Robert E. Lee 206

206 years ago today, Robert Edward Lee was born.

Versailles Starts

94 years ago today, the Versailles Peace Conference opened in France.

Pacific Overthrow

A dozen decades ago today, the Hawai'ian monarchy was overthrown.

Faber on Gold and the Future

Dr. Marc Faber gives his thoughts:

Happy Birthday, Archduke Karl

Today is the birthday of the Archduke Karl, head of the House of Habsburg. A deck of cards years ago today he was born to Archduke Otto and Archduchess Regina.

Happy Birthday, Your Imperial and Royal Highness!

Reading and Democracy

Foseti has some reading tips for 2013, in which we are also referred to an old review of Foseti's on Sydney George Fisher's The True History of the American Revolution.

Foseti quotes Mr. Fisher:

[I]f loyalists could come back from the grave, they would probably say that their fears and prophecies had been fulfilled in the most extraordinary manner; sometimes liberally; in most cases substantially. There is no question that the Revolution was followed by a great deal of bad government, political corruption, section strife, coarseness in manners, hostility to the arts and refinements of life, assassination, lynch law, and other things which horrified Englishmen.

Foseti also tipped about Alexander Boot's thoughts on democracy and totalitarianism a while ago – and further thoughts on democracy.

Mr. Boot starts off:

In most people’s minds, totalitarianism and democracy are antonyms. Yet the two can happily coexist not only on the same planet but also in the same country. To understand this, we should focus on the essence of totalitarianism, not its incidental manifestations, such as violence.

And this is a candidate for the one-liner of the year (2012):

The benefits of unchecked democracy are held to be self-evident, which is just as well for they would be impossible to prove either theoretically or empirically.

Mr. Boot also says:

[O]ne has to be a citizen to serve in the army, and a taxpayer to vote, but one neither has to have the vote nor to pay taxes to be a citizen. One-man-one-vote isn't a sine qua non for a society of citizens -- and neither is it the sole possible alternative to tyranny. The opposite belief made its historical entrance only in the 20th century, not coincidentally the most murderous period of history.

And he asks a poignant question:

Who, pray tell, will make the world safe from 'democracy' before a real catastrophe befalls?

Fiscal Cliff Madness

Senator Rand Paul is interviewed on the Fiscal Cliff Bill:

Ben Swann has something to say as well:

Radetzky Demise at 155

155 years ago today, Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz passed away.

Poll Results: What Is the Rightful Name of the Main Summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro?

The results for the poll, asking what is the rightful name of the main summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, ending at midnight between 2012 and 2013, are as follows:

Total votes: 19.

• Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze: 17 (89%)
• Uhuru Peak: 2 (10%)

A new poll will be up shortly.

Joy Adamson

33 years ago today, Joy Adamson was murdered. Joy Adamson was born Friederike Victoria Gessner in Silesia in Austria-Hungary on January 20, 1910. She was probably the first Austro-Hungarian I learnt of, learning of her story and her tragic demise as a young Kenyan resident. However, her Austro-Hungarian background was not part of it back then.

Happy New Year!

As we enter a new year, I wish all readers and occasional bypassers a Happy New Year.

Enjoy from Kaiserstadt Wien:

Italian Interregnum at 65

65 years ago today, the Republican Constitution of Italy came into force.