Grimly Optimistic Historian

Is this the Reichstag moment they’ve been waiting for?

Or window.

You're probably right. But that was the first thing I thought of when I saw his comment--really? Shakespeare? From him?

You are probably right.

As if 2025 didn't have enough weird stuff already.

That's a good description of the September Massacres. Lots of great characters in the French Revolution. Danton, of course, did get a Gerard Depardieu movie.

One final thought. Marie Antoinette was genuinely reactionary, and tried to destroy the revolution, but she was vilified in public for made up stories (mostly about sex or opulent consumption) about her that weren't true. Oddly, she also was unfairly demonized in the court society she upheld.

And the Dauphin, well, that was based partly on the anger against the aristocracy/monarchy that drove the whole revolution, and partly on a fear that he would be a rallying point for anti-revolutionaries. His imprisonment after his parents died was needlessly cruel, but seemed necessary at the time.

A certain segment of American culture reveres her, I think, in a sort of Kardashian way--wealth and fashion, why did they kill her for that?--while a segment of the French Right still seriously reveres monarchy, and is nostalgic for it.

Short answer, but here goes. 1) Robespierre, Marat, etc. are not forgotten, but they lost. The moderates won, and then backed Napoleon to end the Revolution. Moderates are embarrassed by the violence of the Jacobins. 2) Marie Antoinette's cult is a weird fusion of several things. (cont.)

Twentieth century France, particularly the intersections of political ideology (communism, fascism) and gender. However, I taught for a long time at a small college with just two historians, so I taught everything from World history to the Middle East to environmental history. Roman history is cool.

It's costing us our democracy. That's what it's costing us.

Trump called bankers Shylocks, today. The antisemitism doesn't surprise me at all, coming from him. The Shakespeare reference though? Didn't see that coming.

The Big Beautiful Bill passed, so I think I'll go down to my local, rural hospital, and raise a glass. I'm going to miss it. Especially when I have a heart attack.

Nice pinned post. I'll follow back.

I was thinking of the orange one.

No robot could do better for Vlad.

Probably right.

I had a joke about Theseus’ ship, but it came out of my mouth all different.

I'm beginning to think the Democratic leadership is trying to be the Washington Generals to the Republican Harlem Globetrotters . . . wait a minute. They're ALL the Washington Generals.

I love how your use of "the 405" rather than "I-405" or just "405" signals that you are, in fact, a So. Cal. resident. And I totally agree with you on turn signals. Of course, I never used mine when I lived out there, either, so who am I to talk?

Thanks for including me! I appreciate it.

I am a dinosaur!

Hacked voting machines?

Not a joke.

In the 1930s, Spanish fascists used the motto "Viva la Muerte!"

Today I learned that robots can get aggressive prostate cancer after leaving office.

I am definitely NOT saying Trump was replaced by a Russian robot in 2016. . . . but damn, think about that.

Every day.

Thanks for mentioning me! I appreciate it.