Does History repeat itself?

[Uli]

I don't think so.

First, I am not sure it6 kew where to start with.
Second, it would take too damn long anyway.

[Brian Olewnick]

Uli's been intriguingly giddy lately.

[Chris D]

I said over and over and over again
This dance is gonna be a drag
I said over and over and over again
This dance is gonna be a drag
I said over and over and over again
This dance is gonna be a drag

[GoodSpeak]

If the return to militias, racial hatred and the repression of civil liberties during the 90s are any indication, yes.

[Brian Olewnick]

The 1790s?

[Gary Sisco]

History doesn't do anything.

It's people who repeat behaviors, by refusing to learn from what they or others had previously done (history).

We are all of us where we are because of all the decisions we've made along the way -- plus all of the decisions others have made along the way.

In a cosmic, fatalistic way a la Cormac, this presents us with a kind of perfect justice.

Marx was right when he said people make their own history but not under conditions of their own choosing; but the conditions they inherit, they inherit from other people, not from an abstraction fetishized into a capital-h History.

[walto]

It repeats on me, anyhow.

[bostontricky]

Wasn't there a similar thread to this one four or five years ago?

[Scott Dolan]

Hahahaha...........

Well, at least it wasn't yet another useless baseball thread that nobody else will post in.

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

If the return to militias, racial hatred and the repression of civil liberties during the 90s are any indication, yes.

you think that stuff ever went away?

[walto]

History is currently "repeating itself" in the thread on common misnomers, incorrect expressions, etc. I think that's the third thread I can remember on that.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

The 1790s?

No the 1590's



Hillbilly.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Dan G

you think that stuff ever went away?

Not entirely, but with that radical right wing anti-Clinton bullshit, it all came back and with a vengeance.


Oklahoma City is the result of that ignorance.

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

Not entirely, but with that radical right wing anti-Clinton bullshit, it all came back and with a vengeance.


Oklahoma City is the result of that ignorance.

Do you know that there is a world outside of the USA, or do you just not care?
As someone who doesn't live in the little bubble that pretends that the US is the most important place in the world, this answer makes no sense to me. What the fuck does the existence of Oklahoma City have to do with anything? Or is this some term the rest of the world is supposed to understand as some traumatic period in America, as in "9/11".

There's been far worse atrocities in many countries than ever happened/ever will happen in the USA, but for some reason few people with the ability to do anything about them seem to care.

ps. I'm very drunk, so ignore me.

[clinthopson]

History doesn't exactly repeat itself but it's more like a sequel to a movie. Similar plot with variations.

For example Viet Nam/Iraq or the Yankees' performance in the last three wild card series.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Dan G

Do you know that there is a world outside of the USA, or do you just not care?
As someone who doesn't live in the little bubble that pretends that the US is the most important place in the world, this answer makes no sense to me. What the fuck does the existence of Oklahoma City have to do with anything? Or is this some term the rest of the world is supposed to understand as some traumatic period in America, as in "9/11".

There's been far worse atrocities in many countries than ever happened/ever will happen in the USA, but for some reason few people with the ability to do anything about them seem to care.

ps. I'm very drunk, so ignore me.

Are you aware I live in America? What part of the World would I be most familiar with, eh?


If you want International examples then let's start with terrorism, communism, facism, attempted genocide and dictatorships. All of which are repeated and with frightening regularity in the World.


PS I'm very sober, but ignore me anyway....I make too much sense.

[jesus marion joseph]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

PS I'm very sober, but ignore me anyway....I make too much sense.

Goody, FTW!!

[GoodSpeak]

Um....thanks?


Pardon my ignorance, but what does FTW mean?

[julieswi]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

Um....thanks?


Pardon my ignorance, but what does FTW mean?

i was wondering this myself.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

If you want International examples then let's start with terrorism, communism, facism, attempted genocide and dictatorships. All of which are repeated and with frightening regularity in the World.

I'm curious...why do you capitalize International and World? I'd be delighted with an intelligent answer rather than a defensive response. But I sense history repeating itself.

[julieswi]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I'm curious...why do you capitalize International and World? I'd be delighted with an intelligent answer rather than a defensive response. But I sense history repeating itself.

I'M curious, how many people noticed that?

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I'm curious...why do you capitalize International and World? I'd be delighted with an intelligent answer rather than a defensive response. But I sense history repeating itself.

Out of respect.

You see Monte, my boy....we aren't the only Nation in the World. And I think it is high time we realize that our need for commerce isn't their need for existence.

The World doesn't need us to tell them how to live their lives anymore than they need to tell us to suddenly become European.

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

Are you aware I live in America? What part of the World would I be most familiar with, eh?


If you want International examples then let's start with terrorism, communism, facism, attempted genocide and dictatorships. All of which are repeated and with frightening regularity in the World.


PS I'm very sober, but ignore me anyway....I make too much sense.

Yes, I've very aware that you live in America. Doesn't mean you can't look outside of it - and the fact that so few Americans do is one of the bigger problems in the world right now.

You still haven't explained the Oklahoma City reference though.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Dan G

Yes, I've very aware that you live in America. Doesn't mean you can't look outside of it - and the fact that so few Americans do is one of the bigger problems in the world right now.

Who says I don't?

You made the assumption, Dan.

I am hyper aware of the World outside of America...I just have a closer view of where I live. Don't you?

Originally Posted by Dan G

You still haven't explained the Oklahoma City reference though.

Timothy McVeigh was a member of a racist militia hell bent for the destruction of America.

168 innocent men, women and young children died as a result of a bomb he set off. 850 more were injured.

History had repeated itself in the sense that vigilantism had returned...and in worse form than it had ever been before.

Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_McVey

[walto]

Capitalizing "world" and "international" has a nice Germanic feel to it.

[Gordon B]

Several posts here think Uli was referring to political history repeating itself but cagey guy that he is, Uli posted his poll in The Alley to clue us in that his intention was not political.

History more or less repeats itself but never in the same precise way. Why? Human beings through time are governed by the same psychology yet the random elements in nature keep history from every being precisely repeated.

[CatBenson]

I follow a pattern and find that I repeatedly repeat myself. With only slight stylistic changes in the pattern of repetition, my repeats always seem new to me.

It's the newness that doesn't repeat or perhaps my mind is being repetitive in forgetting what was old is now new.

8am, completely sober, same ol' pattern.

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

I am hyper aware of the World outside of America...I just have a closer view of where I live. Don't you?

Not really. I'm not that nationalistic, and prefer to look at the bigger picture.

Timothy McVeigh was a member of a racist militia hell bent for the destruction of America.

168 innocent men, women and young children died as a result of a bomb he set off. 850 more were injured.

History had repeated itself in the sense that vigilantism had returned...and in worse form than it had ever been before.

Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_McVey

Thanks for the explanation. I do remember that.

Given the international population of this group, it might be helpful if you just referred to things in terms that the rest of the world understands first mention. We don't all remember every event that happens in US based on a name it has been given. if you would have said 'the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City by Timothy McVeigh', I would have nown what you meant; simply saying Oklahoma City...could have been a million things for all I know

[clinthopson]

It's hard to imagine an outside world when you're in the San Joaquin Valley.

[Gary Sisco]

There's an outside world?