Today is the 61st anniversary of an event that changed forever the course of American history and the world as we knew it. As far as I know, no mention of it has been made on the news network we watch at our house. I'm talking about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963.
George Santayana (1863-1952) wrote that those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Winston Churchill (1874-1965) said something similar in a 1948 speech in the House of Commons, that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Unfortunately, it is all too true.
On July 13 earlier this year at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, presidential candidate (now president-elect) Donald J. Trump survived an assassination attempt by a 20-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was himself killed by a Secret Service sniper.
On June 28, 1914, what turned out to be World War I began when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were assassinated by a Serbian sniper in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Today, people are beginning to say that World War III is not far away.
The more things change, the more they remain the same. Somebody said that, too, in French as I recall.
It was reported recently that when someone googled "what happened on July 13, 2024?" the AI-generated response contained no mention of the incident in Butler, Pennsylvania.
If history is being ignored or (even worse) erased by the programmers of the algorithms behind AI (artificial intelligence), no one at all will remember history and we will be in (no pun intended) a world of hurt.
Österreich (Austria) played a part in the start of World War I. I sincerely hope that Ostrich-like thinking (uninformed citizens with our heads buried in the sand) does not play a part in the start of World War III.
Ever since I was old enough to notice people have talked about WW3 and it always terrified me. Now, I remember enough to realise that it may not happen. I hope all of our worst imaginings are wrong
ReplyDeleteI hope they are too, but war with a capital W seems more possible now than ever before, what with armed conflicts going on in several different parts of the world simultaneously. I know it is already Nov 23rd where you are, but through the magic of modern technology your comment says Nov. 22nd nonetheless! Thank you, kylie.
ReplyDeleteWith a lack of reliable news and commentary , we don't know where we're going. I'm surprised that you told us that Kennedy was shot on this date. I was in the Arctic so heard the news later.
ReplyDeleteI was in the IS Air Force, stationed at the underground command post at Strategic Air Command (SAC) Headquarters outside of Omaha, Nebraska. Those days are still vivid in my memory. Thank you for commenting, Red.
DeleteUS Air Force
DeleteHistory, the unvarnished truth, is all important. I find Europeans (not Brits) better informed about historical events.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that there are three kinds of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. I have always loved history but some folks don’t have a clue and couldn’t care less. Thank you, Janice.
DeleteThis is why we cannot change our school history books to ignore unflattering things about our country. We can recognize that we are not always correct but we are trying. It helps to know what needs to be fixed.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Truth is better than fiction. Transparency is better than whitewashing. Sometime, though, it takes the passage of time to put things into perspective, and we should not judge the past by present-day morals. Good comment. Thank you, Emma.
DeleteA salutary warning to us all. Those who said "History is bunk" were idiots. There is every chance that World War III could break out within months. Do you recall that song, "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" by Pete Seeger - most apposite for our times. And quite possibly what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13th was a miracle as The President Elect suffered no scarring whatsoever to the top of his right ear.
ReplyDeleteMay I be perhaps the first to wish you and Ellie - A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
You are definitely the first to wish Ellie and me A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS! in the year 2024 and we appreciate it very much. May your Christmas and the new year be filled with good things and, most of all, peace on earth. Thank you, Neil.
DeleteIt would appear to me that no politician has ever learned anything from history or at least been able to relate it to the time they live in and what might be the best course of action taking the history into consideration. Our politicians who study Philosophy also seem unable to put that to good use either. I find it extremely frustrating.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately politicians all too often are more likely to adhere to their party’s line or their own inclinations than the views of their constituents, the very people they are elected to represent. Thank you, Rachel.
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