I’m sitting on the ground weeding and listening to this latest ep. I just had to pause everything to say OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE MATT’S NEVER WATCHED THE KEN BURNS BASEBALL SERIES. That’s all. As you were.
Was an interesting Intertubes worm hole I fell into one night. Feist had played SNL around the time Apple was using one of her songs to sell a product….iPod Nano, maybe? But the music video for the song was kind of a takeoff from when she’d been an opening ceremony dancer in 1988.
But the stuff in Sarajevo was insane. I remember listening to BBC reports, along with whatever was on AFRTS. Video was kinda whatever day-old stuff was on AFN, or trying to pick through what was on German broadcast TV with my very-limited language.
(My dad was stationed in Bremerhaven. There’s not a ton up there. Maybe it’s gotten better.)
Jesco White is yet living, and sure has had a crazy life. And can really dance. But I hate it that his notoriety has almost completely erased the memory of his father D. Ray White, the greatest traditional Appalachian dancer this geezer is old enough to have seen in action. Hopefully the Smithsonian documentary featuring D. Ray is still available. His untimely murder, by shotgun, while trying to protect Jesco and one of his brothers, took him from us while still in his prime. An American tragedy.
I was gonna say to put some respect on Tom Friedmans name only for the article from Time called the United States of Texas which transformed my view of the state as a young person but then I looked it back up and realized it was Tyler Cowen. Carey on.
Francois Mitterrand agreed with Thatcher on German reunification. I love her quote- it was something to the effect of “I love Germany! I want 2 of them!” It is not hard to understand why people of their age would not be thrilled with an enlarged Germany. My grandmother had less than charitable views about the Japanese (and the British, but that’s a different story). Post war German rearmament was controversial, and only possible politically in France and the UK because the presence of US troops ensured the Germans couldn’t fall back on their old ways. The British and French had been unwilling to agree to work together to enforce the terms of the treaty of Versailles. While the treaty has a bad reputation, had there been vigorous enforcement, Germany simply could not have threatened the peace of Europe. France regularly wanted to enforce terms by intervening when Germany broke terms flagrantly, but wouldn’t do so without British support, for whom that was the last thing they wanted to do.
Obviously Munich was a terrible agreement, and it will forever stain Chamberlain’s legacy, but I think it’s fair to discuss what other options the UK and France had in 1938.
The British army in Europe was a small, well trained, professional force. There was also the British Indian Army, but that was a bit far away. The British simply did not have a sufficiently large army that it could deploy on the continent. The largest force on the continent was the French, but given its woeful performance in 1940, it’s a fair question if they would have been up to the job had they mobilized. Even after the invasion of Poland, there was the phony war. Britain and France declared war, but there were no significant engagements for months. The British had started rearming, but even when war official broke out in 1939, they were still woefully unprepared (and lost much of their limited equipment at Dunkirk in 1940).
Given how recent the memory of the Great War was, it’s not hard to understand why the British and French governments wanted to avoid war. While Chamberlain did not serve (he was already middle aged during the war), he had been in government, and parliament and the cabinet was made up of veterans, and men who had lost sons, friends, and relatives. The death toll of that war was staggering.
Nor did most European powers have moral issues with dividing territory without the input of the residents - the only difference in this case was that Czechoslovakia was in Europe. Without the benefit of hindsight, I can absolutely understand why Chamberlain and Daladier made the decisions they did, and I don’t think many can say they absolutely wouldn’t have made the same decision.
With Yalta, I honestly don’t see how that could have worked out differently. The Soviets weren’t about to give up their hard won satellite states for a principle they did not hold. While Churchill did have a plan-Operation Unthinkable-drawn up, I don’t see what the US and UK could have done. FDR absolutely misjudged Stalin, but Churchill did not - he knew what he was. While he was a liberal (in the classic British sense), and did want self-determination for Poland, what could he do? Not to mention, there was still the Pacific War.
Shocked that the notion that the AP being politically bent is a notable topic. Have you read the AP reporting on Israel? Propaganda central. Sure before the internet, the AP and Reuters were defaulted to as likely reliable sources of fact but the last decade has been a decent into headline grabing, spew whatever for clicks.
Moynihan mentioned on the podcast release today that Katarina Witt was a collaborator with the Stasi. I thought the Stasi had files on her and had been monitoring her from the time she was a child. I haven’t seen anything where she actually collaborated with them. Can you clarify the statement that you made about her please?
lol, it was fine until they got to the age where I worry they’ll start repeating the language they hear on the podcast. I’m definitely not ready to explain to daycare or family how they might have picked up those words
If you’re going to show good old movies to your kids, you have to hit them before you give them their first phone and their attention span turns to mush. I did 2001 a Space Odyssey, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Alien with my ten year old this year and she stayed attuned the entire time, really enjoying them.
I’m sitting on the ground weeding and listening to this latest ep. I just had to pause everything to say OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE MATT’S NEVER WATCHED THE KEN BURNS BASEBALL SERIES. That’s all. As you were.
The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia on Amazon prime. It’s the wildest documentary on his family. Definitely worth watching while drinking.
I thought you were describing this episode
Then listen to “D. Ray White” by Hank III. Jesco is on at least one track of the album Straight to Hell.
When you were booing Ken Burns, were you yelling “Boo-urns”?
"I was yelling Boo-urns."
