Tag Archives: history

Unhappy

Posted on August 23, 2022 by WorldWideWeber

The headline for a New York Times op-ed piece: “There is No Happy Ending to America’s Trump Problem.” Stop the presses! Fixing the biggest mistake in U.S. history will not be easy or painless! Who’d’a thunk? The task at hand … Continue reading →

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Hydrosonic

Posted on December 6, 2020 by WorldWideWeber

Months ago, Trump elicited guffaws in the non-Trumpist press and social media when he bragged about an amazing new “hydrosonic missile” purportedly under development. In the intervening time he has repeated the phrase—today, for instance: Note how he uses both … Continue reading →

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Subsolar

Posted on May 15, 2019 by WorldWideWeber

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 ) In an autobiographical fragment, Mark Twain … Continue reading →

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Hallowed

Posted on December 8, 2015 by WorldWideWeber

In a metropolitan area full of history and historical markers, two plaques in Arlington, Virginia—just across the river from Washington, DC—are easy to miss. They sit a block apart in the Rosslyn neighborhood, consisting of office buildings, high-rise apartments, and … Continue reading →

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Riddance

Posted on March 5, 2010 by WorldWideWeber

The sky was noticeably clearer this morning here in Washington, the air sweet-smelling and strangely endorphic. I was at a loss to explain why. Then I read the news: Turkey has recalled its ambassador. Seems a committee in the US House … Continue reading →

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Escalator

Posted on November 30, 2009 by WorldWideWeber

Exactly a month ago, while drawing up Obama’s first-quarter report card, I wrote: “Still to be scored is his approach to Afghanistan—he is currently deliberating, and the hope arises he will ditch the simpleminded bellicosity displayed in his campaign and … Continue reading →

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Detente

Posted on August 31, 2009 by WorldWideWeber

The news arrives today that Armenia and Turkey have decided to establish diplomatic relations. It is typical of this dysfunctional relationship that no date has been set for such relations to actually kick in, and none of the thorny issues … Continue reading →

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Chrysostom

Posted on May 18, 2009 by WorldWideWeber

We all knew, from the day he burst on the scene, that Barack Obama is a great talker. And great talk can sometimes accomplish a lot. But there’s a reason why we talk about “walking the walk.” And, for better … Continue reading →

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Pffffft

Posted on July 31, 2008 by WorldWideWeber

Today was a big day. I read about the world’s oldest joke and heard an old favorite, Haydn’s Symphony No. 93, on XM Radio. Okay, here’s the joke, recorded ca. 1900 BCE by a Sumerian who shall remain nameless: Something … Continue reading →

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Ottomania

Posted on October 29, 2007 by WorldWideWeber

I have been waiting for Christopher Hitchens to weigh in on the Armenian genocide resolution (H.Res. 106) for weeks now. I used to agree with Hitchens a lot more in the past—back in the days when he thought “terrorist” was … Continue reading →

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