Sweet former-home Chicago
What’s going on here? You’re watching Chicago get eaten by the rich and the poor. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Category Archives: History
How to Make a Third Party
The Czar is still surprised to see non-Democratic voters (not necessarily Republicans, per se) on social media calling for a third party. Many times has the Czar explained that third parties serve only one purpose: getting the other party elected … Continue reading →
Russia, Crimea, the Ukraine: Why the Mess is So Messy
The American media is doing a really poor job of covering the Ukraine crisis, and this is largely because they ignored its importance for so long that they are scrambling to catch everyone up, what with gays not getting timely … Continue reading →
Korea
A side-note from another topic prompted the Retired Spook to write this on a cinder block that was chucked through the window and hit Sleestak square in the chest, as if it had been precisely timed and aimed. Retired Spook … Continue reading →
Book Review: Miracles and Massacres
The Czar finished reading the Mandarin’s copy of Miracles and Massacres: True and Untold Stories of the Making of America. This is Glenn Beck’s latest work, and it has 304 pages that recount twelve different events in American history. Actually, … Continue reading →
Whither Benghazi?
So writes in Island Dweller: Your august majesty It’s still very early in the game for detailed analysis of the House Armed Services Committee information released yesterday, and I have not read the entire 450-page screed, rather only a synopsis … Continue reading →
History Didn’t Mellow; She’s Still A Cruel Mistress
CBS News took a look at their polling numbers for President Obama over the last 12 months and concluded things aren’t going well for him. It could be worse than even this. Of interest is their conclusion that three things … Continue reading →
History Teases, But Rarely Mocks
As we know, the Czar is out of rational explanations for what happened in 2012. Now over a year ago, we had an election that was locked certain for Republicans to win. The question wasn’t the Presidency—that was surely Romney’s—the … Continue reading →
Falling Down
Inevitably, future historians will write detailed biographies of President Barack Obama as they have done for all the presidents. God willing, President Obama will enjoy a long, happy retirement with his family and take the time to read some of … Continue reading →
Mr. Precedent
How can one begin to count up the number of times someone has said “This has been a bad week for President Obama.” This observation is not there to gloat—it is there to make us realize how bad a job … Continue reading →
More of our National Conversation
At the Leaping Peacock the other night, BG and the Czar were discussing the political affiliation of a white supremacist when Borepatch walked up and sat down. Borepatch nodded to BG, turned to the Czar, and said, “Nice post the … Continue reading →
Progressive Foreign Policy: “When Reality Intrudes”
It takes a few to make a patten. By our reckoning, Barack Obama is the fifth liberal progressive president, and like the other four, he has no coherent foreign policy outside of brute force. Here is our thinking: Woodrow Wilson … Continue reading →
G5 – Best of the Gormogons – The Czar of Muscovy
As we celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of this site going public (we used to do it in pencil, it was so long ago!), each of us has been asked to post our individual favorite essay or submission over the years. … Continue reading →
Ignorance of History and Hidden Racism
Typical mainstream media representative Cenk Uygur stepped in a pile of his own feces yesterday when he tweeted, evidently in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman—who evidently will not be truly not guilty until 2016—the following: Ok, I give … Continue reading →
Prime Time Tonight on the Presidential Network
6:00 Uh-Oh, Billy! Sitcom “Hilarr-ity” continues as Bill and Al try to sneak a girl out of the house while Hillary is home; Hillary, thinking Bill forgot their anniversary, is in no mood for explanations. So how did the girl … Continue reading →
Review: The End Is Near and It’s Going to Be Awesome
Today, it’s nothing less than a book review: The End Is Near and It’s Going to Be Awesome: How Going Broke Will Leave America Richer, Happier, and More Secure, by Kevin D. Williamson, landed in the Czar’s mailbox a couple … Continue reading →
History Teaches Us Nothing
Remember all the blame that was placed on Wall Street and the nefarious banks who preyed on people with low credit scores for the economic collapse that we have been struggling to overcome? Maybe some of you even remember the … Continue reading →
Devil in the Details
Some buzz is going on about this show The Bible. It appears to be based on a book by the same name, but the Czar could not locate the author’s name. Okay, so maybe there will be a second season … Continue reading →
Constant Campaigning
Quick—name a President who did better in his second term than his first. Right. Now name a President who did at least as well in his second term as his first. Tough, eh? Well, obviously Bush and Clinton were heavily … Continue reading →
How Will History View Obama?
