Thursday 29 September 2005

Historical fashion

My wife and I are attending the first session of this course tonight.

I was wondering if we should wear T-shirts carrying this message.

2 comments:

David Farrer said...

Comments made on previous template:

Sandy P
Well, they got that right, states' rights first. 
 
Make sure you learn about the battle off of the Calais area, IIRC. 
 
Maybe Walt Whitman's observation which is in Instapundit's archives: 
 
Meanwhile, with the Civil War in mind, reader Gregory Birrer points out that Europe never changes:  
I have been reading a little book I picked up while in Gettysburg recently, entitled, "Memoranda During The War" by Walt Whitman. It is a compilation of his notes from about 3 years worth of visits to War hospitals in and around Washington D.C. from 1862 - 1865. Toward the end he inserts some interesting political commentary (mixed in with a variety of topics) that sounds as if it could have been written today. Here's the piece: 
Attitude of Foreign Governments toward the U.S. during the War of 1861-'65 -.... 
 
11/18/03 posting.

3 October 2005, 05:38:26 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer
The two lecturers sounded Glaswegian and looked like your typical leftist academics - one had a beard and the other an earring. How long before the “BushHitler” routine, I thought. On hearing my wife’s American accent the bearded one said: “If you support the North you can go home now!” He was joking of course, but the two of them were definitely leaning towards support for the Confederacy. Yes, it was partly about slavery, we were told, but mainly about States’ rights. If Scotland chose to secede from the UK and the British army (or rather an “English” one as we would see it) intervened, how would we feel? The lecturer said that we wouldn’t describe the subsequent events as a “Civil War” but as a “War of Southern Aggression”. I’ll report more as the course goes on.

1 October 2005, 15:34:35 GMT+01:00
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Wild Pegasus
Is "affects" spelled "effects" in Scotland? 
 
"To affect" and "to effect" are both verbs. "To affect" means "to influence"; "to effect" means "to bring about". 
 
The line in question is: 
 
How technology effects battles and tactics 
 
This could mean either "How technology influences battles and tactics" or "How technology brings battles and tactics to pass". My guess is that the first of the two meanings is meant, and the use "effects" is just a typo. 
 
- Josh

1 October 2005, 00:28:57 GMT+01:00
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Robert Speirs
Is "affects" spelled "effects" in Scotland? Or is that just at the University of Edinburgh? And just what is a "learning outcome"? I fear the virus of abysmal postmodern ignorance has claimed another bit of academe as a victim. Will this course on the Civil War examine the constitutionality of secession? Nobody seems interested in that question, but it is central to justifying hundreds of thousands of deaths.

30 September 2005, 17:22:11 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer said...



Arthur
MacPherson's book is good - I hope you object if the lecturer doesn't refer to either the War between the States, or the War of Northern Agression.

30 September 2005, 16:34:17 GMT+01:00
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Phil
Sound like an interesting course. The US Civil War is a fascinating subject I know very little about. Bought a still unread copy of Mark Thornton and Robert B. Ekelund's 'Tarrifs, Blockades, and Inflation: The Economics of the Civil War' this spring.  
 
Keep us posted on the progress of the course. It may motivate me to give the book a stab. If possible, link to the course's web sources. Enjoy.

30 September 2005, 15:31:19 GMT+01:00
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Emily
You know, it's always slightly embarrassing for me when a foreigner takes more initiative to learn about my country's history than I have myself.  
 
I hope you guys enjoy it and that you post about how it's going.

29 September 2005, 18:11:59 GMT+01:00
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PJ
Re: T-shirts, Too Funny!  
Keep us posted on the class, please. It could be very interesting or it could turn out to be another platform for america bashing.

29 September 2005, 11:28:56 GMT+01:00
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