04PM BST 14 Aug 2011

Now it has come to light that British spies looked at an even more audacious way of derailing the man behind the German war machine - by giving him female sex hormones.

Agents planned to smuggle doses of oestrogen into his food to make him less aggressive and more like his docile younger sister Paula, who worked as a secretary.

Spies working for the British were close enough to Hitler to have access to his food, said Professor Brian Ford, who discovered the plot.

He explained that oestrogen was chosen because it was tasteless and would have a slow and subtle effect, meaning it would pass Hitler's food testers unnoticed.

MORE>>>>

While Romans burn: Italian sunbathers sizzle on Sicily beach as Mount Etna erupts

Editor: We just never learn from history, do we??????

These Italian sunbathers seem to be making the most of their summer holidays

So determined are they to enjoy their time on the beach, they don't even turn their heads to the sight of Europe's largest volcano erupting behind them.

Or perhaps it's just volcano fatigue - after all, this is the sixth time Mt Etna has erupted in the last month.

Relaxing: These sunbathers on a beach in Sicily seems unbothered by the eruption of Mt Etna in the distance

 

Eruption: This is the sixth time that Etna has gone off in the last month

Spectacle: This group of tourists is transfixed by Etna's activity

But the spectacle clearly still has the ability to attract some, as these pictures show crowds of tourists watching the eruptions on the island of Sicily

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2025410/While-Romans-burn-Italian-sunbathers-sizzle-Sicily-beach-Mount-Etna-erupts.html#ixzz1UvJ2DgAw

Secret Papers Reveal Truth Behind Soviet Collapse

Communist hardliners staged a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev 20 years ago, and the Soviet Union collapsed soon afterwards. Previously unknown documents, which SPIEGEL has obtained, show just how desperate the last Soviet leader was as he fought to retain power -- and how he begged Germany for money to save his country.  By Christian Neef more...

American Minute for August 8th: Richard Nixon resigns Aug 8 1974

AUGUST 8, 1974, televised from the Oval Office, 37th President Richard Nixon said: "Good evening. This is the 37th time I have spoken to you from this office...To continue to fight...for my personal vindication would almost totally absorb the time and attention of both the President and the Congress...Therefore, I shall resign...If some of my judgments were wrong...they were made in what I believed...to be the best interest of the Nation." Nixon continued: "In the Middle East, 100 million people in the Arab countries, many of whom have considered us their enemy...now look on us as their friends. We must continue to build on that friendship so that...the cradle of civilization will not become its grave." Nixon continued speaking: "I have taken heart from what Theodore Roosevelt once said about the man in the arena, 'whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly...If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.'...In leaving...I do so with this prayer: May God's grace be with you in all the days ahead." Privately to his Cabinet, President Nixon said: "Mistakes, yes...for personal gain, never...I can only say to each...of you...we come from many faiths...but really the same God...You will be in our hearts and...in our prayers."

Show Endnotes

Hide Endnotes

Nixon, Richard Milhous. August 8, 1974, Thursday, address and private farewell to the members of his Cabinet, members of the White House Staff & friends. Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, August 12, 1974. The Annals of America, 20 vols. (Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1968, 1977), Vol. 20, pp. 25-27.

(Brought to you by AmericanMinute.com)

D.B. Cooper suspect was surveyor; brother worked for Boeing

The deceased man the FBI is investigating in the D.B. Cooper case was a surveyor whose training might have enabled him to scout locations to parachute from the skyjacked Boeing 727.

Lynn Doyle Cooper, who has been linked by his niece to the 1971 skyjacking, worked as an engineering surveyor, according to an Oregon death certificate.

His brother, Dewey Max Cooper, who also has been implicated by the niece in the skyjacking, once worked at Boeing, his former sister-in-law, Grace Hailey, said Thursday. He also is deceased, Hailey said.

Hailey, 67, who lives in Oklahoma, said she did not know precisely when Dewey Cooper worked at Boeing, but that it was roughly during the same period as the hijacking.

