“Let us Remember Those who Will not Come Back.”
Tag Archives: history
VE Day 75
In honour of the date, an article about the last Nazi message decoded by the British.
Also – this is in French – a tribute to a French Holocaust survivor who passed away on May 1st.
And I would like to redirect all of you, my dear readers, to my other site, where I post the war letters – and other memorabilia – of my uncle.
Israel at 72
Plus ca Change
As I have posted previously, we listen to a lot of Pepys in this house, especially on lengthy car rides (though it has been a while since one of those). A quote from the diaries seems a propos in 2020:
On hearing ill rumour that Londoners may soon be urged into their lodgings by Her Majesty’s men, I looked upon the street to see a gaggle of striplings making fair merry, and no doubt spreading the plague well about. Not a care had these rogues for the health of their elders!
Easter
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Please read my “Series of Unpleasant Experiences.”
Greece vs. Rome
So I posted earlier about how we like to listen to Pepys while we are in the car. But this Christmas, driving back to Toronto, we listened to Boris Johnson versus Mary Beard in a debate about which ancient society was better – Greece or Rome. It was informative, fun, funny and I like both debaters immensely. It certainly goes without saying that those who compare Boris Johnson to Donald Trump are mistaken. I cannot imagine Trump – or, for that matter, Justin Trudeau – being in Boris’ intellectual league.
JFK
Sad anniversary. Easy to see why this man so appealed to people; easy to see why, as my parents told me, not only were they crying on November 22nd, 1963, but they saw more people crying in the streets that day than there had been on VE Day.
Also, interesting piece about C.S. Lewis, who died — along with Aldous Huxley — on the same day as JFK.
Remembrance Day
A day late but always important to mark this date. Please see my other website and enjoy this song, “The D-Day Dodgers.” It is sung to the tune of “Lili Marlene” and refers to the dismissive attitude so many had toward the Allied Forces in Italy. With the “glamour” and headlines of June 6, 1944, they were overlooked, though their sacrifices were every bit as extraordinary, their battles as harsh, their courage as strong. (My uncle, in his letters, refers several times to his friend George Yente/s – or Lente/s – who was sending him letters from the front in Italy.)
How Canada has Changed
Today marks the 40th anniverary of the hostage taking at the American Embassy in Tehran. It got me to thinking about the day the hostages were released: I was in high school, and I think I was in some sort of choir practice because I seem to remember it was after regular school hours and an announcement came over the PA that the American hostages were on their way home. We cheered! The whole group of us kids cheered, as did our teachers.
I wonder what the reaction would be now, in a typical Canadian high school, to the same news. I don’t think there would be the same feeling of solidarity with the United States. It’s very sad, but anti-Americanism (which existed then but was nothing like what it is now) has absolutely permeated every aspect of Canadian life (note especially media and education). The narcissism of small differences takes centre stage.
It’s certainly true that back then Canada had helped save a group of American hostages, through the courage of Ken Taylor. So perhaps that is why we kids felt connected – but I think it was more. Regarding the U.S. with contempt has become our default position – always assuming that somehow they “deserve” it when bad things befall them, always assuming that we are superior and safe from the same threats. I had hoped that his attitude had reached peak stupidity after 9-11, but I suspect it is currently worse. One could argue that Donald Trump hasn’t helped, but I think the contempt runs deeper. It is bread and butter to us.
Oh, I know there are exceptions (I am one of them), but they are just that. It makes me tremendously sad that this sophomoric world view has become so deeply entrenched.