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Back in the day: 01/27

Adam LaMascus
The Commuter

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

This week in history…

Jan. 27, 1918: German support > Russian support…
Hostilities begin during the Finnish Civil War. The Soviet Union sends about 10,000 soldiers to support the nearly 90,000 communist (Red) Finns. Germany sends 13,000 soldiers, and Sweden sends 550, to support the 90,000 non-communist (White) Finns. Almost 39,000 Finns, Germans and Russians are killed. Unsurprisingly, the German-supported Whites trash the Russian-supported Reds. The trend is repeated nearly 20 years later in the Spanish Civil War. Clearly the Germans are just better at supporting civil wars.

Jan. 28, 1871: German military > French military…
France surrenders to the German Confederation, ending the Siege of Paris and the Franco-Prussian War. Germany begins a time-honored tradition of kicking the snot out of the French. This victory also helps unify Germany into a single nation instead of a squabbling confederation of 39 Kingdoms, Grand Duchies, Duchies, Principalities, and Free Cities.

Jan. 29, 1845: Nevermore…
Edgar Allan Poe publishes “The Raven” in the “New York Evening Mirror.” It is widely mocked and regarded as trash by Poe’s contemporaries. Ironically, today he is hugely famous and considered a great writer while his detractors are merely “Poe’s contemporaries.” They don’t even get their own names. Ha!

Jan. 30, 1933: Should’ve thought this one through a little more…
Adolf Hitler is sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. During this time the chancellor holds a position similar to that of the vice president here in the United States. I think it’s safe to say Hitler does a little more than his job entitles him to.

Jan. 31, 1606: “The only man to enter Parliament with honest intentions…”
Guy Fawkes is executed by hanging for attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the Gunpowder Plot. I have an urge to watch “V for Vendetta” now.

Feb. 1, 1978: Good movies, bad choices…
After being accused of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl, film director Roman Polanski skips bail and flees to France. Polanski is currently under house arrest in Switzerland awaiting a judgment to see if he will be extradited to the United States for criminal prosecution. I hope he is. Just because you are rich and talented doesn’t make it okay to rape little girls.

Feb. 2, 1848: With freedom and justice for all…
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo is signed, ending the Mexican-American War, in which the United States invaded Mexico under false pretenses and stole California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and parts of Wyoming. Ulysses S. Grant calls the conflict the “most unjust war ever fought” by the United States.

Thought for the Week:
“God has a special providence for fools, drunks, and the United States of America.” – Otto von Bismarck

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