Probably not well. History likes to divide presidential analysis into two camps, at least in the Czar’s experience. Sometimes history immediately dumps on the guy: Carter, Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan, for example, generally were excoriated while they were still sliding … Continue reading →
How the Illinois GOP Wounded All America
When experts reconstruct disasters, they continually highlight how a series of minor events can compound into a gigantic collapse later on. A safety switch is left off a day before an unusual cold snap occurs; an inspector calls in sick, … Continue reading →
More Union Fantasy Bullcrap
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is headed by Karen Lewis, who spends no time in classrooms. Of course, you likely think the Czar is criticizing her teaching experience; in fact, she appears to have spent little time in classrooms as … Continue reading →
The Future Is Now
The world-famous Nightfly transmitted the following to the Czar via Dream-o-Scope. Due to the length and content, the Czar elected not to use blockquotes, but instead is altering the font. Behold our power to change the very appearances of letters … Continue reading →
You Can’t Dam History
When you are born in 1267, as the Czar was, you see Europe a little differently. Europe, circa 2230. Modern Americans tend to see Europe as either a wonderful playground, imperfectly balanced between foolish efficiency and brilliant eccentricity, or as … Continue reading →
GOP Reform VII: Overpowering Narratives
Part Seven of Seven Click here for Part Six: Media Matters, Indeed The Obama re-election is not the catastrophe; it’s only the symptom. Conservatives are losing the cultural war, and there is no reason this can’t be reversed. And quickly, … Continue reading →
Sigh. More Gormogon History
Island Dweller writes in: Your immenseness: A carrier piegon from my esteemed associate currently in the Belly of the Beast has just landed bearing a message expressing wonderment at COMCENTCOM Allen’s prowess with a keyboard (and possibly another instrument). My … Continue reading →
Mystic Rhythms
So many things I think aboutWhen I look far awayThings I know, things I wonderThings I’d like to sayThe more we think we know aboutThe greater the unknownWe suspend our disbeliefAnd we are not alone… Apologies to Rush for the … Continue reading →
Debunking the “Trickle Down” Attacks
Thomas Sowell is a favorite of a number of the Gormogons and GorT came across this online interview with the columnist and author. He discusses his essay, “‘Trickle Down Theory’ and ‘Tax Cuts for the Rich’”. While I’d love to … Continue reading →
Smart Operatives Spot Smart Things
Dread Czar, Further to your discussion with Dr. J on opening ceremony nonsense, did you notice that when NBC showed banners from past Olympics, the two recent American games went down the memory hole? I noticed it in the TV … Continue reading →
The Villainous Visage of the Progressive Movement…
The Harry Potter series was largely an allegory of the early to mid-20th century European conflicts personified in World War I and II. In crude terms the Voldemort and the Death Eaters were Germany and Hogwarts and the Order of … Continue reading →
Nifty View of Time
As a time-traveling robot, this demonstration of what one can do with HTML5 is very impressive. Give it a whirl. There are some really, really tiny things on the timeline that you won’t know they are there until it zooms … Continue reading →
Oops, wrong First Assassin…
Dr. J. saw the following title (The First Assassin, Again) under The Corner in our Album Blogorum on the left side of our blog and naturally assumed that we ‘droned’ another Al Qaida operative today. When he clicked on it … Continue reading →
Remember Gorby? Do You Really?
Anne Applebaum has an article in this month’s Foreign Policy that looks at the weird world into which Mikhail Gorbachëv has descended. The Czar thinks that she just about has this 100% correct: that he has wound up as some … Continue reading →
NATO: Thank God We Fooled the Soviets
In April, 1949, the fear that the Soviet Union could completely engulf the war-ruined Europe was so great that twelve countries came together effectively to unite their militaries in the event the USSR continued marching West. Over time, many other … Continue reading →
Can’t Keep Abe Down
David Spriegel, student intern at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, found two notes amid some already reviewed documents that have now confirmed to be written by Lincoln himself. The first note, though succinct, clearly reflects the future 16th … Continue reading →
Palin Mail
And here come the letters about Sarah Palin! And first up is no less a celebrity than Borepatch hisself (whom you read every day like the Czar does, right?). Anyway, Borepatch says: It looks like she got it [the Paul … Continue reading →
Road Show
Friends and readers (often mutually exclusive), the Mandarin and the Czar will be taking our show on the road this week, starting this evening. We will be on the road for most of next week, and probably not posting up … Continue reading →
In the Middle of an Island
Scientists at the University of Oklahoma are investigating whether bone fragments found on a deserted South Pacific island might in fact be those of Amelia Earhart. Heck, why bother investigating? The press has already decided they are, and that ought … Continue reading →
В Сибирь!