And Sarajevo was 84. 88 was Soviet Canuckistan…..Calgary
Was an interesting Intertubes worm hole I fell into one night. Feist had played SNL around the time Apple was using one of her songs to sell a product….iPod Nano, maybe? But the music video for the song was kind of a takeoff from when she’d been an opening ceremony dancer in 1988.
But the stuff in Sarajevo was insane. I remember listening to BBC reports, along with whatever was on AFRTS. Video was kinda whatever day-old stuff was on AFN, or trying to pick through what was on German broadcast TV with my very-limited language.
(My dad was stationed in Bremerhaven. There’s not a ton up there. Maybe it’s gotten better.)
I agree with Welch about the importance of Baz Luhrmann's hierarchy of needs
Jesco White is yet living, and sure has had a crazy life. And can really dance. But I hate it that his notoriety has almost completely erased the memory of his father D. Ray White, the greatest traditional Appalachian dancer this geezer is old enough to have seen in action. Hopefully the Smithsonian documentary featuring D. Ray is still available. His untimely murder, by shotgun, while trying to protect Jesco and one of his brothers, took him from us while still in his prime. An American tragedy.
Just finished Second Sunday and we get this? What did I do to deserve such a treat? Is it my birthday or something?
I’m committing heresy and listening to this before the second Sunday rebroadcast. I’m living on the edge.
You both say the Winter Olympics took place in Sarajevo in 1988, when actually it was the 84 games that were there.
I was gonna say to put some respect on Tom Friedmans name only for the article from Time called the United States of Texas which transformed my view of the state as a young person but then I looked it back up and realized it was Tyler Cowen. Carey on.
Francois Mitterrand agreed with Thatcher on German reunification. I love her quote- it was something to the effect of “I love Germany! I want 2 of them!” It is not hard to understand why people of their age would not be thrilled with an enlarged Germany. My grandmother had less than charitable views about the Japanese (and the British, but that’s a different story). Post war German rearmament was controversial, and only possible politically in France and the UK because the presence of US troops ensured the Germans couldn’t fall back on their old ways. The British and French had been unwilling to agree to work together to enforce the terms of the treaty of Versailles. While the treaty has a bad reputation, had there been vigorous enforcement, Germany simply could not have threatened the peace of Europe. France regularly wanted to enforce terms by intervening when Germany broke terms flagrantly, but wouldn’t do so without British support, for whom that was the last thing they wanted to do.
Obviously Munich was a terrible agreement, and it will forever stain Chamberlain’s legacy, but I think it’s fair to discuss what other options the UK and France had in 1938.
The British army in Europe was a small, well trained, professional force. There was also the British Indian Army, but that was a bit far away. The British simply did not have a sufficiently large army that it could deploy on the continent. The largest force on the continent was the French, but given its woeful performance in 1940, it’s a fair question if they would have been up to the job had they mobilized. Even after the invasion of Poland, there was the phony war. Britain and France declared war, but there were no significant engagements for months. The British had started rearming, but even when war official broke out in 1939, they were still woefully unprepared (and lost much of their limited equipment at Dunkirk in 1940).
Given how recent the memory of the Great War was, it’s not hard to understand why the British and French governments wanted to avoid war. While Chamberlain did not serve (he was already middle aged during the war), he had been in government, and parliament and the cabinet was made up of veterans, and men who had lost sons, friends, and relatives. The death toll of that war was staggering.
Nor did most European powers have moral issues with dividing territory without the input of the residents - the only difference in this case was that Czechoslovakia was in Europe. Without the benefit of hindsight, I can absolutely understand why Chamberlain and Daladier made the decisions they did, and I don’t think many can say they absolutely wouldn’t have made the same decision.
With Yalta, I honestly don’t see how that could have worked out differently. The Soviets weren’t about to give up their hard won satellite states for a principle they did not hold. While Churchill did have a plan-Operation Unthinkable-drawn up, I don’t see what the US and UK could have done. FDR absolutely misjudged Stalin, but Churchill did not - he knew what he was. While he was a liberal (in the classic British sense), and did want self-determination for Poland, what could he do? Not to mention, there was still the Pacific War.
Shocked that the notion that the AP being politically bent is a notable topic. Have you read the AP reporting on Israel? Propaganda central. Sure before the internet, the AP and Reuters were defaulted to as likely reliable sources of fact but the last decade has been a decent into headline grabing, spew whatever for clicks.
Quit with the bald insults, Welch! We are legion within the Fifdom! 🙂
Overload.
Guess I'll hold off on the Mailbag then....
I can handle it, coach!
Booooo
Moynihan mentioned on the podcast release today that Katarina Witt was a collaborator with the Stasi. I thought the Stasi had files on her and had been monitoring her from the time she was a child. I haven’t seen anything where she actually collaborated with them. Can you clarify the statement that you made about her please?
Wasn't she also in Playboy?
I’m still working on the Second Sunday episode! The Summer break for daycare is making it much harder to keep up. But, please keep it coming!
Is this not quality children’s programming?
lol, it was fine until they got to the age where I worry they’ll start repeating the language they hear on the podcast. I’m definitely not ready to explain to daycare or family how they might have picked up those words
If you’re going to show good old movies to your kids, you have to hit them before you give them their first phone and their attention span turns to mush. I did 2001 a Space Odyssey, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Alien with my ten year old this year and she stayed attuned the entire time, really enjoying them.