A person by that name worked briefly for Boeing in the late 1960s, a Boeing spokesman said Thursday, but no other information was available. It's not known if his job would have given him knowledge of the skyjacked airplane.

Hailey's daughter, Marla Cooper, in television interviews on Wednesday said she believes her two uncles were involved in the fabled skyjacking on Thanksgiving Eve 1971.

The FBI said earlier this week that it had been investigating a "promising lead" for more than a year and confirmed that Marla Cooper, who lives in Oklahoma City, had provided information. The bureau also said it was working with the family to obtain items from which fingerprints might be lifted to compare to partial prints obtained from the Boeing jet.

The skyjacker parachuted from the Northwest Orient Airlines plane with $200,000 in cash paid by the airline as ransom money. It remains the nation's only unsolved skyjacking.

"We did it"   Read More>>>>>>>>>

What We Don't Know about History Can Hurt Us

John Stossel 

"It ain't so much the things we don't know that get us into trouble. It's the things we know that just ain't so."

That famous line, attributed to many authors but apparently said by humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw (aka Josh Billings), applies to history as much as anything.

What liberates oppressed people? I was taught it's often American power. Just the threat of our military buildup defeated the Soviet Union, and our troops in the Middle East will create islands of freedom.

Unlikely, says historian Thaddeus Russell, author of "A Renegade History of the United States."

"As a matter of fact," Russell told me, "in general American military intervention has increased anti-Americanism and hardened repressive regimes. On the other hand, American popular culture -- what was often called the worst of our culture in many cases -- has actually done more for liberation and our national security than anything that the 82nd Airborne could do."

I told him that I thought that the Soviet Union collapsed because the Soviets spent so much trying to keep pace with Ronald Reagan's military buildup

On the contrary, Russell said, "it collapsed from within. ... People simply walked away from the ideology of communism. And that began especially when American popular culture -- jazz and rock and roll -- began infiltrating those countries after World War II."

I demanded evidence.

"American soldiers brought jazz during World War II to the eastern front. Soviet soldiers brought it back. Eastern European soldiers brought it and spread it across those countries. ... Stalin was hysterical about this."

The authorities were particularly concerned about young people performing and enjoying sensual music.

"Any regime at all depends on social order to maintain its power. Social order and sensuality, pleasures of the body, are often at odds. Stalin and his commissars understood that."

American authorities 30 years earlier also feared the sensuality of black music, said Russell, attacking it "as primitive jungle music that was bringing down American youth. Stalin and his commissars across Eastern Europe said exactly the same things with the same words later."

Then rock and roll came.

"That was even more threatening," Russell said. "By the 1980s, disco and rock were enormously popular throughout the communist world."

The communists realized they had to relax the rules or risk losing everything, but it was too late. One of the most amazing and significant spectacles was Bruce Springsteen's concert in East Germany in 1988, when a crowd of 160,000 people who lived behind the Iron Curtain sang "Born in the USA."

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Yosemite Nature Notes - Episode 15 - Moonbows

Mystery at Coral Castle

China 'steals' Alpine village from Austria in hope to transform outdated southern city

Maybe they do want everyone to move there...

China is building a replica Alpine village in a grimy industrial city.

It hopes the chalets in the southern city of Huizhou will be sought after by homesick Europeans.

The village will be a £5.7billion copy of Hallstatt in Austria, complete with artificial lake. Posing as tourists, the Chinese have been photographing every building there for three years.

Picturesque: The Lakeside village of Hallstatt in Austria is set to be copied to the industrial city of Huizhou in China

The plan was discovered when a Chinese guest at Hallstatt’s hotel left behind a bundle of blueprints.

China already has Chengdu British Town, modelled on Dorchester, and Thames Town, near Shanghai.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005390/China-steals-Alpine-village-Austria-hope-transform-outdated-southern-city.html#ixzz1Q8ik3qbC