If one can demonstrate that there was such a plan (to remove the President of Cypress), and that Kissinger knew about it in advance, then it follows logically and naturally that he was not ostensibly looking for a crisis – as he self-pityingly asks us to believe – but for a solution. The fact that [...]
Entries Tagged as 'History'
Means and Ends – “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” – Christopher Hitchens
January 18th, 2012 · No Comments · History, Human Rights, Means and Ends, Morality, Security Policy, War
Tags:Cause and Effect·Ends and Means·Guilt·Iraq War·Politics·power·responsibility
Through a Trapdoor at the end of a rope – “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” – Christopher Hitchens
January 17th, 2012 · No Comments · History, Human Rights, Morality, Philosophy, Security Policy, WW2
Some statements are too blunt for everyday, consensual discourse. In national ‘debate’, it is the smoother pebbles that are customarily gathered from the stream, and used as projectiles. They leave less of a scar, even when they hit. Occasionally, however, a single hard-edged remark will inflict a deep and jagged wound, a gash so ugly [...]
Tags:Human Rights·International Law·Political debate·political discourse·Politics·Vietnam·war crimes·WW2
International Law – “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” – Christopher Hitchens
January 17th, 2012 · No Comments · History, Human Rights, Policy, Politics, Power, Security Policy, War
Many if not most of Kissinger’s partners in crime are now in jail, or are awaiting trial, or have been otherwise punished or discredited. His own lonely impunity is rank; it smells to heaven. If it is allowed to persist then we shall shamefully vindicate the ancient philosopher Anarchasis, who maintained that laws were like [...]
Tags:Human Rights·International Law·International Relations·war crimes
So Why Didn’t an Australian Kill Hitler? – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 16th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, Australian, History, War, WW1, WW2
The Luftwaffe bombed (Fromelles) on 27 May 1940, destroying some buildings when British ammunition trucks parked there were hit and exploded. The following day the Germans occupied the town once again. Then things went along uneventfully until 25 June, when France surrendered to the Germans. That very day, Chancellor Adolf Hitler, the former humble lance-corporal [...]
Tags:Anzac·Australian History·History·WW1·WW2
Don’t Forget me Cobber – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 16th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, Australian, History, War, WW1
Bean highlights the work of one of the rescuers, 40 year old Victorian farmer, Sergeant Simon Fraser of the 57th Battalion, and quotes from a letter Fraser later wrote him: “It was no light work getting in with a heavy weight on you back, especially if he had a broken leg or arm and no [...]
Groaning Wounded – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 16th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, History, Humanism, Philosophy, War, WW1
The reality was that, from midnight on the day of the battle, the flow of casualties had swamped the capacity of the medical staff and the stretcher-bearers and the front-line trenches were chock full of the wounded and dying… While the front lines were a confusion of wounded and dying, many more still lay exposed [...]
5533 Casualties – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 15th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, History, War, WW1
On the afternoon of 20 July, the battalions which had attacked the previous evening gathered near their divisional headquarters and their losses were chillingly clear. Each of the three Australian brigades lost more than 1700 men, either killed, wounded, missing or captured. In one terrifying night the Australians suffered a total of 5533 casualties – [...]
No Man’s Land – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 15th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, History, War, WW1
In one remarkable attempt to reach safety, a group of eleven men of the 8th Brigade, under the leadership of Captain Frank Krinks, decided to make a run for it as a group, vowing to stay and help any of their number who found trouble. Having decided to leave their weapons and rely on a [...]
We Prefer to be Killed by Germans – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 15th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, History, War, WW1
When they realised they were being shelled by their own guns, the Diggers reacted sharply, as Hugh Knyvett recalled: ‘Our first message… was very polite ‘ we preferred to be killed by the Germans, thank you’… two of our officers being killed, our next message was worded very differently, and we told them that ‘if [...]
Lumumba – “The Origins of AIDS” - Jacques Pepin
January 14th, 2012 · No Comments · Africa, Colonialism, Congo, Democracy, History, Policy, Politics
In September 1960, Lumumba was dismissed by Kasavubu, and in turn Lumumba dismissed Kasavubu. The constitution did not allow for either of these moves. After a few days of confusion, Lumumba was definitively overthrown in a bloodless military coup led by the very person he had just appointed head of the army, colonel Mobutu. Lumumba’s [...]
