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Living with the Past

Jan 02 2007 3:33pm

It always amazes me how much we are all affected, daily, by the First World War.
I truly believe that historians of the future will view the years between 1914 and 2014 as the playing out of the changes wrought by that conflict that until World War Two was simply known as â€œThe Great Warâ€.
Think about it. Everything going on in the Middle East today, from Israel to Iraq, from Saudi Arabia to Central Asia is a result of the breakup of the Ottoman Empire at the end of that conflict.
The Cold War with the Soviet Union, the Second World War, The U.S.. superpower status and a thousand other things are the results of that conflict that some historians consider the event that triggers the decline of the West.
As I read of Saddam Hussein's execution this week it occurred to me, once again, that this is just the playing out in the history of that artificial state called â€œIraqâ€ that was created out of the corpse of a centuries-old empire destroyed in the greatest and most grotesque war man had ever known.
And the shaking out of the Ottoman Empire continues...
And I've decided, much against my nature, to bother people who volunteer to be bothered with a monthly email reminder to vote for us on Podcast Alley. I find it difficult to be a self-promoter...but every time I have said something, everyone has always been so helpful. So, if you want to receive a reminder from us each month about voting, drop me at email at dan@dancarlin.com and we will add you to our list.
Thanks again everyone.

Getting used to begging

Dec 19 2006 4:50pm

Just a quick thank you to all who have voted for us (so far) on Podcast Alley. It definitely has made a difference in their ranking of both our show(s). I guess I also owe a debt of thanks to that fellow who suggested I ask for the support of the audience in helping to raise our profile on Podcast Alley...because it has sure worked.
N ow I guess I just have to ask for everyone's support, every month, huh? Once you start this begging thing (whether it's for cash or votes) it sure can become an addiction. And you know...it gets easier the more I do it.
Leave us a comment on iTunes too. See, wow, that last comment hardly even seemed like begging.
Yup...this is getting easier all the time..
Thanks again everyone.

A few announcements

Dec 12 2006 11:57am

A couple of announcements...
First of all, the "Second season of Common Sense" shows #45-58 is now available to buy just as the first season has been. The cost is $15 (that includes the shipping and handling).
Also, Ben has started a contest with a prize for those who do the most in a given time frame to help us promote the Common Sense or Hardcore History shows. Just go to the "off-topic area" of the community discussion board if you want to help us grow the show by writing a review or voting for us.
We appreciate all the help you all have provided already...

Seeping Into Iran

Dec 05 2006 2:21pm

My prediction: The Internet will be to Iran what the Trojan Horse was to Troy.
By providing a link between the West and the Iranian population the Internet is becoming the most likely way Iran could become the latest loser in the war against American culture. Welcome to our secret weapon Mr. Ahmadinejad.
The door between the Iranian people and the West is already open a crack because of the Net (Iranian internet crackdown) and American culture is beginning to seep back into the country that was called Persia once upon a time.
In fact, by exposing a cloistered people to the "charms of the West" the Internet may be the agent for transformative change in the Middle East that the war in Iraq was supposed to be. After all...how do you keep 'em down on the farm once they get a taste of blue jeans, Gansta Rap, Dancing with the Stars and porn?

"Loose Lips Sink Ships"

Nov 28 2006 3:04pm

Now that Newt Gingrich (one of the more open an honest of those favoring a more civilization-wide effort in the War on Terror) admits that those who see the battle against terrorism as World War Three (or four...) think Free Speech rights may have to be trimmed, we are left wondering if the cure is worse than the disease.
Gingrich comments
Gingrich says he is worried the U.S. could "lose a city", and believes we will have a catastrophe of that magnitude during the duration of this conflict. One has to ask though, if any constitutional freedoms are sacrosanct in this war against a relatively small number of people, with no definitive end point and no way to measure progress.
If Osama and company manage to turn the U.S. into a shadow of its former self (in terms of being a free society) then who really wins the War on Terror regardless of the facts on the ground? If Osama and our traditional constitutional freedoms both go the way of the Dodo...who won the war?

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