The Big Guy from Listen To Uncle Jay writes in: “The peasants are revolting!” —Sir Rodney, The Wizard of Id, Parker & Hart O Cruel and Vicious Czar, By the Grace of God, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias, … Continue reading →
The “First President”
On November 22, 1783, John Hanson, died in his home state of Maryland. Who is John Hanson? Well, three of your Gormogons grew up and nominally call Maryland their home state so I found this tidbit to be of interest. Maryland is hardly … Continue reading →
Did Clay “Get It?”
John Boehner was addressing the new House members over the weekend, and decided to talk a little history. I mentioned Longworth earlier; another great Speaker was Henry Clay. Henry Clay did something noble: he left the Senate to join the … Continue reading →
Why the “nakba” narrative is the main impediment to Arab-Israeli peace
Nor will the facts about 1948 impress the European and American leftists who are part of the international Nakba coalition. The Nakba narrative of Zionism as a movement of white colonial oppressors victimizing innocent Palestinians is strengthened by radical modes … Continue reading →
Thanks for “America,” Herr Ringmann!
But Vespucci, it turns out, had no direct role in the naming of America. He probably died without ever having seen or heard the name. A closer look at how the name was coined and first put on a map, … Continue reading →
Howard Zinn: Conspiracy Theorist
In the face of such unrelenting grimness, A People’s History offers a certain consolation. “The American system is the most ingenious system of control in world history,” writes Zinn. It uses wealth to “turn those in the 99 percent against … Continue reading →
Anne Frank, On the Balcony
They say there’s pretty much everything out there on YouTube. Although, you probably won’t ever find actual video footage of Anne Frank. Oh…wait… Never mind. The Czar of MuscovyБожію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. … Continue reading →
60 Years of Blood and Terror
At first, the Czar thought he missed the sarcastic image of a middle finger or a dead body. But no, the dude is serious. Ranjit Goswami, of the Blogger News Network, writes an editorial titled “Saluting China”. In it, he … Continue reading →
Remember
Like almost anyone reading this, the Czar remembers exactly where he was eight years ago. The weirdly blue and open skies. The strangely hushed start to the morning. The people gathering by anything like a television. The Czar only glances … Continue reading →
Russian historiographical paranoia
“In August there will be such a yelling about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, saying that that was the step that led to the Second World War, and that Germany and the Soviet Union were two equal, disgusting, totalitarian monsters.” And your … Continue reading →
Thinkin Lincoln
As readers know, the Czar and his family spent part of this week in Springfield, Illinois, which serves as our state’s capital. While there, we took in the reknowned Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. This facility is simply incredible. … Continue reading →
Bonehead Diplomacy
How long does it usually take a Gormogon to find evidence that the Obama administration is run by (and like) a high school student organization? The Czar speaks for himself, here, but usually it is a matter of scanning the … Continue reading →
The Good Ol Days
Wow. The President has been busy, what with setting up Israel’s annihilation, appointing folks to decide how much pay CEOs of publicly-traded companies shall be limited to, driving home a wildly chaotic health care reform plan certain to destroy emergency … Continue reading →
Barry O in Dresden.
See?! See?! Listen to your Œcumenical Volgi! And, of course, apologies for the language. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →天安門事件
Confucius* says: The Czar is right. But so was Orwell, and the Ministry of Truth in Peking has been hard at work airbrushing the protestor from in front of those tanks. Glorious Parade of Armored Division of 27th Army PLA! … Continue reading →
Memorial Day
Friday before Memorial Day was special because it was the last three-day weekend of the school year, a last hurdle of fun that signified the final agonizing two weeks before summer vacation. The weather was postcard-perfect, with a yawning blue … Continue reading →
Dipping Into The Archive
The Czar and the Mandarin are both traveling today to the Western Edges of their respective empires, and regret they cannot post today. Until we return on Tuesday, please enjoy this classic Gomorgon post from November 22, 1898. As you … Continue reading →
GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!
Man, the headline here buries the lead on this one. In the forthcoming bombshell of a book by John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr and Alexander Vasseliev, Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB In America (Yale Univ. Press, 2009), … Continue reading →
Re: Việt Nam
The Czar would like to compliment and complement your Volgi’s superb post that clarifies some key points in your Czar’s concern about using buzzwords in lieu of warfighting. The Czar does not maintain that the war was unwinnable nor that … Continue reading →
Two Presidents
Are these guys are 180° apart? Or 360° apart? Sometimes two men can be so similar that their similarities can be unfathomable. The opposite, of course, is also true. The Czar is surprised, recently, by the odd similarities and contrasts … Continue reading →
The Essenes never existed?
So says an apparently sane scholar. It’s possible—history is a very tricky enterprise, and the further you go back, the less you have to go on. Of course, I guess it shouldn’t surprise me ever since Ghettoputer proved that the … Continue reading →